ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Silay City first drug-cleared city in Negros Island Region

Silay City first drug-cleared city in Negros Island Region

Published Nov 26, 2025 05:20 pm
SILAY City was declared the first drug-cleared city in Negros Occidental and Negros Island Region during the third deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing on Wednesday, Nov. 26. (Glazyl Masculino)
SILAY City was declared the first drug-cleared city in Negros Occidental and Negros Island Region during the third deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing on Wednesday, Nov. 26. (Glazyl Masculino)
SILAY CITY, Negros Occidental – The Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC) chaired by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) declared Silay City as the first drug-cleared city in Negros Occidental and Negros Island Region (NIR) since its reactivation in August during their third deliberation held at Antonio’s Hall, Golden Food Park, Silay City on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
City officials headed by Mayor Joedith Gallego, accompanied by Police Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, received the Balangay Seal of Excellence from PDEA-Negros Island Region (NIR) led by acting Regional Director Melvin Estoque for clearing all 16 barangays from the menace of illegal drugs through the implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP).
Gallego said the achievement was made possible through the efforts of the police, barangay officials, community, and the LGU.
He said that since he became mayor of the city, he is confident that the drug menace in Silay City will be resolved, citing the dedication of the city police force in the anti-illegal drug campaign.
Gallego called on to the community to stop engaging in illegal drug activities as it will destroy not just a person but a family.
Darroca said that being a drug cleared city does not mean that illegal drugs do not exist anymore.
He noted that illegal drugs transcend from other places and considering the huge population of Silay City, it is very potent and the contraband may still enter the city, thus, continuous monitoring is necessary.
“We will continue to conduct law enforcement, and act on any information reported to us,” Darroca said. He added that they will not be complacent and will continue to conduct their anti-illegal drug operations.
Darroca said that this problem cannot be solved by law enforcement alone. “Arrests are necessary, but they are not the cure. So, I crafted a comprehensive action plan, tailored specifically to the situation of Silay. I titled it: ‘Project: I Dream Big! Our Journey to a Drug-Free Community.’’’
“We moved away from just ‘catching bad guys’ to a holistic approach focusing on five pillars – prevention, law enforcement, rehabilitation, after care, and monitoring,” he said.
He said the city government has spent more than P30 million for the campaign against illegal drugs, including the rehabilitation of more than 200 drug personalities in three years.
Darroca thanked the city government for their continued support which also was an instrument in reaching their dream of becoming a drug-cleared city.
“P30 million is a large number, but that amount is little compared to the number of families we save from the ill effects of illegal drugs. You cannot put a price tag on a drug-free home and a safe community.”
Darroca stressed that the fight is not over despite the achivement. "Drug cleared" is a status we must fight to keep every single day. The hard part starts now,” he said.
He warned those who plan to bring drugs back into the “Paris of Negros.” “Do not test us. We will not let you destroy what we have built. We will maintain the brilliance of Silay,” he said.
Estoque said that a drug cleared status means there was previous affectation of illegal drugs, but it underwent and passed the BDCP.
Estoque said that this victory is not only for Silay City, but a milestone for the province, for the ROCBDC, and for the entire nation. “Every city we clear brings us closer to our vision of a drug-free Philippines. One cleared city is one more step toward a safer, stronger, and more resilient country,” he added.
He challenged them to sustain their gains and be consistent in implementing all sustainability programs. He said that long term success and protection of barangays rely on vigilance and unwavering commitment.
Estoque said this accomplishment reflects good governance, strong community involvement, and steadfast operations in all levels. “Silay has shown that with political will, strong collaboration, unwavering support, and consistent implementation of sustainability programs can lead them to this success.”

Related Tags

Silay City
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.