San Juan declared first drug-cleared city in NCR

SAN Juan City announced on Friday that it has been officially declared as the first Drug Cleared City in the National Capital Region (NCR) by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing.

The oversight panel is composed of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Department of Health (DOH).

The declaration follows the successful conduct of the 1st Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Deliberation and Evaluation for San Juan City's application as a drug-cleared city and the first conferment for the Retention of Validated Drug Cleared and Verified Drug Free Barangays for Calendar Year 2025, held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Session Hall.

Present during the event were PDEA-NCR Regional Director Emerson Rosales, DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin represented by LGOO VII Ana Jury Castillo, NCRPO Director Gen. Anthony Aberin represented by PCol. Angel Garcillano, and DOH-NCR Regional Director Dr. Lester Tan represented by Thea Marie Santiago.

San Juan achieved 100-percent drug-cleared status across all its barangay (villages) in 2023, which is a prerequisite for the citywide declaration. It is important to note that while barangay-level clearance is a major step, the recognition of a city as drug cleared is a higher and separate distinction, based on stricter and more comprehensive criteria.

In addition to its drug-free status, San Juan City also holds the distinction of having the lowest crime volume in the entire Metro Manila.

While the official Drug Cleared City Certificate and Barangay Seal of Excellence will be formally issued after the lifting of the Comelec election moratorium, the declaration is already in effect.

Mayor Francis Zamora vowed to sustain this achievement, saying the city will do everything possible to retain its drug-cleared status in the coming years through continued enforcement, rehabilitation, and prevention programs.

Mayor Zamora thanked the oversight committee, the San Juan Police, barangay officials, the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, all department heads involved, and the people of San Juan. He emphasized that maintaining this achievement requires the full cooperation of every citizen and called on all San Juaneños to help sustain the city's drug-cleared status.