CEBU CITY – Close to 30 more barangays in Central Visayas have been declared as drug-cleared following the recent deliberation conducted by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program.
Headed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7), the committee granted the application of 26 barangays in the region to be declared as drug-cleared.
PDEA-7 information officer Leia Alcantara said six of the newly declared drug-cleared barangays are in the province of Bohol, 13 in Cebu province, five in Cebu City, and two in Mandaue City.
After the recent deliberation, 1,968 out of the 3,003 barangays have already been given the drug-cleared status.
Alcantara said the declaration of the 26 barangays as drug-cleared areas went through a stringent process.
"This is a significant achievement especially for the local government units because it is not easy to have a barangay declared as drug-cleared. There’s so many documentary requirements and it’s not easy to conduct house-to-house visits, implement intervention through the community-based drug rehab program and there is also the aftercare,” said Alcantara.
Alcantara said close monitoring must continue in the barangays as the campaign for a drug-free barangay does not end with earning the drug-cleared status.
“It is the obligation of the barangays to monitor people arriving in their areas as well as monitoring possible illegal drug activities happening in their places,” Alcantara said.