At least 108 barangays and five towns in Region 13 or the Caraga Region have been declared drug-cleared, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said on Wednesday.
Director General Aaron Aquino said authorities would still continue to monitor the status of the concerned barangays and municipalities.
“Even if they are drug-cleared, these municipalities and barangays will still be strictly monitored by all stakeholders of the barangay drug-clearing program, especially by their respective barangay anti-drug abuse council [Badac] in order to sustain their drug-cleared status,” he said.
“They will also undergo quarterly validation as provided for under Paragraph 3, Section 10 of the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3, Series of 2017,” he added.
The barangay drugs clearing program is authorized to revoke all drug-cleared certification through official over the failure of a barangay to maintain the requirement for a drug-free barangay.
The municipalities of Veruela, Sta. Josefa, Loreto, and Rosario of Agusan del Sur and Dinagat Island were declared drug-cleared after all their barangays had been given “drug-cleared” status during a recent regional oversight committee meeting in Butuan City.
With the latest development, 791 barangays out of the 1,311 or 60 percent of the total number of barangays in the Caraga Region, are now enjoying a drug-cleared status.