THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas revealed that a total of 3,098 out of 4,051 barangays or around 76% in the region have already been declared as drug-cleared.
Alex Tablate, Acting Regional Director of PDEA in Region VI said the declaration was made by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program.
"These barangays have been declared as drug-cleared or officially declared unaffected from drugs in the whole of Region 6," he said.
Presently, there are ten Balay Silangan Facilities in the Region catering to reformists, ready to begin their journey towards genuine recovery.
Tablate said under this new normal environment, we always welcome anything you can share in this relentless fight.
"Let us all remind everybody that we are not on the safe zone just yet. New normal means you stay drug-free and Covid-free in these trying times. Stay safe, healthy and strong everyone," he said.
Tablate also emphasized that in the past few weeks, PDEA Regional Office VI, just like most of us, was forced to adjust to the new normal.
Right now, while the implementation of quarantine measures was loosened and businesses start to gradually operate again in the different provinces in the region, our operatives have set mode to increase our rally against illegal drugs.
PDEA operatives never stopped on their mandate, but momentarily slowed down to ensure safety of our operatives and personnel operating all over Western Visayas, he added.
Tablate said PDEA has a lot of work to do, and as the PDEA welcomes the new leadership of Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva, they too will make a shift to fight the war on drugs anew.
"Expect double effort and output under the new leadership of DG Villanueva who has been very active and dedicated all these years as an anti-drug advocate who is never afraid to roam around the streets in our efforts to finally put an end to this drug menace which continuously threatened the future of our children, including the generations to come," Tablate further said.