The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) announced that nearly 70 percent of the country’s 42,002 barangays have been cleared of illegal drugs. In a press briefing on Friday, PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez revealed that 29,390 barangays have met the criteria under the Barangay Drug Clearing Program.
In a GMA News Online report, Nerez explained that barangays categorized as “drug-cleared” were previously affected but have since passed the standards of the clearing program. He also noted that 320 barangays have never been affected by illegal drugs, while 6,179 barangays have been declared “drug-free” after validation from regional oversight bodies.
Despite the progress, 6,113 barangays remain drug-affected. According to Nerez, Metro Manila continues to be the “favorite market” for illegal drugs, while regions like Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region are being monitored for transshipment and storage activities.
“It boils down kung saan ang source ng droga natin ngayon. Yes, we are confident in saying na galing pa rin outside. It’s a foreign source,” Nerez said, adding that enhanced operations at ports and airports are ongoing in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard and the PNP. “Kaya nga pinaigting natin ang interdiction operation natin dyan sa mga ports, seaports, and airports.”
From January to March 2025, PDEA and its partner agencies conducted over 10,000 operations, leading to the arrest of 13,497 individuals and the confiscation of illegal drugs valued at P6.90 billion.
Among the notable seizures in the first quarter were over 400 kilograms of shabu from the Port of Manila in January, more than 119 kilograms in Oriental Mindoro in March, and multiple operations in Cavite, Rizal, Cebu, and Baguio that led to further arrests and drug hauls.
