DRUG FREE. Members of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program of the Regional Oversight Committee of Caraga Region, chaired by PDEA-13 Regional Director Aileen T. Lovitos (center), declares on Friday (Nov. 8, 2019) the province of Agusan del Norte and its two cities, Butuan and Cabadbaran, as 'drug-cleared' areas. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-13 Information Office)
BUTUAN CITY – The province of Agusan del Norte and its two cities, Butuan and Cabadbaran, were declared “drug-cleared” during the 17th meeting of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) of the Regional Oversight Committee (ROC) on Friday.
During the deliberations, the BDCP-ROC found that the remaining 25 barangays and five municipalities in Agusan del Norte that were previously not declared drug-cleared areas have already complied with the provisions of DDB (Dangerous Drug Board) Regulation No. 3, series of 2017.
The DDB regulation, issued on February 14, 2017, mandates for the strengthening of the implementation of the barangay drug clearing program.
Seven out of 10 members of BDCP-ROC, which is chaired by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Caraga (PDEA-13) Regional Director Aileen Lovitos, were present during the regular meeting.
Five towns in Agusan del Norte--Magallanes, Buenavista, Kitcharao, Nasipit, and Santiag--were also declared drug-cleared by the members of the board.
In a phone interview with PNA on Friday afternoon, PDEA-13 information officer Dindo Abellanosa said 33 barangays in Butuan City were also cleared during the meeting on Friday.
Abellanosa added that 87 percent of barangays in the whole Caraga Region or 1,141 out of 1,311 barangays are now considered drug-cleared.
Four provinces in Caraga have already been declared drug-cleared; the Province of Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.
That leaves the province of Surigao del Norte as the lone area not yet proclaimed drug-cleared. (PNA)
