Silay City in Negros Occidental was declared the first drug-cleared city in Negros Island Region (NIR) during the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC) deliberation led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Silay was recognized for clearing all its 16 barangays from illegal drugs through the implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP).
“Silay City has achieved a historic distinction as the first drug-cleared city in Negros Occidental and the first in the NIR since its establishment. This accomplishment reflects discipline, governance, strong community involvement, and steadfast interagency cooperation at all levels,” PDEA-NIR acting Regional Director Melvin Estoque said during the awarding ceremony.
Estoque, who also sits as the ROCBDC chairperson, awarded the Balangay Seal of Excellence to Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego and police chief Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca for achieving the major milestone.
The Balangay Seal of Excellence is the highest recognition conferred by the PDEA to the BDCP implementers, acknowledging their dedication and commitment in the anti-drug campaign.
Silay, which has conducted high-profile anti-drug operations and neutralized major drug personalities in the past years, met the various parameters for a drug-cleared municipality or city, such as ensuring that all barangays declared as drug-cleared are validated, and subjecting the randomly selected rehabilitated persons who used drugs and drug reformists in all barangays to surveillance drug tests.
It is also implementing ordinances or executive orders and anti-illegal drug programs, and has established a Balay Silangan Reformation Center.
Gallego said he takes pride in Silay’s status as a drug-cleared city.
“When I assumed as mayor, my priority was to make Silay drug-cleared. We are the first in Negros, we are proud Silaynons fighting against illegal drugs,” he said.
Darroca, a Silaynon himself, said being declared a drug-cleared city is a status Silay “must fight to keep every single day.”
“The fight is not over. As chief of police, I give you this warning: To those who plan to bring drugs back into our ‘Paris of Negros’ – do not test us. We will not let you destroy what we have built,” he said.
He acknowledged the support of the city government to the “Project: I Dream Big! Our Journey to a Drug-Free Community,” which is being implemented by the police in tandem with the city’s Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program – Silay Cares.
“Their support was not just moral; it was tangible. It was logistical and financial,” Darroca said, adding that city government has already spent almost PHP30 million to implement the drug-free community project.
During the deliberation, the ROCBDC also declared the retention of drug-cleared status of 319 barangays, including 19 in Bacolod City, 275 in Negros Occidental, three in Negros Oriental, and 22 in Siquijor.
There were 58 verified drug-free barangays, of which five are in Negros Occidental, 27 in Negros Oriental, and 26 in Siquijor.
Fifteen villages were declared as informing drug-free barangays with certificate of no active drug personality, among these seven are in Negros Occidental while eight are in Negros Oriental.
The ROCBDC is an inter-agency committee that assesses, evaluates, and issues resolutions relative to drug-clearing, validation, and confirmation of drug-affected and unaffected barangays.
Aside from the PDEA, it is composed of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, and the concerned local government unit.*PNA
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