DRUG-CLEARED. Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. (right) recognizes 17 drug-cleared towns of Zamboanga Peninsula for their successful anti-drug campaign. Abalos leads the recognition during the regional launch of the 'Buhay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan' program in Zamboanga City on Saturday (May 6, 2023). (PNA photo by Teofilo Garcia Jr.)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has recognized 17 drug-cleared towns in Zamboanga Peninsula for their successful anti-drug campaign in conjunction with the launch of the Buhay ay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan (BIDA) program in the region over the weekend.
According to DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., all 386 barangays covered by the 17 towns have also been declared drug-cleared.
Abalos was in this city last May 6 for the launching of the BIDA program.
In a DILG report released Tuesday, the drug-cleared towns were identified as those of Bayog, Dumingag, Josefina, Lakewood, Mahayag, Pitogo, Sominot, Tabina, Tigbao, Vincenzo Sagun and Ramon Magsaysay in Zamboanga del Sur province.
Also included in the list were Siay in Zamboanga Sibugay; and Kalawit, Labason, La Libertad, Siayan and Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte.
Abalos also gave special mention to Jose Dalman town in Zamboanga del Norte as “the first municipality to become drug-cleared in the entire Zamboanga Peninsula.”
A town is declared entirely drug-cleared based on the assessment by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing. There are a total of 75 towns in the region.
Data provided by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Zamboanga Peninsula (PDEA-9) also indicated that 1,334 out of 1,904 barangays in the area have been cleansed of illegal drugs as of December 2022.
The same indicators showed that while 455 barangays are still affected by illegal drugs, 115 of them are certified as “unaffected.” (PNA)
