In Bolinao, Pangasinan, an official from the municipality has pledged to persist in their demand and supply reduction initiatives against illicit drugs, following the acknowledgment of their drug-cleared status by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Pangasinan.
Blesilda Ramirez, the Municipal Administrator and Focal Person for the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council, expressed in a phone interview on Thursday the commitment to sustain the drug-cleared status. She emphasized that three villages – Culang, Lambes, and Catungi – remain unaffected by the drug problem, while the other 27 have already been declared drug-cleared.
Ramirez highlighted that the local government has increased the funding for its anti-drug project from PHP500,000 to PHP1 million this year, aiming to enhance their capability to combat drug-related issues.
She affirmed, "Our programs, focusing on demand-supply reduction, will persist."
As part of their strategy, the municipality continues to provide spiritual guidance through annual retreats for surrenderers and their immediate family members, along with implementing cash-for-work programs.
Ramirez disclosed that Bolinao has more than 400 drug surrenderers who have undergone community-based rehabilitation due to a low-risk level of addiction. She emphasized the effectiveness of community-based approaches with constant monitoring and unannounced drug testing to ensure the absence of relapses among surrenderers.
The local government has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Manaoag town for the center-based rehabilitation of street-level pushers who opted for plea-bargaining and were referred to the local government unit by the court.
In a separate interview, PDEA-Pangasinan Director Retchie Camacho reported that 33 out of the 44 municipalities in the province have been cleared of illegal drugs. However, he urged officials to remain vigilant and sustain efforts in combating the proliferation of illegal drugs.
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