ABOUT 200 barangays in the region still grapple with illegal drugs, an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) XI revealed.
During the AFP-PNP press briefing held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, PDEA XI regional director Naravy Duquiatan told reporters that Davao City has 76 drug-affected barangays, followed by 46 in Davao del Norte, 33 in Davao del Sur, 22 in Davao de Oro, four in Davao Oriental, and two in Davao Occidental.
As of September 2023 data, 945 of the 1,162 barangays in Davao Region have been declared cleared of drugs. That leaves 217 barangays that are still struggling with drug prevalence.
The Regional Oversight Committee Barangay Drug Clearing, composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Police Regional Office XI, and representatives of the local government units, continues to assess barangays and implement programs to finally rid them of drugs.
