ILOILO City – An estimated 300 barangays in Western Visayas may be declared “drug-cleared” this first quarter of 2018, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The oversight committee formed to monitor the antidrug programs of barangays has been deliberating on the status of these villages since January, said PDEA regional director Wardley Getalla.
In January, the committee evaluated around 45 barangays and last month it assessed around 120.
This month, said Getalla, 145 more barangays were evaluated.
The oversight committee is made up of the regional directors of PDEA, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.
According to Getalla, among the criteria in declaring a village drug-cleared are the following:
* no illegal drugs
* no drug users and pushers
* no drug laboratories
* no marijuana plantations
* active Barangay Anti-illegal Drug Abuse Council
* functioning voluntary drug rehabilitation desk
“Kahit cleared na ang barangay, kailangan pa rin ang rehab desk para sakaling darating ang time na ang drug user ay babalik, mayroon nang nakahanda na rehab desk,” said Getalla.
He also clarified that the drug-cleared status of a barangay may be revoked if it fails to maintain its being drug-free.
The oversight committee would be evaluating the barangays every three months.
Western Visayas has 4,051 barangays in six provinces./PN
