The Ilocos Times

  By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—A beach resort at Brgy.   Burayoc in this town was officially opened on Sept. 30, 2020 to temporary house former drug dependents. In a simple program during the opening and blessing of the “Kanlungan ni Kuya”, a two-story building with a beach front, overlooking the West Philippine Sea,   Pagudpud mayor Rafael Ralph Benemerito II hopes the facility will be put into good use through the active participation of the 36 former drug surrenderers who will be housed in the area for at least 30 days under the watch of the local government unit and the Philippine National Police in Pagudpud town. “I hope that they will become productive during their stay here as guests,” he said. The “Bahay Silangan”, locally known as “Kanlungan ni Kuya" is a reformation center for Pagudpud residents who had been victims of drug abuse. The program offers values formation and livelihood opportunities which are meant to ...

  By Dominic B. dela Cruz (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) reverted Brgy. 55 Barit-Pandan as drug-affected after the joint provincial intelligence workshop in which two drug personalities were identified to be residents of the said barangay, thereby affecting its “drug-free” status. Laoag City Local Government Operations Officer Janet Duarte made the announcement which she said was based on a DDB resolution declaring Brgy. Barit as “drug-affected” barangay. Ms. Duarte said RA 9165 [Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002] mandates the government to pursue intensified and unrelenting campaign against illegal drugs and shall endeavor to secure the assistance of the local government units in drug operations. The DDB was created as the policy making and strategy formulating body in the planning and formulation of policies and programs on drug prevention and control. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was likewise created for an effic...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Piddig , Ilocos Norte—A two-storey drug reformation and rehabilitation center is now open to serve former drug dependents in this town. In a simple program during the opening and blessing of the newly-refurbished Bahay Silangan building located at Brgy. Anao here, just within the compound of the former Gakki Center in the municipality, Piddig Mayor Engr. Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen hopes the building will become a functional structure equipped with a state-of-the-art municipal library that will be open round the clock. “We want the building to be highly functional so there will be computers with high-speed internet so everybody can use it anytime and it’s free,” said Mr. Guillen. According to the mayor, having an accessible internet connection is now a necessity these days. “Generally, when it comes to macro managing, people become more productive when they have access to internet as it provides them boundless opportunitie...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Laoag City —The Laoag City Sangguniang Panlungsod has commended 34 barangays in the city for being “drug cleared” and “non-drug affected barangays”. Laoag councilor Jaybee G. Baquiran reported the cleared barangays through a resolution commending them in their fight against illegal drugs. The said barangays’ Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) disseminated information regarding illegal drugs’ bad effects to health and that they were able to convince their respective constituents not to use and distribute any illegal drugs in their barangays.        The commendation was based on a certification issued by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Provincial Intelligence Officer III Dheo Aurio A. Tabor as of December 28, 2019 and by the Regional Oversight Committee in accordance with the Dangerous Drug Board entitled “Strengthening the Implementation of Barangay Drug Clearing Program. The 31 d...

Laoag City —As continuing support to the nationwide anti-illegal drugs campaign of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) granted PHP5 million to the Ilocos Norte provincial government to fund the construction of a community-based rehabilitation facility at Brgy. Tamdagan in Vintar. DDB Undersecretary Earl Saavedra personally handed the check to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc on December 13, 2019 at the Provincial Capitol.   “We put communities at the center of all our anti-drug efforts and our intention is to really help local government units put up rehabilitation facilities na tutulong sa ating mga kababayan na napariwara ang landas at naging biktima ng paggamit ng illegal na droga ,” Mr. Saavedra remarked. “ Itong community-based rehabilitation facility na ipapatayo dito sa Ilocos Norte ay initiative ni Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc because in his persistent discussion with the DDB , nabanggit ni governor na p...

