NOVELETA, Cavite - Seven more barangays (villages) here have been declared "drug free", bringing to nine the listed drug cleared communities out of 16 villages, an official of the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC) said Friday.
Mayor Dino Reyes Chua, MADAC chair, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has declared Barangays Santa Rosa 1 and 2, San Juan 2, San Jose 1 and 2, Poblacion, and San Rafael 2, aside from the Barangays San Rafael 1 and Magdiwang which were drug cleared in last year’s assessment.
“We are enhancing our efforts to combat illegal drugs in our town and the number added to our drug cleared barangays is the result of that,” said Chua, urging the other remaining barangays to initiate efforts to be declared "drug free".
Through the DILG, a committee must validate the non-availability of the supply of illegal drugs in the barangay; the absence of drug transit, storage, and production operations; and the decline in the number of users and pushers before a barangay can be declared "drug free".
“The next step for these barangays is to help them become drug-resistant so that they can maintain their being drug-cleared,” he added.
Chua said addressing the drug problem is one of his priority agenda.
Capt. Rosalino Panlaqui, Noveleta police chief, said that law enforcers are strengthening their campaign against illegal drugs through continuing anti-illegal drug operations, information dissemination and the posting of drug-free home and work place stickers by police officers, after their assessment.
Panlaqui said the Office of the Mayor has partnered with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine National Police to promote a drug free workplace advocacy program for private establishments such as offices, restaurants, bars, subdivisions and warehouses. (PNA)
