The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) named four local government units of Bohol as among outstanding LGUs nationwide in their efforts to eradicate illegal drug trade in their respective localities.
DILG provincial director Johnjoan Mende confirmed on Thursday that the LGUs of Balilihan, Calape, Candijay and Garcia Hernandez were among the awardees of the agency’s second National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Awards.
According Mende, all four municipalities garnered perfect scores of 100 in terms of functionality points in the set criteria used to measure the functionality of ADACs at the provincial, city and municipal levels.
The DILG through Memorandum Circular No. 208-2019 signed by Sec. Eduardo Año said that the department through the awards not only aims to recognize exemplary LGUs, but also to push other localities through their ADACs to excel as well in the campaign against narcotics and for the national government to gather and acknowledge anti-illegal drug innovations and distinctive programs by LGUs.
Mende said that the scoring was based on an audit conducted by a composite team comprised of officers from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the DILG.
He however noted that the perfect scores and award are not an indication that a locality is drug-free.
“Gitan-aw ra kung ang ADAC functioning ba, performing ba sa mga plano, projects, council meetings,” he said.
The DILG will officially confer the award to the winning LGUs at the Manila Hotel on December 16. Mayors and Liga ng mga Barangay presidents of winning municipalities are invited to receive their plaque of commendation.
Mende said that only about six LGUs in Central Visayas met the qualifications for the award, adding that DILG Bohol has yet to receive data on the number of awardees nationwide.
Last year, 241 LGUs including 21 provinces, 17 highly-urbanized cities and independent component cities, 15 component cities and 167 municipalities were given the anti-drug drive award.
Only 21 of the awardees garnered perfect scores and were given P250,000 as incentive by the DILG.
This year, only those with perfect scores will be conferred the award. Awardees will receive a plaque of commendation but will no longer be given a cash reward, based on Memorandum Circular 208. (RT)