A regular spot drug test and financial reward to informants and law enforcers are some of the innovations and programs introduced by the municipality of Bingawan, Iloilo to combat illegal drugs and led to the recognition from the National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (NADAC).
Mayor Mark Palabrica of Bingawan, a fifth-class municipality, said on Tuesday, Nov. 29, they went through the regional validation and national calibration by NADAC, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Dangerous Drugs Board.
“We have innovations in Bingawan. First we have a regular spot drug test, not random,” he said in Hiligaynon during an interview.
Palabrica 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 LGU coordinates with the PDEA that sent its team to conduct the drug test using kits purchased by the local government.
“We are thankful that 100 percent of our employees are negative during the spot drug test,” Palabrica said.
Apart from the spot drug test, the municipality also provides incentives of P50,000 each to the informant, law enforcement agencies during a successful operation, and assisting barangay during the conduct of the operation.
Annually the mayor’s office allots P200,000 for the anti-drug campaign while other funds were sourced from the Municipal Peace and Order Council and health.
The award will be conferred to the LGU during the Performance Audit National Awards to be held on Dec. 13, 2022 at the Manila Hotel.
Also to be awarded during the ceremony are 16 other LGUs from Western Visayas namely Dao and President Roxas in Capiz; Alimodian, Anilao, Barotac Viejo, Concepcion, Dingle, Dueñas, Igbaras, Lambunao, Miagao, New Lucena, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, and Zarraga in Iloilo and Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental.PNA
