Manila: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has successfully seized illegal drugs valued at PHP7.1 billion in the Ilocos Region throughout 2025. This significant operation highlights the ongoing efforts to combat drug-related activities in the area.

According to Philippines News Agency, PDEA Ilocos Region's accomplishment report revealed that 1,755 anti-drug operations were conducted in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies last year. These operations led to the arrest of 2,996 drug personalities and the filing of 821 cases. The agency confiscated over one million grams of shabu, 97,810 grams of dried marijuana, 577,240 pieces of marijuana plants, and 67,911 pieces of marijuana seedlings in the region.

The report further stated that 102 high-value targets were identified, contributing to a total of 1,498 arrests in 2025. Among those apprehended were a Chinese national and his Filipino accomplice in Bugallon, Pangasinan, found with 125 kilos of shabu worth PHP850,000. A subsequent operation at their residence in Labrador town resulted in the seizure of 895 kilos of shabu valued at PHP6 billion.

As of November 20, 2025, 94.12 percent of the drug-affected villages in the region were declared drug-cleared, leaving 192 barangays, or 5.86 percent, still affected by drug activities. To aid in rehabilitation, six Balay Silangan Reformation Centers were inaugurated in 2025, bringing the total in the region to 58. Out of 1,511 enrollees in the intervention program, 167 are still undergoing treatment, while 1,344 have graduated, with 280 now gainfully employed.