CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has announced that, as of June 30 this year, 84.3 percent of barangays in Central Luzon are officially drug-free.
This translates to 2,620 out of the 3,105 barangays in the region.
During the 10th episode of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas of the Philippine Information Agency, DILG Regional Director Anthony Nuyda credited the achievement to the Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) program.
“It is a holistic approach to combating illegal drugs by focusing on drug demand reduction through public awareness and active community participation,” he explained.
In March 2023, DILG conducted the regional launching of the BIDA program through a fun run that attracted about 10,000 participants across Central Luzon.
This was followed by the region’s first-ever Youth Conference to bolster the anti-drug campaign.
“We organized BIDA Youth Camps with 110 participants, including students, youth leaders, [Sangguniang Kabataan] officials, and Local Youth Development officers,” Nuyda shared.
Additionally, DILG organized BIDA symposiums across all state universities and colleges in the region, reaching 1,250 students.
These activities were conducted in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“We are also thankful to the officials of every state university and college who helped us empower our youth to fight illegal drugs,” Nuyda said.
He affirmed that the program will also extend to private colleges and universities.
Meanwhile, DILG conducted the Central Luzon Anti-Illegal Drug Summit in partnership with PNP, PDEA, DOJ, and DOH.
This initiative targeted 125 barangays that were slightly or moderately affected by drug issues.
Over the past two years, DILG has conducted a total of 730 BIDA activities in the region, engaging approximately 123,000 individuals in the fight against illegal drugs.
To further strive towards a drug-free Central Luzon, the Regional Peace and Order Council has initiated and developed parameters and guidelines to ensure that government workspaces are drug-free
These strategies, grounded in the BIDA program, underscore DILG’s commitment to fostering peaceful, orderly, safe, and secure communities throughout the region.
SOURCE: Maria Asumpta Estefanie C. Reyes PIA3
