LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has cleared 446barangays in the province of Ilocos Norte from illegal drugs through their Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP), as of September 2023.
The remaining 79 barangays are still drug affected, including some barangays in Laoag City, Batac City, Badoc, Solsona, Pasuquin, Bangui, Sarrat, and Piddig.
Farlyne Vinluan, public information officer of PDEA-Ilocos Norte, said they are working on clearing the remaining barangays by 2024.
“The BDCP is one of the demand-reduction efforts of PDEA and is designed to provide a more effective and efficient measure towards preventing and eradicating illegal drug abuse through penetrating the grassroots level in barangays,” according to Vinluan.
In relation, the province now has a total of 15 operational Bahay Silangan to house drug surrenderees and offenders for the rehabilitation program.
She also clarified that some towns in the province do not need to establish their own Balay Silangan especially if the town is not drug-affected.
As of September 2023, some 492 drug offenders have been enrolled in the Balay Silangan Reformation Program since 2018.
Vinluan said that they estimate about 80% of the graduates have been employed mostly by their respective local government units and other private companies.
