MANILA, Oct. 16 -- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Thursday that 29,677 out of 42,036 barangays in the country have been cleared of drugs since the start of the Marcos administration, while 5,815 are in the process of being cleared in line with the government's ongoing anti-narcotics campaign.

This was based on the monthly PDEA data as of September.

A barangay is said to be drug-affected when there is a reported presence of drug users, pushers, manufacturers, marijuana cultivators, and other infrastructure related to illegal narcotics.

Three basic parameters determine barangay drug-affectation: slightly affected, moderately affected, and seriously affected.

Barangays are considered slightly affected if there is a re...