Regional Oversight Committee during the deliberations for the declaration of two barangays in Cebu City being declared drug-cleared on Friday, May 21. | Photo from Jonah John Rodriguez
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two barangays in Cebu City recently declared as drug-cleared are examples that the drug clearing program is possible in barangays penetrated with illegal drugs especially in highly urbanized cities like Cebu City.
Leia Albiar, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas spokesperson, said this after the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing declared Barangays Sto. Niño and Sudlon 1 in Cebu City were declared drug cleared on Friday, May 21.
Albiar said that this was made possible by the cooperation of the barangays and government agencies.
“This is a proof that even in the high-urbanized city, possible gyud ang barangay drug clearing program basta mu kooperar lang gyud ang mga concerned agencies particularly ang barangay nato. Di man gyud siya impossible, basta malatag lang gyud ang program unya sabton pod ang programa,” said Albiar.
(This is proof that even in the high-urbanized city, a drug clearing program in the barangay is possible as long as there is cooperation among concerned agencies particularly our barangays. It is never impossible as long as the program is presented, absorbed, and used accordingly.)
The PDEA-7 spokesperson said that the combined efforts of the barangay and different agencies have helped the law enforcers to intensify their campaign against illegal drugs.
Albiar also challenged other barangays to consider those drug-cleared barangays to be their inspiration to be part of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
She said that the creation of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council in every local government unit was also a huge factor in keeping the cooperation not only of barangay officials but also of the community to sustain the peace and order in their areas.
Albiar also said that among the 80 barangays in Cebu City, only 76 were able to establish a Community-based Rehab Program (CBRP) according to the information they received from the Cebu City Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP).
She encouraged the remaining four barangays to also establish their CBRP and help their drug surrenderers to be rehabilitated.
The implementation of CBRP is under the programs of the Department of Interior and Local Group (DILG), which allows barangay units to adopt measures in preventing and eradicating drug abuses in their locality.
“Mao mana kasagaran nga feedback sa atong kapitan though di man gyud ta kablame nila kay daghan man sad silag mga programs, mga gibuhat, mga gidelegate sa ilaha nga task. Unta makita nila ni as motivation nga kaya gyud maimplement ang CBDRP,” she said.
(This is usually the feedback from our barangay captains although we cannot blame them because they also have implemented several programs that have been delegated to them. I hope they see this as a motivation to implement the CBDRP.)
She further said that the presence of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) was also crucial in keeping all sectors engaged in this campaign against illegal drugs.
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