The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has created a working group tasked to “closely monitor the nationwide implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP)’’.

PDEA Director-General Wilkins Villanueva explained the  the PDEA BDCP Working Group for Monitoring and Validation (PB-WMV) was created in response to the marching order of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for PDEA to conduct regular and periodic assessment of the program of clearing barangays from illegal drugs by 2022.

Villanueva said the government has adopted an integrated approach to the program by enlisting the assistance of local government units (LGUs) in drug-clearing operations at the barangay level.

He explained this is in pursuant to Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 3 Series of 2017 otherwise known as “Strengthening the Implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program.”

A brainchild of Villanueva, the BDCP is the main framework of the agency’s anti-drug strategy that embodies a holistic and whole-of-nation approach in addressing the country’s drug problem.

“The BDCP defines the roles and responsibilities of PDEA and other government agencies in support to the attainment of drug-free communities,” he added.

Besides monitoring the implementation of the program, Villanueva said the PB-WMV will also validate barangays with drug-cleared status after issuance of certification; gather analysis and provision of data related to drug-clearing of barangays; empowerment of implementers through seminars/trainings; preparation of audit, monthly and periodic reports, among others.

Villanueva heads the PB-WMV while his chief-of-staff supervises its implementation. 

“Once the PB-WMV becomes fully operational, the correctness of data on drug-cleared barangays and watch-listed drug personalities will be achieved. The working group will speed up the process for a faster, better and more effective execution of the BDCP,” Villanueva said.