ILOILO City – Regular spot drug test and financial rewards to informants and law enforcers are some of the programs to combat illegal drugs implemented by Bingawan, a fifth-class municipality in Iloilo province.
The National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (NADAC) cited these.
Mayor Mark Palabrica said on Tuesday, Nov. 29, that they went through the regional validation and national calibration by NADAC, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Their latest spot drug test was last month; they gathered all regular, contractual and job hire employees without disclosing the true purpose of the meeting.
Bingawan local government coordinated with PDEA, which sent a team to conduct the drug test using kits purchased by the local government.
“We are thankful that 100 percent of our employees are negative (for drug use),” Palabrica said.
The local government also provides P50,000 in incentives to each informant, to law enforcement agencies during a successful operation, and to the assisting barangay during the conduct of the operation.
Annually, the mayor’s office sets aside P200,000 for the anti-drug campaign, while other funds are sourced from the municipal Peace and Order and Health Councils.
The award, meanwhile, will be given during the Performance Audit National Awards at the Manila Hotel on Dec. 13, 2022.
Also receiving awards are 16 other local government units from Western Visayas. These are:
* Dao and President Roxas in Capiz;
* Alimodian, Anilao, Barotac Viejo, Concepcion, Dingle, Dueñas, Igbaras, Lambunao, Miag-ao, New Lucena, Pavia, Santa Barbara, and Zarraga in Iloilo; and
* Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental. (PNA)/PN
