The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region VI (PDEA-6) yesterday confirmed 15 out of 20 barangays in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental have been declared ‘drug-cleared.’

The declaration was made following deliberations between PDEA-6, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6), and Department of Health (DOH).

Based on a document released by PDEA-6, the barangays were under deliberation from January to March of this year in order to ascertain their compliance with Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3, Series of 2017, which lays out the qualifications for a neighborhood to be considered “drug-cleared.”

The policy also created the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council.

Meanwhile, PDEA-6 revealed a total 111 barangays across the region were declared “drug-cleared.”

According to PDEA Deputy Regional Director Thesa Albano, the 111 barangays went through a series of validations and were signed off by several individuals, including PRO-6 director, Police Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag; PDEA-6 Director Wardley Getalla; DILG-6 director, Atty. Anthony Nuyda; DOH-6 director, Dr. Marlyn Convocar; and Tubungan Mayor Vicente Gargaritano.

“We could not easily declare a certain [barangay] free from illegal drugs because we have to undergo [a] series of validation to make it sure that it’s really clear,” she explained.

Ahead of Pulupandan, Hamtic, Antique had 22 barangays given the declaration; while Tubungan, Iloilo earned 16.

Libacao, Aklan and Mina, Iloilo also each had 15 barangays declared “drug-cleared.”

According to PDEA-6, another 340 barangays are pending declaration, which are currently being considered before the Barangay Drug Clearing Program Regional Oversight Committee and have been forwarded to Binag for validation and signature./DGB, WDJ