Iloilo town’s anti-drug drive earns nat’l recognition

A regular spot drug test and financial reward for informants and law enforcers are some of the innovations and programs introduced by Iloilo province’s Bingawan town, to combat illegal drugs and led to the recognition from the National AntiDrug Abuse Council (NADAC).

Bingawan Mayor Mark Palabrica said they went through the regional validation and national calibration by NADAC, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Dangerous Drugs Board.

“We have innovations in Bingawan. First we have a regular spot drug test, not random,” Palabrica said in an interview.

He added that they conducted their latest spot drug test last month when they gathered all elective, regular, contractual and job-hire employees in a gymnasium without them knowing the purpose of the meeting.

The town coordinates with the PDEA which sends its team to conduct the drug test using kits purchased by the local government unit (LGU).

“We are thankful that 100 percent of our employees are negative during the spot drug test,” the mayor said.

Apart from the spot drug test, a P50,000 incentive was provided to the informant, law enforcement agencies during a successful operation, and assisting barangay during the conduct of the operation.

Annually, the LGU allots P200,000 for the anti-drug campaign.

The award will be conferred to the LGU during the Performance Audit National Awards to be held on December 13, 2022 in Manila.

Also to be awarded during the ceremony are 16 other LGUs from Western Visayas, namely Capiz’s Dao and President Roxas towns; Iloilo province’s Alimodian, Anilao, Barotac Viejo, Concepcion, Dingle, Dueñas, Igbaras, Lambunao, Miagao, New Lucena, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, and Zarraga towns; and Negros Occidental’s Moises Padilla town.