DRUG-FREE.Mayor Robella Gaspar of Carasi town, Ilocos Norte province receives a certificate as a drug-free workplace from officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Ilocos Norte police on Feb. 15, 2023. Prior to its declaration, all personnel of the municipality including its policemen underwent surprise drug testing and all test results yielded negative.(Photo courtesy of PDEA Ilocos Norte) LAOAG CITY -Employees of local government units (LGUs) and uniformed personnel in the province of Ilocos Norte are leading the way to make their communities drug-free. Of the 23 barangays in Piddig town, only one barangay is up for deliberation to be declared as drug-free, and the remaining 22 now enjoy drug-free status. Farlyne Vinluan, public information officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), reported that 521 or 77.11 percent of the 559 barangays in Ilocos Norte are drug affected since December 2022. As part of the intensified drive to get rid of prohibited drugs, the PDEA, in cooperation with the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office and the 23 city and municipal government units, have converged for the establishment and institutionalization of a drug-free workplace and the conduct of authorized drug testing for elective local officials and appointive public officers. This week, a total of 404 employees of Carasi and Piddig towns as well as their local police stations have been declared as drug-free workplaces, said Provincial Director Julius Suriben on Friday. Under the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation 3, Series of 2017, a drug-free municipality meets the following requirements: non-availability of drug supply, absence of drug den, pusher, user, and absence of clandestine drug laboratory including the active involvement of barangay officials in anti-drug activities such as drug awareness, preventive education and information and voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk. Mayors Georgina Guillen of Piddig and Robella Gaspar of Carasi have applauded the municipal employees and the local police for a job well done. Both local chief executives encouraged their constituents to cooperate with the government in maintaining the "drug-cleared" status of their workplace. Earlier, the PDEA declared the police in the towns of Batac, Burgos, Solsona, Marcos, Dingras, Nueva Era, Pasuquin, Vintar, Bacarra, San Nicolas and Currimao as drug-free workplaces. (PNA) }