321 Bohol barangays declared drug-cleared

Three hundred twenty one barangays in Bohol were recently declared drug-cleared by the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other members of the Regional Oversight Committee (ROC).

Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chairman Catalino Cuy and Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto led the awarding of certificates to the chairmen of the drug-cleared communities yesterday at the Bohol Cultural Center.

Chatto told the Manila Bulletin that the province originally recommended 556 barangays as drug-cleared, but only 321 as of press time were approved since the other barangays lacked the required documentation for final endorsement.

“We will pursue and do some follow-up on the remaining 200 plus barangays for the next batch of declaration of drug-cleared barangays,” Chatto said.

Thorough monitoring
Chatto thanked the PDEA, DILG and ROC for painstakingly engaging and monitoring the barangays down to the ‘purok’ level.

The ROC is made up of the Central Visayas heads of the PDEA, DILG, Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of Health (DOH).

Chatto added that the challenge now is for the other barangays to be cleared as well, while those already cleared have to maintain their status.

DILG-Central Visayas OIC-Regional Director Loisella Lucino said that Bohol’s monitoring is done down to the ‘purok’ level.

She said the reporting includes all ‘puroks’ to identify and report drug users, even if the subject only used drug once.

“Our number of cleared barangays showed how serious we are in our anti-drug programs involving our puroks and even at the households,” Lucino said.
Multi-sectoral support

“Bohol is now the best-performing province in terms of barangay drug clearing and, by percentage, has now the least drug affectation,” Chatto declared.

Chatto cited the multi sector involvement in the province’s anti-drug program.

He lauded the Center for Drug Education and Counselling program headed by Dr. Cesar Lopez and the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program-Without Walls (CBRP-WoW) that involves the church/religious sector.

Galing Pook Award candidate
In a related development, the national Galing Pook Award evaluators over the weekend assessed Bohol’s “Kontra Druga Para sa Pamilya” program through the Countryside oDevelopment Program – Purok Power Movement (CDP-PPM).

“ The Galling Pook Award has recognized our noteworthy accomplishment, that’s why they came over to inspect and validate our CDP-PPM, the CEDEC and the CBRP-WoW, said CEDEC head Dr. Cesar Lopez. (Minerva BC Newman)

(Source: Manila Bulletin). Photo credit loboc river bohol: www.panglao-bohol.com