By Jennifer P. Rendon
Western Visayas has inched closer to its goal of clearing drugs from the region, with 93.31 percent of its 4,051 villages now declared drug-cleared.
During the 54th Regional Oversight Committee Deliberation on Barangay Drug Clearing Program (ROCBDC) on July 31, 2024, a total of 409 barangays were favorably approved by the committee.
Among these, nine were newly declared drug-cleared, 380 retained their drug-cleared status, and 20 maintained their drug-free status.
The recently approved drug-cleared barangays include two each from Oton in Iloilo and Talisay City in Negros Occidental, and one each from Cadiz City, Hinigaran, Kabankalan City, Toboso in Negros Occidental, and Bacolod City.
Following this development, only 276, or 6.79 percent, of the region’s total barangays remain to be cleared.
For the retention of drug-cleared status, Capiz logged 232 barangays, Iloilo had 105, Aklan had 37, and Negros Occidental had six.
Additionally, 46 barangays from Antique and Iloilo qualified to apply for retention of their drug-free status, while 29 barangays from Capiz and Iloilo were issued Certificates of Inventory of Drug Personalities (CIDP) and directed to take appropriate action on reported drug activities.
To date, all barangays in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras have been cleared. Aklan has 372 barangays, Antique has 590, and Guimaras has 98.
Meanwhile, 99.59 percent of the 1,721 barangays in Iloilo province are cleared, while 93.45 percent of Capiz’s 473 barangays are cleared, and 81.36 percent of Negros Occidental’s 601 barangays are cleared.
The region’s two highly urbanized cities remain at the bottom in terms of the number of drug-cleared barangays.
Iloilo City recorded 52.68 percent drug-cleared from its 180 barangays, and 34.43 percent of Bacolod City’s 61 barangays are drug-cleared.
The remaining areas to be declared drug-cleared include 31 barangays in Capiz, seven in Iloilo province, 112 in Negros Occidental, 85 in Iloilo City, and 40 in Bacolod City.
The next Oversight Committee Deliberation is tentatively set for August 30, 2024.
