Southern Leyte maps strategy to sustain drug-free tag

TACLOBAN CITY, April 20  -- Southern Leyte’s provincial government will provide incentives to village officials who would maintain the drug-free status of their respective communities.

Governor Christopherson Yap said sustaining a village’s status as drug-free is a great challenge for local government units, which is why they need to work hard to ensure that all villages in the province remain free from any form of illegal drug activities.

“We will look if we could provide incentives to all village officials for this accomplishment that we have attained,” Yap said in a message sent to reporters Thursday.

He said these incentives could come in the form of cash but the amount is still subject for discussions at the provincial government assembly.

The assembly, to be attended by provincial, municipal and barangay officials, will be held within this month, said the governor.

Data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency showed that of the province’s 500 villages, 462 were found to be affected by illegal drugs in 2016. Last April 17, the entire province was declared as drug-cleared.

The capital city of Maasin had the most number of affected villages with 67 out of 70 villages, while all areas in the towns of Silago (15 villages), Hinundayan (17 villages), Anahawan (14 villages), San Francisco (22 villages), Libagon (14 villages), Macrohon (30 villages), Padre Burgos (11 villages), and Limasawa (six villages) were included in the list of illegal drugs trade.

Of all the areas, Limasawa was the first to be declared as cleaed from illegal drugs.

Southern Leyte is the first province in Visayas and Mindanao to be declared as drug-free after Batanes and Romblon.

“This was like an impossible dream for us, but we did all our best to comply with all the requirements, encouraging all village officials to cooperate with us and submit what are needed for their villages to be declared as drug-free,” Yap said, adding that each community must do its share in maintaining the province’s drug-free status.

 “If they believe the President’s advocacy, they must cooperate with us. For those who are involved in the illegal drugs trade, they must change for a better future,” Yap added. (RTA/PNA)