VILLASIS, Pangasinan—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has declared this town “drug-cleared”.
Police Senior Inspector Brendon Palisoc, chief of Villasis Police Station, said the 21 barangays here have been cleared of illegal drug trade.
“All the barangays were then affected by illegal drugs, considering the town’s geographical location, as a link between Urdaneta City and Rosales town,” he said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday.
A city or municipality is “drug-cleared” when 100 percent of its barangays is drug-free, strategies are in place to prevent drug re-entry, and awareness on anti-drugs programs are instilled among residents.
The 744 drug surrenderees have finished their community-based rehabilitation, which was led by the local government unit of Villasis, called the Aksyon Barangay-Konseho Laban sa Droga (ABKD), said Palisoc.
“The surrenderees have joined sports competition, such as basketball leagues, and planted vegetables in their respective communities, while religious groups have also supported by involving them to their worship services; they were reminded about or inculcated in them Godliness,” he added.
He said they would continue to monitor on a weekly basis the drug-cleared communities, through barangay officials.
Palisoc also encouraged residents to report cases of newly-identified drug personalities in their areas. “We ask for their cooperation in order to maintain the town’s status as drug-cleared,” Palisoc said. (Hilda Austria/PNA)
