Just recently, sixteen (16) more barangays in Iloilo City were declared to be officially cleared by the Regional Oversight Committee. The latest addition brought a total of 77 barangays out of 180 villages in the metro.
Among those declared are San Felix, Tanza Bonifacio, and Liberation for City Proper; Bantud and Burgos for La Paz; Jalandoni Estate for Lapuz; Arguelles, Buhang, Buntatala, Dungon A, and Montinola for Jaro; and Cochero, Infante, North Fundidor, San Pedro, and Tap-oc for Molo.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Western Visayas chairs the Regional Oversight Committee with representatives from government agencies: Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, and Local Government Units.
The Dangerous Drugs Board has set guidelines in declaring a barangay drug-free. The barangay should be without illegal drugs supply, transit or transshipment activity, laboratory, clandestine chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, dive or resort, drug pusher, a user or dependent, drug protector, coddler or financier. Moreover, barangays officials are encouraged to be active in anti-drug activities, and the Sangguniang Kabataan to be involved in maintaining a drug-free community, to mention a few.
