Bacolod City and Negros Occidental have the lowest number of drug cleared barangays in Western Visayas, and a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency official said they are stepping up efforts to address the problem amid concern raised by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Director II Donelyn Hemedez, PDEA Western Visayas assistant regional director, told the participants of a Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Summit at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City today, January 22, that 80.30 percent of the barangays in Region 6 were cleared from drugs in 2020.
However, only 12 of the 61 barangays in Bacolod City or 19.67 percent have been cleared, she said.
In Negros Occidental, 222 of its 601 barangays have been cleared of drugs or only 36.94 percent, she added.
The governor said he called for the provincial summit because he is concerned about the low number of drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental.
“I feel it’s a question of documentation that the barangays have to submit and have themselves validated by the PDEA,” Lacson said.
The 36.94 percent rating of Negros Occidental is very low, especially compared to the neighboring province of Iloilo that hit over 90 percent, he said.
Lacson said, “with more than 60 percent yet uncleared, we know that we still have a long way to go. Today’s summit was called precisely for the purpose of addressing such actuality.”
The highest number of drug cleared barangays in Western Visayas is in Antique at 99.32 percent followed by Aklan at 96.94 percent, Iloilo province – 93.14 percent, Guimaras -85.71 percent, Capiz – 72.51 percent, and Iloilo City – 47.77 percent, Hemedez said.
Hemedez said based on their assessment there is a low number of drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been a challenge for PDEA agents to travel from Iloilo to Bacolod during the pandemic, she said.
Their agents in Negros Occidental also reported that some barangays have refused them entry because of COVID-19 positive cases, Hemedez said. There are barangays that have had total lockdowns that have made it difficult for us to get in, she added.
Hemedez said with the recent drop in COVID-19 cases in towns and cities in Negros Occidental, barangays have reopened that has enabled PDEA to do its work.
PDEA is also adding more agents in Negros Occidental to assists in the barangay drug clearing so they can double their efforts, she said.
She sad PDEA is implementing a lot of efforts in partnership with the Philippine National Police and other government agencies to hasten drug clearing in Negros Occidental.
Hemedez also pointed out that during the pandemic 10 PDEA personnel in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City were hit by COVID-19 but they have since fully recovered.
Lacson said with the explanation of PDEA, increasing the number of drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental looks promising.
President Rodrigo Duterte has already said that in his last one and half years in office, he really wants to bring down the numbers as far as drug dependents and pushers are concerned, Lacson said.
“We, as a province, would like to contribute to that by increasing the number of barangay cleared areas,” he said.
“Maybe if we can bring the numbers up realistically to at least 70 percent this year I think that would be a good record,” he said.
Of course, it will not end this year, the campaign will continue year in and year out until all the barangays are cleared, Lacson added.
They have a long way to go, but increasing the number of drug cleared barangays is promising because they have the support of the local governments and various government agencies, Hemedez said.*