By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Ten local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental have been declared drug-cleared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting at the provincial capitol on Thursday, March 7.

PDEA-NegOcc Director Cornelio Espartero identified the drug-cleared LGUs as the cities of Bago, Sipalay and Himamaylan; as well as the towns of Candoni, E.B. Magalona, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Pulupandan, and Valladolid, composed of 175 barangays.

PDEA said 471 out of 601 barangays in 31 LGUs in Negros Occidental have also been declared as drug-cleared, including Cauayan town’s Tiling, Escalante City’s Jonob Jonob and Langud, Silay City’s Guinhalaran and Mambulac, Talisay City’s Zone 12, Hinigaran town’s Gargato, and Murcia town’s Lopez Jaena.

A total of 130 barangays in Calatrava town (with 20); Kabankalan City (15); Escalante (13); Murcia town (11); San Carlos City (nine); Cadiz City and Sagay City (eight each); Binalbagan town (six); Hinigaran and Cauayan (five each); San Enrique town (four); Isabela town (three); Himamaylan, Hinoba-an town, Pontevedra town, Silay, and Toboso town (two each); and Ilog town and Don Salvador Benedicto town (one each) are yet to be cleared of illegal drug activities.

PDEA, the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies in the province are aiming to assist the villages, including 61 barangays in Bacolod City, that are not yet declared drug-cleared.

Espartero said they have implemented interventions to facilitate the rehabilitation of persons who use drugs, and community-based rehabilitation programs by the Department of Health./DGB, WDJ