The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Thursday, June 18, that of the 557 barangays in Negros Oriental, 290 have been declared “drug-cleared” while 53 are “drug-free.”
PDEA Negros Oriental chief Elmer Ebona said this leaves 214 barangays as “drug-affected,” based on the latest data under the Barangay Drug Clearing Program.
“A drug-cleared barangay is one that was previously identified as being affected by illegal drug activities but has successfully undergone rigorous interventions and met all required parameters, demonstrating the absence of drug supply, drug pushers, and drug dens,” Ebona said.
On the other hand, a drug-free classification is granted to barangays that have been vetted by the oversight committee and found to have no history of monitored drug users, drug pushers, or any illegal drug-related activities.
Records from the PDEA here showed that municipalities or cities with the highest number of drug-cleared barangays are Bais City and La Libertad (26 each); Bayawan City, 21; Mabinay, 23; Sta. Catalina, 20; Dauin, 19; Tayasan, 16; Guihulngan City and Manjuyod, 15 each; Pamplona, 14; Canlaon City, Valencia and Vallehermoso, 11 each.
The rest have fewer than 10 drug-cleared barangays.
Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental, logged only three drug-cleared barangays out of its 30 barangays.
For drug-free barangays, Manjuyod and Bindoy had eight; Jimalalud, six; Ayungon and Tayasan, five each; Bais City, four; Dumaguete, three; Basay, Pamplona, San Jose and Sta. Catalina, two each; Bayawan City, La Libertad, Dauin, Mabinay, Siaton and Sibulan, one each.
Meanwhile, Marjorie Ballesteros, assistant regional director of PDEA in the Negros Island Region, called on local government units (LGUs) to establish a “Balay Silangan,” a temporary shelter and reformation center for Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) undergoing interventions.
One of the requirements for a municipality or city to be fully declared a drug-free zone, with all of its barangays no longer affected by the drug problem, is to establish a “Balay Silangan.”
Ebona said five LGUs in Negros Oriental have already set up Balay Silangan reformation centers — Basay, Bayawan City, Bais City, Canlaon City and Pamplona.
According to him, a municipality or city may partner with a neighboring LGU that operates a Balay Silangan facility to accommodate its PWUDs for rehabilitation, provided that both parties enter into a memorandum of agreement.*PNA
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