The San Juan City local government elatedly announced that all of its 21 barangays have been declared as fully drug-cleared by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday, Feb. 9 becoming the first city in Metro Manila to become 100 percent drug-cleared.
The final deliberation was held at the city hall and was attended by San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, officials from PDEA, and other city government and barangay officials.
Barangays West Crame, San Perfecto, and Batis were now declared fully drug-cleared after complying all parameters set forth by the Regional Oversight Committee for Barangay Drug Clearing Program headed by PDEA, Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Health (DOH). The three barangays received their provisional status on Dec. 14 of last year.
“21 out of 21 barangays have now been fully drug-cleared by PDEA. I am confident that by the end of tomorrow’s deliberation, San Juan City will pass with flying colors and will become the first city to get full drug clearance from PDEA. This is all through the combined efforts of our barangays and City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC),” Zamora said.
According to him, the barangays and CADAC work together in monitoring the PWUDs (People Who Use Drugs) and by providing them with interventions and rehabilitation programs wherein they were given lessons on life skills and livelihood that will help them reintegrate back to the community.
High risk PWUDs were checked by DOH-accredited physicians who will come up with a plan to help them in their battle against illegal drugs.
“Rest assured that we will continue and boost our efforts in our war against drugs under our Makabagong San Juan,” Zamora noted.
Earlier, the mayor expressed his support to the national government’s latest program against illegal drugs, which aims to use a more holistic approach to the country’s illegal drug problem.
Dubbed as the “Buhay ay Ingatan, Droga ay Ayawan” or BIDA program of DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and the Marcos administration, it is a nationwide anti-illegal drugs advocacy program involving local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), and other key sectors of the society.
It will focus more on drug demand reduction and rehabilitation in the communities, underscoring the role of drug enforcement agencies, including the PNP, PDEA, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“It is a holistic approach into the drug war incorporating livelihood, education, the church addressing the social ills of our country. So, we address not just the branches causing the problems, but also uproot the drug problem. That is the framework of the BIDA program of Sec. Abalos,” Zamora said.
He also showed his conviction in eradicating illegal drugs in the city as the local chief by personally joining drug raids with the city’s police force to make sure that the implementation of the protocols are correct.
Aside from this, the mayor explained that the city government is currently fixing its Balai Silangan which will serve as San Juan’s drug reformation center where a PDEA office will also be built.
The reformation center is funded by the city government wherein its patients will also be taught livelihood programs and classes to help them in their reintegration to society.
“We look at our PWUDs or the persons who use drugs as our constituents whom we have to support in terms of getting reintegrated back into the community. So we are setting this up for them, we will fund this for them, and we will make sure that during their stay here, they will be able to learn how to go back to normal life,” Zamora explained.
“Yes, they have experienced getting into drugs, being hooked into these substances, but again, we have to give them a second chance to be able to reintegrate themselves into the community,” he added.