AT LEAST 50 percent of the total barangays in Negros Island Region (NIR) have already complied with the mandate of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to conduct drug assemblies starting Saturday, March 25.
DILG-NIR Director Anthony Nuyda said Sunday that based on the initial results of their monitoring, at least half of the 1,219 barangays in the region have conducted the assemblies in their respective areas.
Of the total barangays in the region, 662 are in Negros Occidental while 557 are in Negros Oriental.
Nuyda said that although the assemblies are mandated to be synchronized on March 25, the agency already anticipating that all barangays cannot hold the assembly in one day thus, more barangays are expected to hold the activity this week.
“We are expecting 100 percent compliance within a week,” Nuyda said, adding that the agency has noted a 99-percent compliance rate during the conduct of barangay assemblies in October last year.
DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, who was in the province recently, emphasized the critical role of the barangays at the forefront of the government’s fight against illegal drugs.
“Through the gathering, barangays nationwide have to seriously discuss their current situation on the illegal drug problem,” Panadero said, adding that they also have to plan their strategies on how drug users and pushers in their area can be stopped, and how non-users and non-pushers remain not engaged in the illegal activity.
In Negros, Nuyda reminded barangay captains of their obligations to gather and report to their constituents their accomplishments and plans.
He said that the assembly should highlight programs of the national government like campaign against anti-illegal drugs, anti-criminality and corruption as well as the concept of federalism being pushed by the current administration.
“Our city and municipal local government operations officers along with personnel of the regional office will strictly monitor the compliance of the barangays,” Nuyda said, adding that they are ready to impose corresponding sanctions to erring ones.