Security forces burn the confiscated marijuana plants in Ilocos Sur. (Photos courtesy of Sugpon PNP) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY— The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the local police have destroyed over PHP4 million worth of marijuana plants uprooted in the mountainous areas of Kibungan in Benguet and Sugpon in Ilocos Sur in a three-day operation. Lt. Jerry Arazabal, Sugpon police chief confirmed this as he reported they have uprooted more or less 17,550 fully-grown marijuana plants and recovered at least 7 kilos of dried marijuana stalks in different plantation sites located in the borders of Sitio Culiang, Tacadang, Kibungan and in the mountains of Wasan and Bila, Sitio Sawangan, Barangay Danac in Sugpon, Ilocos Sur. He said, “personnel of the PDEA and police operatives reached the target on Tuesday [November 26, 2019] morning and found fully-grown marijuana plants in different sites with a total value of PHP4,465,000 based on ...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter PDEA investigation agent V Lani Bel C. Ancheta along with Laoag police chief Mar Louise Bundoc, city DILG officer Janet Duarte and Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas pose with the 20 “drug-cleared” and “non-drug affected” barangays represented by their respective punong barangay after they received their certification. (Doms dela Cruz) Laoag City —The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) based in Ilocos Norte has declared 17 barangays in this city as “drug cleared” and three “non-drug affected” barangays. PDEA made the declaration on April 1, 2019 after the flag-raising ceremony at the Laoag City hall. The 20 “cleared” barangays were represented by their respective punong barangay. They received a certification from the Dangerous Drugs Board. The barangays are Brgys. 30-B Sta Maria, 37 Calayab, 32-B La Paz West, 33-A La Paz Proper, 33-B La Paz Proper, 31 Talingaan, 29 Sto. Tomas, 26 San Marcelino, 27 Nra Sra De Soleda...

Laoag City —In light of their consistent and effective efforts to eliminate the use of illegal drugs in the province, the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO) was given the 2018 National Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Award by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last month. In 2018, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) declared Ilocos Norte “54% drug-free,” specifically in the municipalities of Marcos, Carasi, Dumalneg, Adams, Burgos, Currimao, Banna, and Vintar, and another 279 barangays. In the last quarter of 2018, the INPPO conducted 75 drug-clearing operations which led to the arrest of 84 drug offenders, and seizure of 345 grams of marijuana and 154 grams of shabu .   According to P/Insp. Wilma Palting, Police Community Relations (PCR) officer, the award is proof of the INPPO’s strong drive to eradicate illegal drugs. She noted that this is seen in the decreasing number of cases related to illegal drugs that f...

(NBI Laoag photo By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Law enforcers from different units uprooted and later burned PHP4.3 million worth of marijuana during an anti-illegal drugs operation at Brgy. Tulgao in Tinglayan, Kalinga on October 6, 2018. Led by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation along with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine National Police from Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region, the fully-grown marijuana plants were estimated to be worth PHP 4,350,000. Agent Gerald Butele of NBI Laoag and team leader of Operation Green Viking said they found five plantation sites with an aggregate estimated land area of 2,350 square meters at Sitio Balay, Barangay Tulgao East and West in Tinglayan town.   “The successful operation is still in line of the government’s intensified drive to eradicate prohibited drugs including that of marijuana,” said Mr. Butele citing their troop stayed in the mountains ...

Laoag City —The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on March 14, 2018 confirmed the declaration of nine towns and 518 barangays in Ilocos Norte as “drug-free,” as per evaluation of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) and the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC). Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Lanibelle C. Ancheta reported that they have certified Adams, Banna, Burgos, Currimao, Dumalneg, Piddig and Vintar as “drug-free.” Mayors from each town have also received their certifications of this status. The figure was at 84.75% or 436 barangays last December, and the PDEA-Regional Oversight Committee (ROC) has currently validated 320 barangays. The other 198 are now awaiting endorsement and subsequent validation. According to Ms. Ancheta, the supply and demand of drugs in the province are decreasing due to effective rehabilitation and reformation programs for surrendered drug users.    “The decrease in...