LAGAWE, Ifugao (PIA)-- Four towns in Ifugao are designated as drug-cleared municipalities, and one as a drug-free municipality by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC).

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Ifugao Director Randy Pulmano said the drug-cleared  municipalities are  namely; Asipulo, Banaue, Lamut, and Tinoc. The  lone municipality designated as drug-free is Hungduan.

Pulmano explained that a drug-cleared municipality  is one that was previously classified as  drug- affected,  underwent  the barangay drug clearing program, and declared as drug-cleared by the ROCBDC.

Drug-free municipality, on the other hand,  refers to one that is  unaffected by drugs, vetted, and confirmed by the ROCBDC.

Pulmano clarified that all barangays within a municipality should be cleared, or unaffected by drugs before the municipality receives its designation as drug-cleared, or drug-free.

He congratulated all the local executives for their efforts, and expressed hope that all the  municipalities in Ifugao will receive their drug-cleared status in the first semester of the year.

Meanwhile, Pulmano  noted that only the municipality of Lamut has a Balay Silangan Reformation Center.

On other efforts to relative to the drug prevention and control campaign, the municipalities of Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Lagawe, and Mayoyao have complied with the Training of Trainers on Barangay Drug Clearing Program,  and orientation on barangay anti-drug abuse council for new sets of barangay officials.

The Ifugao Police Provincial Office, 1st and 2nd Ifugao Police Mobile Force Companies, and all the 11 municipal police stations  have undergone Drug-Free Workplace Policy orientation,  and Continuing Advocacy, Education Against Illegal Drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 13, series of 2018. (JDP/FBR-PIA CAR, Ifugao)