5 Ifugao towns conferred “Balangay Seal of Excellence” after all their barangays were ‘drug cleared’

Lamut, Ifugao - When a municipality/city is awarded the “Balangay Seal of Excellence”, it means all of its barangays have been declared drug-cleared. 

The Balangay Seal of Excellence is the highest recognition given by the agency to LGUs in the country that have successfully implemented the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP). This is what the municipalities of Asipulo, Banaue, Hungduan, Lamut, and Tinoc in Ifugao achieved this July 2025. 

Said towns are among the few in Cordillera that received the Balangay Seal from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for their consistent and effective implementation of anti-drug programs under the BDCP. 

The awarding was held at Camp Colonel Joaquin Dunuan in Lagawe during the recent joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC). 

Officials and representatives from the awardee LGUs were likewise honored for their efforts. 

PDEA-Cordillera Assistant Regional Director Marjorie V. Ballesteros, according to the Philippine Information Agency-CAR, said the recognition is based on clear validation by the Regional Oversight Committee, which includes PDEA, DILG, DOH, PNP, and other concerned agencies. 

David Bastian of PDEA-Ifugao, meantime, emphasized that the seal is not just for display but a product of consistent enforcement, community involvement, and rehabilitation efforts, especially in areas where services are harder to reach. 

Lamut rehabilitation center, the only functioning Balay Silangan in Ifugao

Currently, Lamut is the only town in Ifugao with a functioning “Balay Silangan,” a reformation center where counseling and livelihood are being provided to drug offenders to become productive and law-abiding citizens upon being reintegrated into society. 

However, through partnerships, the other LGU awardees are not left behind. Asipulo, Hungduan, and Banaue have signed an agreement with Lamut to access its rehab services, while Tinoc forged a partnership with Santa Fe, Nueva Viscaya, for the same.