Bacolod City – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is expecting an increase in the number of drug-cleared villages in Negros Occidental, as 30 more barangays have applied to be declared as such.
Of the 601 barangays in the 31 towns and component cities of Negros Occidental, 101 are still affected by illegal drugs, according to PDEA.
In his report during the joint Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council and Peace and Order Council meeting recently at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City, PDEA provincial director David Mark Maramba, disclosed that 500 barangays, which is equivalent to 83.19 percent of the 601 barangays in Negros Occidental, are drug cleared.
Maramba further reported that only 34.43 percent of the 61 barangays in highly urbanized Bacolod City are drug cleared.
PDEA Negros Occidental remains under PDEA Western Visayas, pending creation of the PDEA Negros Island Region office.
Among the provinces in Western Visayas, only Aklan, Guimaras and Antique have been categorized by PDEA as drug cleared. Iloilo is 99.59 percent drug cleared, Capiz – 93.5 percent, Negros Occidental – 83.19 percent, and Iloilo City is 52.78 percent drug cleared. (Gilbert Bayoran via tvds)