TWELVE barangays in Negros Occidental were declared as drug-cleared barangays during the 24th Regional Oversight Committee meeting on February 17 in Iloilo.
The twelve were among the 29 barangays in Western Visayas that were declared drug-cleared.
Those declared drug-cleared in the province were Barangay Pantao, Calatrava; Barangay Basak, Cauayan; Damgo, E. B. Magalona; Camba-og, Hinigaran; 1 Ponlacion,Hinoba-an; Buenavista, Himamaylan City; Banog-banog, Isabela; Andulauan,Ilog; Puey, Sagay City; Kapitan Ramon, Silay City; Zone.7, Talisay City and 15-A in Victorias City.
Candidate barangays coming from the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental were screened and assessed by members of the Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs chaired by Regional Director Edgar S Apalla, assisted by Director Donelyn M. Hemedez; together with Police Major Rey Q Tolosa, Jr. of the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas; John Richard L. Lapascua, senior health program officer of the Department of Health Regional Office-Western Visayas; and Karen Joy L. Mansuelo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Western Visayas.
Representatives from the different barangays assisted by their local government units presented and defended their applications and folders in compliance with the parameters of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program mandated by the Dangerous Drugs Board Reg. 3 series of 2017, with ROC members conducting the actual evaluation of each participant barangay applicants.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Western Visayas said in a statement that it will continue to closely collaborate with concerned counterparts to increase the number of barangays to be cleared through proper implementation of DDB Regulation no. 3 series of 2017 and the Omnibus Procedures in Declaring a Drug Affected Barangay as Drug-Cleared.