In a significant move against drug proliferation, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) has officially declared 39 villages in the region as drug-cleared. This announcement came after a detailed review by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC), chaired by PDEA-7 Director Alex Tablate, on November 21, 2024, in Cebu City.
The breakdown of the cleared villages includes 27 from Cebu province, nine from Bohol, one from Cebu City, and two from Lapu-Lapu City. Director Tablate emphasized that for a village to achieve this status, it must ensure that all individuals involved in illegal drug activities are accounted for and that community-based drug rehabilitation programs are effectively implemented.
Additionally, the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) in each village must be active and functional. In Siquijor, 12 communities were also declared drug-cleared, with two achieving the status of drug-free.
The deliberation process, which took place at the PDEA-7 office, saw participation from village chairpersons and BADAC members via online platforms. Local mayors also attended to support their villages during the process. The ROCBDC meeting was further attended by key figures including Celerino Magto Jr., vice chair and chief of the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Department of Interior and Local Government-7, along with representatives from the Police Regional Office-7, Department of Health-7, and PDEA-7.