Twenty-six barangays of Negros Occidental are under evaluation in the drug-clearing program of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
PDEA Negros head Nicholas Gomez said if these barangays hurdle the parameters set by the program evaluation committee, they will be added to the list of 207 barangays of Negros Occidental that have already been declared drug-free, as of November this year.
Gomez said the number is 30 percent of the total 601 barangays of Negros Occidental that has the lowest number of barangays declared drug-free among the six provinces in Region 6.
Gomez encourages barangay leaders to comply with the main criteria to be declared drug-free, and that is the establishment of a community-based rehabilitation program.
He added that they are keen on verifying the projects and programs implemented by the Barangay Drug Abuse Council that has a mandate from the Department of the Interior and Local Government to initiate programs to combat drug problem in their locality.
The committee, Gomez said, is presently conducting onsite evaluations in 15 local government units with barangay applicants. This is for their next deliberations on Dec. 16.
Before declaring that a barangay is free from illegal drug activities, the committee must convene and validate the non-availability of drug supply in the area and the absence of drug transit activity, clandestine drug laboratory and chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, drug pusher and user, the PDEA said.
Gomez added that when he first arrived in Negros Occidental for his assignment, there were only around 20 barangays that were declared drug-free.
Many barangays had applied for evaluation but most failed to pass the criteria, that is why they keep on encouraging barangay leaders to take sincere steps in ensuring that their barangays are finally declared drug-free. — MML
