About 76.5 percent of barangays in Cebu Province have now been declared drug-cleared, according to the latest data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas.
PDEA 7 reported that 816 of the province’s 1,066 barangays had been classified as drug-cleared as of September 17, 2026. The figures were presented during a third-quarter anti-drug council meeting at the Cebu Capitol Social Hall.
The latest figure represents a significant increase from previous years. In 2018, only 245 barangays, or about 23 percent of Cebu Province’s total, had been declared drug-cleared.
Despite the progress, PDEA 7 said 232 barangays in the province remain classified as drug-affected. Another 18 barangays are classified as drug-free.
The classifications have different meanings. A drug-affected barangay is an area where the presence of drug users, pushers, drug personalities, illegal drug facilities or related activities has been reported and validated.
A drug-cleared barangay is one that was previously classified as drug-affected but subsequently underwent the required Barangay Drug Clearing Program and was cleared through the appropriate regional oversight process. A drug-free barangay, meanwhile, refers to an area that was not classified as drug-affected and was subsequently verified as such.
PDEA 7 Investigation Agent Romy Alcantara said the increase in drug-cleared barangays reflects a substantial change compared with earlier years.
The development comes as the Cebu provincial government seeks to strengthen its response to illegal drugs through the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Division, or CPADAD. The provincial government has been working to establish the anti-drug body as a full department that can coordinate programs addressing drug-related concerns.
Earlier data from PDEA 7 also showed a sharp decline in drug affectation across Central Visayas, although illegal drugs remain a continuing concern in the region.
Authorities said the goal is to further reduce the number of drug-affected communities and increase the number of barangays that can eventually qualify for drug-free status through sustained prevention, enforcement and community-based programs.
