CALAPAN, Oriental Mindoro – Six Oriental Mindoro municipalities have been declared “Drug Cleared Municipalities” following the roll out of the Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) Caravan.
Named Drug Cleared Municipalities are municipalities of Bansud, Bulalacao, Gloria, Mansalay, San Teodoro and Socorro.
An Oversight Committee composed of government agencies including the PNP, PDEA and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issues the clearance. DILG Undersecretary for Plans Public Affairs and Communication Atty. Margarita N. Gutierrez lead the awarding of the certificates during the BIDA Caravan roll out at the Capitol grounds on January 24.
Also present during the BIDA caravan were 400 Persons Who Used Drugs or PWUDs. Also present were government agencies such as Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA)Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH) and law enforcement agencies of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), DILG, Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
BIDA Program is a nationwide anti-illegal drugs advocacy program involving local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), and other key sectors of the society that will focus more on drug demand reduction and rehabilitation in the communities coupled with arrests.(By Giovanni A. Flaviano) (photos courtesy of Provincial Information Office – Oriental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro PPO)
