PDEA declares 15 more barangays as ‘drug-free’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Fifteen barangays were added to the list of drug-cleared villages in Western Visayas.

The newly drug-cleared villages included Barangay Intampilan of Panitan town, Barangays Malag-it, Manapao, Solo, Sublangon, and Yatingan of Pontevedra, and Barangay Adlawan from Roxas City, all from the province of Capiz; Barangay Namocon, Tigbauan of Iloilo province; and Barangays Cudangdang and Gahit of E.B. Magalona town, Barangay Igmaya-an of Don Salvador Benedicto town, Barangay Daan Banua of Kabankalan City, Barangay Cabacungan of La Castellana town, Barangay Zone 16 of Talisay City, and Barangay II of Victorias City, all from  Negros Occidental.

These villages passed the deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing chaired by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6 acting director Alex Tablate last Monday.

During the evaluation, these villages complied with the parameters of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program mandated by Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Reg. 4 series of 2021.

A total of 41 drug-cleared villages also retained their status.

PDEA-6 assured that it will continue to closely collaborate with the concerned counterparts to increase the number of barangays to be cleared in the region.