23 barangays drug-free in NegOcc, Bacolod

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MITCH LIPA

Twenty-three barangays in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, were declared as drug free after the deliberations of the members of the Regional Oversight Committee for Drug Clearing Program the other day in Talisay City.

Manapla officials showing their drug-cleared certifications. | Manapla PNP Photo

Nicholas Gomez, head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Negros Occidental, said the barangays passed the onsite evaluations and subsequent deliberations of the committee members from the PDEA, Philippine National Police, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Health.

In Bacolod City, barangays 25 and 11 were added to the list of 10 barangays already declared free from illegal drug activities.

In Negros Occidental, the town of Calatrava has the most number of drug cleared areas. These are barangays Bagacay, Cabungahan, Cambayobo, and Winaswasan.

In Don Salvador Benedicto, the new drug free barangays are Bago, Bagong Silang, and Pinoyawan; and barangays 1-B, 2, and 2-A in Manapla.

The other drug-free barangays are Sag-ang and Cabagna-an in La Castellana; Tomina and Tambad in Cauayan; Canlusong in EB Magalona; Cabcab in Isabela; Nataban in San Carlos City; Gil Montilla in Sipalay City; Katilingban in Talisay City; Lacaron in Valladolid; and Barangay 15 of Victorias City.

The 21 newly-declared drug free barangays will add to the list of 207 that the Oversight Committee had cleared since last year.

Gomez added that this is around 37 percent of the total 601 barangays of Negros Occidental.

PDEA continues to challenge barangay leaders to comply with the national government’s drug clearing program in order to eradicate the drug problem in the country.

The next onsite evaluations will be held on the first quarter of 2021. – ML