In a move to further solidify the region’s unified front against illegal drugs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) NCR Regional Director Derrick Arnold Carreon paid a courtesy visit to the DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III at the DILG-NCR Regional Office in North Avenue, Quezon City on March 9, 2026.

The meeting served as a strategic dialogue aimed at synchronizing the efforts of both agencies in maintaining peace and order across the nation’s capital. Central to the discussion was the deepening of collaboration through the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) and the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) NCR, ensuring that policy and operations move in lockstep. 

Recognizing that local leadership is the first line of defense, both agencies emphasized a more rigorous and data-driven approach to the Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Audit, aiming to ensure that local government units are not merely compliant on paper, but are actively delivering high-impact anti-drug programs and allocating the necessary resources to protect their constituents. Parallel to this, the partnership will focus on strengthening the Regional Oversight Committee’s role in the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP). By refining the validation process, the PDEA and DILG-NCR aim to ensure that every barangay in Metro Manila is not only cleared of the drug menace through strict documentary and operational scrutiny but is also provided with the institutional support to sustain its drug-free status indefinitely.

Both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to a drug-resilient Metro Manila, emphasizing that the “whole-of-government” approach is essential in addressing the complexities of drug proliferation in an urban setting. The DILG NCR expressed its full support for PDEA’s initiatives, promising closer coordination through the various local government oversight functions it manages.