Three local government units in Iloilo are now declared as drug-cleared, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas (PDEA 6) said on Thursday, Nov. 21.

Alex Tablate, PDEA-6 regional director, said all of the villages in the municipalities of Miagao and Igbaras, and Passi City are declared “unaffected”, citing the result of the deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee (ROC).

ROC members include the PDEA, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, and the Philippine National Police.

The official declaration was done during a program in Miagao town on Wednesday, Nov. 20; Passi City on Thursday; and Igbaras town will be on Friday, No. 22.

Tablate noted the local government units have established its respective Balay Silangan that will cater to the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers.

In Western Visayas, Miagao town was the first to be declared as drug-cleared, as it was the first to comply with the required Balay Silangan, he said.

He said drug-cleared status does not guarantee that illegal drug activities would stop since there is a possibility of emergence of newly-identified drug personalities in the localities.

Miagao which has 119 villages, Passi City with 51, and Igbaras with 46 are now given the challenge on sustaining the drug-cleared status, he said.

“It does not stop with the declaration. In fact, they shall double their effort because they need to maintain, especially the villages,” he said.

He said the Balay Silangan can help the local government unit maintain its status.

“The Balay Silangan is vital to sustain the drug-cleared status of a municipality or city. If there are still pusher-surrenderers in a drug-cleared local government unit, they will find it hard to troubleshoot and they will revert back to drug-affected status,” Tablate said.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016, he said there is a huge difference in the drug situation in Western Visayas.

From 65 percent drug-affected in villages, Tablate said it is now recorded at 20 percent.

Miagao Mayor Macario Napulan, in a separate interview, said the problem of drugs in the town has been addressed through the government’s efforts.

To maintain the drug-cleared status, Napulan has formed a “clustering” of villages that has identified its own head.

“I meet with the cluster heads weekly to get updates or reports on drugs to maintain our drug-cleared status,” he said.

Passi City Mayor Stephen Palmares, meanwhile, said the drug-cleared status of the city was achieved through the cooperation of the residents and other stakeholders.

When he assumed office in July, Palmares has vowed to clear Passi of illegal drugs by the end of 2019.

“True to our words, we have worked to achieve this status and we will continue our efforts to maintain this,” he said.

Tablate said the public expects more local government units in the region to follow suit as Guimbal town in Iloilo will also be declared drug-cleared next week.PNA