THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Northern Mindanao has declared five villages in Cagayan de Oro City as drug cleared.
Data from PDEA-Northern Mindanao showed villages 5, 6, 8, 26 and 37 as “cleared” from the menace of illegal drugs.
The villages are part of the 18 Misamis Oriental villages which have also been declared drug-free by the anti-narcotics agency.
PDEA-Northern Mindanao agent Ben Calibre said a total of 81 villages in the entire region have been “cleared” as of June 29. The number of villages per province are: 43 in Misamis Occidental; eight in Bukidnon; 12 in Camiguin; and 18 in Misamis Oriental.
The number of “cleared” villages in Misamis Oriental are: five villages in Claveria; five in Salay; two in Sugbongcogon and one in Villanueva.
He said no village from Lanao del Norte has been declared drug-free yet.
From the 80 villages in Cagayan de Oro, nine have not been affected by illegal drugs at all while the affected villages dropped to 66.
Calibre said the villages declared drug cleared have followed the parameters and achieved the requirements which include non-availability of drug supply; non-availability of drug users or dependents; absence of protectors and financiers; active involvement of village officials in the anti-drug activities; existence of drug awareness, preventive education, information and related programs; and existence of treatment and rehabilitation in the barangay, among others.
"Kani nga mga barangay nakasulod sa parameters ug nag-isyu pud sila og certification nga kadtong mga nag-surrender sa tokhang dili to taga-ila ug na-validate pud namo," Calibre said.
The PDEA agent clarified that the declaration may be revoked if a cleared barangay is found to be affected anew by illegal drug activities.
He said these cleared villages will be re-assessed after three months.
"Naa tay 3 months nga period nga status sa barangay nga kinahanglan nato i-assess balik kung affected naba pud sila or still unaffected kay pwede nato i-revoke ang declaration," Calibre said.
"Sa September, naa napud tay himoon nga pag-declare sa mga drug-cleared barangay ug basin naa pud mga cleared barangay nga ibutang nato balik sa drug affected," Calibre added.
The anti-narcotics agency is set to give a certification to villages declared as drug-free anytime soon.
Calibre stressed that while the PDEA-Northern Mindanao is taking extra mile to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the community, he urged village officials to also double the efforts to reduce the demands of illegal drugs in their respective locality.
"Unified efforts ni, motabang mi nga ma-reduce ang supply sa drugs and on the part sa barangay officials awhagon namo sila nga motabang pud nga ma-reduce and demand," he said.
