CEBU City now has 39 barangays declared drug-cleared, following the recent validation of five more areas by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC) on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
The committee, led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7, approved the new status for Pahina San Nicolas, T. Padilla, Poblacion Pardo, Bonbon and Bulacao.
Jonah John Rodriguez, head of the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap), said a rigorous process was implemented in determining the status for these barangays. He said the ROCBDC requires extensive documentation, including accounting for all drug personalities on watchlists and ensuring their participation in the Community Based Drug Rehabilitation Program and subsequent aftercare.
“It’s not easy because there are so many documentary requirements to submit to the Regional Oversight Committee. Eventually, they complied,” Rodriguez said in Cebuano.
An additional six barangays are expected to undergo validation for drug-cleared status next month, with Rodriguez expressing confidence in their success. One barangay, however, was not included, and its application was deferred after it was found that a drug personality — though now residing elsewhere — still has a house in the area.
Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia attended the deliberation and expressed satisfaction with the results. He acknowledged the difficulty of the achievement, particularly in a highly urbanized city where illegal drugs pose a significant challenge.
Garcia remains optimistic that the number of drug-cleared barangays will continue to grow in the coming months, reflecting the efforts of law enforcement and local officials.
“As I always say, this is a good indicator for businesses and our residents that our city of Cebu will prosper because criminality is reduced if drugs are reduced,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Rodriguez clarified that a drug-cleared declaration does not eliminate illegal drug activity but aims to prevent the re-entry of supply into the barangay.
To maintain their status, barangays must report monthly to PDEA 7 and Cosap, monitoring for any new drug players or former personalities reverting to drug trafficking. Failure to do so, or negligence by barangay officials, will result in the loss of their drug-cleared status. / AYB