9 of 10 top Cebu City barangays in anti-drug drive get incentives

CEBU, Philippines —  Nine of the 10 barangays in Cebu City that were chosen as the best in the campaign against illegal drugs have already received their respective cash incentives.

According to Jonah John Rodriguez, head of the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC), the 10 barangays are Sudlon I, Sto. Niño, Sinsin, Sapangdaku, Sudlon II, Parian, Toong, Basak Pardo, Mabini, and Luz. These barangays were picked as Best Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADAC).

Rodriguez said Mabini and Sapangdaku were the first to receive their P100,000 incentive back in November last year.

As for Toong, Sto. Niño, Basak Pardo, Luz, Sudlon I and II, and Parian, they received their cash incentive yesterday.

Sinsin is yet to receive their incentive on the ground that there are shortcomings in their documents but it is now being processed.

“Actually, 10 ni sila kabuok gyud, na-awardan na nato sila pag-November during sa atoang culmination activity sa atong drug awareness month; however, kining atong gi-turn over kato ni ilahang cash incentives,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said that the selection of Best BADAC was carefully deliberated on by the city government, together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cebu City and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Among the criteria provided by the DILG is that the barangay has been drug cleared, has active Community Based Drug Rehabilitation Treatment (CBDRT), among others.

Rodriguez stressed that it is very important to focus on the drug problem because it will help not only in the recovery of the person who got addicted to illegal drugs but also his family and the entire community.

“It’s not only the family that will recover, it’s the community as well that will recover, so that’s the importance of giving focus to this problem,” said Rodriguez. — JMD (FREEMAN)