Five more villages of Cagayan de Oro City have been declared as “drug-cleared” by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 10 Office in Northern Mindanao (PDEA-10) n Friday.
According to the PDEA-10, these are Barangays 5, 6, 8, 26 and 37.
As of June 29, PDEA-10 agent Ben Calibre said, a total of 81 barangays in the entire Region 10 have been “drug cleared”, encompassing Misamis Occidental with 43 villages, Bukidnon with 8 villages, Camiguin with 12, and Misamis Oriental, with 18 villages.
Only the province of Lanao del Norte has not had a place declared as drug cleared yet.
To be drug-cleared, Calibre said the villages have to satisfy certain requirements, which include non-availability of drug supply, non-existence of drug users or dependents, absence of protectors and financiers, actively involved village officials in anti-drug activities, existence of drug awareness, preventive education, information and related programs, and existence of treatment and rehabilitation in the barangay, among others.
However, Calibre clarified, a declaration may be revoked once the cleared barangay will be observed subsequently to be affected by illegal drug activities anew, this is why the cleared barangays will be reassessed after three months.
The drug-cleared village will receive certificates recognizing their efforts to achieve a drug-free community.
