Over 70% of barangays in Negros oriental are still drug-affected

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

NEGROS ORIENTAL – More than 70 percent of barangays in Negros Oriental, as of July this year, are still affected with illegal drugs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) here reported.

PDEA officer Elmer Ebona in a July meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) at the Capitol Convention Center and based on the assessment of BDCP officers of the province on July 26 this year bared that 91 barangays here have been drug-cleared; two remained unaffected; 51 are certified unaffected while 413 barangays or 75.40 percent are considered drug-affected.

 

 

Ebona went on that of the 22 barangays in Sta. Catalina town, 20 have been drug-cleared and the two barangays are drug-free already.

He added that Sta. Catalina would have been declared as a "Drug-Cleared Municipality" but it lacks a drug reformatory facility or Balay Silangan, which is a major requirement before it can be declared by the Regional Oversight Committee as drug-cleared town.

According to Ebona, Balay Silangan is a community-based reformation program that takes care of the rehabilitation process of those drug dependents who surrender themselves for comprehensive rehab.

It also seeks to build temporary shelters for drug offenders for them to reform and become self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society, Ebona added that currently, there are five local government units (LGUs) in the province that started putting up Balay Silangan, namely: Canlaon City, Ayungon, La Libertad, Basay, and Mabinay.

He said that at the Balay Silanagan, drug reformists undergo month-long general interventions such as continuing education and health awareness and psychological/spiritual/physical activities, including counselling, moral recovery, values formation, personal and life skills, as well as livelihood and skills training programs to give reformers employment opportunities.

With Negros Oriental being the most drug-affected province in Central Visayas, Ebona said there is a need to further strengthen the tie-up between law enforcement units, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations NGOs) and other government agencies for a more concentrated effort in addressing the drug affectation in each locality.

“Local Anti-Drug Abuse Councils in each locality must implement the Barangay Drug Clearing Program to address the drug affectation in their respective areas,” he added.

According to PDEA that to declare a barangay as drug-cleared include the active involvement of barangay officials and the Sangguniang Kabataan in anti-drug activities such as maintaining drug-free status, drug awareness, IEC campaigns and putting up of drug treatment and rehabilitation processing help desks.