The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region III reported over the weekend that several barangays in Tarlac province have maintained their drug-cleared and drug-free status.
During the recent Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) Summit, the agency said that Tarlac’s barangays are no longer among the 289 drug-affected barangays in Central Luzon.
"Out of 511 barangays, 482 have been declared drug-cleared, and 29 are officially drug-free," PDEA said.
The agency explained that a barangay is declared drug-free when it underwent clearing operations and had met all parameters set by the Dangerous Drugs Board.
The conditions include the non-availability of drug supply, the absence of drug transit activities, inclusion of drug awareness campaign and community-based rehabilitation programs.
On the other hand, a drug-free barangay referred to an unaffected area that has never recorded illegal drug activities and was validated and confirmed by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing.
The PADAC has set its sights on clearing all municipalities and the city of Tarlac, aiming to make the province the third in Central Luzon to achieve full drug-cleared status.