CAGAYAN de Oro City is taking a major step in its anti-drug campaign by proposing an ordinance that would allocate dedicated funding to barangays.
The initiative, led by the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac), aims to strengthen the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (Badacs), which serve as frontline units in the city's efforts against illegal drugs.
The ordinance, recently endorsed by Cadac, seeks to establish a reliable financial foundation for Badacs, which often struggle to secure consistent funding for programs.
Filed before the 20th City Council, the proposed legislation is formally titled: “Ordinance ensuring that all budget proposals forwarded by all barangays of this city have complied with the mandatory budgetary allocation for the operation of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council and establishing a support fund for all the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council.”
City Councilor Romeo Calizo, the primary author, emphasized the importance of empowering barangays in the anti-drug campaign. He underscored their role as the first line of defense and the need to equip them with adequate resources.
The ordinance would introduce a mandatory budget allocation for each barangay’s Badac, ensuring a dedicated source of funding.
It would also create a city-level support fund that barangays can access for local initiatives, particularly those focused on rehabilitation, education, and community-based programs.
The support fund will be governed by clear guidelines and administered at the city level to ensure uniformity in implementation, while recognizing that some barangays may need more assistance than others.
Cadac officials said the ordinance would help streamline and improve the delivery of anti-drug services across all 80 barangays in the city.
They expressed hope that institutionalizing the budget would promote consistency and accountability at the grassroots level.
This paper attempted to obtain details on the proposed funding amounts for each barangay’s Badac, but the information was not available at press time.
The ordinance is currently under review in a City Council committee, with public consultations expected in the coming weeks.
