Quirino governor and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines president Dax Cua hailed the Barangay Drug Clearing Program for its efforts to rid communities of illegal drugs.
This, as the Philippine National Police reported that more than 26,000 barangays across the country have been cleared of illegal drugs through the program’s “whole-of-nation approach.”
“I am confident that with our relentless efforts we can eventually free our communities from the clutches of illegal drugs and establish peace and order in the whole country.”
Based on data from the PNP, 35,356 of the total 42,046 barangays in the country have been previously declared as drug affected. 26,244 or 74.23 percent of these barangays have been declared as “drug cleared” from July 2016 to November 2022.
“We congratulate the PNP, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Interior and Local Government, and our local government units. This is a collective victory and goes to show that a meaningful collaboration among various stakeholders is the way to go not only in eradicating drugs, but also in resolving our other issues,” Cua said.
“I am confident that with our relentless efforts we can eventually free our communities from the clutches of illegal drugs and establish peace and order in the whole country,” he added.
The BDCP’s whole-of-nation approach involves a multi-pronged system where law enforcement agencies are in charge of supply reduction efforts to disrupt the manufacture and distribution of dangerous drugs, while government agencies and LGUs focus on demand and harm reduction strategies.
Cua attested to the effectiveness of the approach, with the Cagayan Valley region recording the highest percentage of drug-cleared barangays at 94.41 percent.
“Nakita namin mismo sa Quirino at sa buong Cagayan Valley kung gaano ka-epektibo ang whole-of-nation approach. Since various members of the community participate in the efforts, they become more invested in helping,” said the governor.
“This is the old bayanihan spirit at work, and I hope that we can continue utilizing it for our full recovery from the pandemic,” he added.
