Tinglayan, Kalinga –The Municipal Government of Tinglayan welcomed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s move to visit the place and provide technical assistance to Barangay Local Government Units to have their areas declared as illegal drug free.
Being free from illegal drugs will help the barangay and the municipality win awards on governance which could result to added funding from the government for development projects.
Before a barangay is declared free of illegal drugs, the Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug-Clearing Program chaired by PDEA, “must convene and validate the non-availability of drug supply in the area”. They likewise validate “the absence of drug transit activity, clandestine drug laboratory, and chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, drug pusher, and user.”
For Tinglayan, necessary documents shall be submitted to the agency for it to issue a certificate to the barangays declaring them as cleared.
Mayor Gumilab grateful for the assistance
In an interview, Mayor Sacrament Gumilab expressed his gratitude to the agency. He said the assistance is big help for the municipality to gain the drug-free status.
If all go well, the results shall add to their pursuit to qualify for the seal of good local governance award.
To be considered for the award, Gumilab said that the award-giving body in charge requires LGUs to comply with the Anti-drug Abuse Council’s requirement, in which one is being cleared first from drugs.
“Even if we have drug-free barangays in the municipality if they will not comply with the documentary requirements as required by the PDEA, they will not be cleared and will remain as affected barangays and so the move of the PDEA is a very big help to our municipality,” he said.
“We want our municipality to be free from these drugs so if we will be able to organize the needed documents for the evaluation of PDEA got their approval and they will issue certificate then that would be a good point for us to be able to qualify for the seal of good governance award,” he added.
To date, there are 3 drug affected barangays in Tinglayan which include Barangays Busacalan, Tulgao East, and Butbutbut Proper.
As to the drug cleared barangays, they are Barangays Bangad Centro, Basao, Bugnay, Loccong, Poblacion, Tulgao West, and Upper Bangad and 10 unaffected barangays which are Ambato Legleg, Belong Manubal, Lower Bangad, Dananao, Luplupa, Mallango, Ngibat, Old Tinglayan, Sumadel 1, Sumadel 2.
Documents needed to be accomplished
Affected barangays are required to submit two folders containing Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) resolution orders, training certificates gained from the Department of Health, color-coded PDEA-PNP Certified BADAC Watch List, profiles of identified individuals, documents on house visitations, and implementation of intervention program reports
For drug-cleared barangays, they are required to submit two folders comprising of Resolution of presence of Active Drug Personalities, Booking of Certified Identified Drug Personalities (CIDP), and After Activity Report (AAR).
For unaffected areas, a folder containing BADAC reactivation and revitalization resolution, Certification of absence of Drug Personalities, illegal activities and drug facilities from RIO and/or PDEA should be passed.
Initial checking of documentary requirements will be held on May 26 at Tinglayan Municipal Legislative Hall. The documents when completed shall be forwarded to the region for further review and deliberation.
The problem on Marijuana Cultivators
As Tinglayan is known for marijuana cultivation, Gumilab is still hopeful that the municipality shall be declared as drug-free through the provision of livelihood programs, moral recovery programs and cooperation of the yTinglayan people and their barangay officials.
“The problem is that a continuous marijuana-clearing operations in our municipality showing that we still have those individuals cultivating marijuana and even if we have the aspiration to make our municipality a drug-free if there are still those marijuana cultivators in some barangays, then it would not be possible for us to attain said status,” Gumilab said.
Somehow the mayor is optimistic in pursuing their vision of a drug-cleared municipality, saying they are doing their best to eradicate marijuana cultivation. Gumilab likewise hopes that yTinglayan young professionals and graduates will help in the move of persuading others to let go of marijuana cultivation.
“As always, we are appealing to our barangay officials in the Butbut area in Tulgao to do their best in helping people there to let go of marijuana cultivation,” Gumilab said.
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