MALASIQUI, Pangasinan -- The Regional Oversight Committee has declared some 1,993 out of 2,906 barangays in Region 1 (Ilocos) as drug-cleared as of June 2019, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional office.
In an interview Tuesday, PDEA-1 public information officer Bismarck Bengwayan said 1,023 of the total number of barangays are in Pangasinan; 366 in La Union; 318 in Ilocos Sur, and 286 in Ilocos Norte.
Some 913 barangays in the region are yet to be cleared, 248 of which are in Pangasinan; 124 in La Union, 305 in Ilocos Sur; and 236 in Ilocos Norte.
Bengwayan said the PDEA and other agencies conduct drug-clearing workshops to aid newly-elected barangay officials in the process on how to attain drug-cleared status in their barangays.
“We hold the workshop since there are many newly-elected barangay officials who may not be familiar with how the drug-clearing process is done,” he said.
Bengwayan added the Department of Health (DOH) also empowers the health centers to do drug-testing in their localities, while the Department of the Interior and Local Government continuously train the local government officials to monitor their respective Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council.
Meanwhile, Bengwayan admitted that declaration of drug-cleared status of some cities and towns were reverted due to some factors.
“The declared towns or cities, if there are still reported cases of illegal drug trade, will be given 30 days to solve the cases if not, then the declaration will be reverted. Another one is if a person included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s narco-list is living in their area then, the declaration will be reverted,” he explained.
He added the towns and cities whose declarations were reverted would undergo the process again.
“It’s as if they are back to zero,” Bengwayan said.
In Pangasinan, 31 towns and cities have been declared drug-free. These are: Agno, Aguilar, Alaminos City, Anda, Alcala, Binalonan, Bugallon, Burgos, Dasol, Laoac, Mabini, Malasiqui, Mapandan, Natividad, San Jacinto, San Nicolas, Sta. Maria, Sison, Lingayen, Bayambang, Mangatarem, Bautista, Rosales, Labrador, Calasiao, Villasis, San Manuel, Sta. Barbara, Mangaldan, Urbiztondo, and Tayug.
However, Agno, San Nicolas, Binalonan, San Jacinto, and Bautista declaration were reverted.
Sto. Tomas town remains unaffected by drugs, and Basista town is waiting for its drug-free declaration.
Pozorrubio, Bani, Manaoag, San Carlos City, San Fabian, Umingan, Sual, Infanta, Balungao and Binmaley are endorsed for declaration, while Dagupan City and San Quintin are under validation.
Bolinao, Asingan, and Urdaneta City’s declaration are on hold.
“In La Union, six municipalities have been drug-cleared with 12 and one city remaining to be cleared; 14 in Ilocos Sur with 18 municipalities and two cities remaining to be cleared; and eight in Ilocos Norte with 13 municipalities and two cities remaining to be cleared,” Bengwayan added. (PNA)
