THREE more communities in Valenzuela have been declared drug-free workplaces by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Valenzuela and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
To date, 27 of 33 barangays within the locality were declared passing the standards and meeting the parameters set forth under Section 3 of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation 2, series of 2007.
The barangays of Lawang Bato, Mapulang Lupa and Paso de Blas complied with the guidelines after being proven to have no drug supply, chemical warehouse and drug transit/transshipment activities; no marijuana-cultivation site; no drug laboratory and warehouse, drug den, drug pusher, protector, coddler and financier, and user/dependent.
Likewise, they have no barangay officials engaged in antidrug activities and actively involving the youth to help maintain their drug-liberated status. These communities have existing drug awareness, preventive education and information and other related programs, and existing and active voluntary and compulsory drug-treatment and rehabilitation-processing desk.
The new awardees officially received on Monday the certificates of declaration during the City Council session at the Session Hall.
They will receive a total of P4 million worth of infrastructure projects from the city government and the office of First District Rep. Wes Gatchalian.
Mayor Rexlon T. Gatchalian also feted the 11 police officers and barangay workers for their contribution to convict drug personalities and solve drug cases.
In return, they will get cash for their efforts pursuant to City Ordinance 285, series of 2016, or the “Reward System in Drug Cases Ordinance.”
Under Section 7 of the said policy, per every accused convicted, an amount equivalent to P100,000 shall be distributed by the Rewards Committee.
This will be done in the following manner: Members of the team who participated in the conduct of the operation, and who further took part in the court proceedings of such case shall receive an amount equivalent to 70 percent of the total amount of the reward; while those members who participated in the conduct of the operation, but have no part in the court hearings, shall receive 30 percent.
In 2017 the DILG and PDEA certified the barangays of Wawang Pulo, Tagalag and Coloong. This was followed recently by the declaration of 24 drug-free workplace barangays.
At present, a total of six barangays in the city are drug-cleared. Five more are just awaiting the official certificates of declaration—barangays Canumay East, Canumay West, Rincon, Dalandanan and Pasolo.
“All sustaining efforts will be done to keep these barangays drug-free workplaces. We’re targeting to declare the remaining barangays at the end of this month,” DILG-Valenzuela Director Mary Jane Nacario said.
“They have to do a yearly compliance report on the drug-testing activities conducted to their personnel. We persistently motivate these barangays to continuously conduct anti drug-abuse initiatives in accordance to the programs implemented locally and nationwide,” she added.
The Valenzuela City Anti-Drug Abuse Council reported a total of 941 clients undergoing the Community Wellness Rehabilitation Program; 15 clients for the Facility Based Rehabilitation in Central Luzon Drug Rehabilitation Center in Magalang, Pampanga; and 66 clients in Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Nueva Ecija.
On March 5 41 patients completed the rehabilitation program at the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Nueva Ecija.
They belong to the second batch of center-based reintegration initiative graduates of the city since 2016.
The first batch of 141 clients graduated in May 2017 from the Central Luzon Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Center in Magalang, Pampanga.
