Naujan in Oriental Mindoro became the first municipality in MIMAROPA region to receive a drug-free workplace certification from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), officials said Friday, as law enforcers intensify prevention campaigns.

The PDEA marker recognizes Naujan’s compliance with 2018 regulations requiring workplace drug-free policies, including employee testing and rehabilitation programs.

Over 200 Naujan LGU workers have undergone mandatory drug testing since 2023, the LGU said.

The certification was awarded at a ceremony at the municipal hall, where PDEA officials showcased Naujan’s Balay Silangan facility, the region’s first LGU-managed drug rehabilitation center offering counselling and livelihood training.

“Naujan’s commitment sets a benchmark for other LGUs in building drug-free Philippines,” PDEA MIMAROPA said in a statement.

Mayor Henry Joel C. Teves received the marker on behalf of the municipality, citing improved workforce productivity and public safety.

In a related development on Friday, PDEA agents joined education officials at a symposium in neighboring Occidental Mindoro province, warning more than 150 high school students about illegal drugs at an evacuation center in Mamburao.

Intelligence Agent Jeremy Carl L. Junio led sessions on methamphetamine dangers and peer pressure resistance.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) organized the event as part of a national youth education campaign.

PDEA and DILG announced plans for quarterly school workshops to reinforce prevention messaging.

Photo by PDEA 4-B