DAVAO ORIENTAL— After meeting all the parameters set in the declaration of drug-cleared barangays and municipalities, the two remaining municipalities of Lupon and Baganga here have been recently declared as “drug-cleared”, making all ten towns of the province now officially cleared from drugs.
During the signing and declaration ceremony on November 22 at the Vice Governor’s Conference Room at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Complex in the City of Mati, the Regional Oversight Committee declared the remaining barangays, namely Macangao in Lupon town and barangays Saoquigue, Batawan, Mahan-ub, Mikit, San Victor, and San Isidro in Baganga town cleared from drugs.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Antonio Rivera, who read the declaration passage as Chairman of the Regional Oversight Committee, said that the province is the first in the Davao Region with most number of municipalities and barangays cleared from drugs. In the agency’s watch list, 73 out of 79 affected barangays in Davao Oriental have already been declared cleared from drugs.
“I am happy because Davao Oriental will soon become a drug-free province, the first in Davao Region. Davao Oriental always accomplishes things ahead of other provinces in drug clearing operations and in establishing the drug reformation facility Balay Silangan. It goes to show that your LGUs are very supportive to our president’s call. And I hope that the province of Davao Oriental will continue with what you have achieved so far,” Rivera said.
Officials are also hoping to soon “clear” the City of Mati which has also been exerting efforts in eradicating drugs despite the challenges posed in clearing amid the city’s dense and urbanized areas.
In order for barangays and municipalities to be declared as “drug-cleared”, it has to satisfy the mandatory requirements set under the Dangerous Drugs Board. Among these parameters is executing the plan, strategizing, implementing, and evaluating programs on drug abuse in the barangay. They also have to organize and equip Tanods and BADAC Auxillary Team on their roles and functions in the campaign against street level illegal drug trade through seminars and training. Based on the guidelines, barangays should determine and maintain records of information on all drug-related incidents as well as listings of suspected drug pushers and users. They are also mandated to identify drug affected house clusters, workplaces, streets, puroks and sitios and inventory drug personalities involved in illegal drugs. A periodic monitoring of drug reformists undertaking Community-Based Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation should also be conducted through random drug testing.
During the ceremony, Rivera challenged the Punong Barangays to maintain their drug-cleared status as it can be revoked if an activity involving illegal drugs is caught by the authority within the area and was not resolved within a month. He said that the Barangay Officials and functionaries should keep close monitoring of their constituents.
“All Punong Barangays are encouraged to sustain your status because you work closely with your constituents and it is you who are familiar with them. This is the time for us to be vigilant because the challenge is not the declaration of one barangay as drug cleared or drug-free, the challenge is the maintenance. How to maintain the status of such barangay as drug-cleared barangay. We have to maintain, we have to monitor closely,” he said.
Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) Action Officer Art Benjie Bulaong attributed this achievement to the collaborative efforts of the involved agencies.
“Today truly deserves a commendation to all of you who have been playing a big role, taking your card in making our province a drug-cleared province. This will be the first province to complete all the municipalities being drug cleared in the whole region. This is all because of our collaborative efforts and may we continue our effort in making our province a worth living province as dreamed by Governor Nelson Dayanghirang,” Bulaong said.
Moreover, Bulaong said this is attributed to the PADAC’s high functionality, a rating given by the DILG’s Regional Audit team. According to the rating, the PADAC has excellent or ideal programs implemented in support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
The LIHOK-NLD or the Lihok Nagkahiusang Lumulupyo Kontra-Droga, the province’s flagship program on the campaign against illegal drugs, has been transforming the lives of drug reformists back into normal. Of the 8,686 drug personalities who surrendered last year 5,564 of them were enrolled in one of the LIHOK –NLD’s component, the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program (CBRP). To date, there were already 1,958 graduates of this program while 3,606 are still undergoing the rehabilitation process. Photos by Joel Owano
