A NEW Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Academy will soon rise in Tanay, Rizal to train future PDEA officers on drug law enforcement and education, officials said yesterday.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin T. Romualdez was the guest of honor and speaker during the groundbreaking ceremony, marking the commencement of the construction of the premier PDEA Academy at an 11-hectare land in Sitio Tablon, Bgy. Cuyambay in Tanay.

The House Speaker was joined by Surigao del Norter 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers, the chairperson of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs; Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo M. Acop, Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Catalino S. Cuy, Tanay Mayor Rafael A. Tanjuatco and PDEA chair Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo in the groundbreaking rites.

The site will be the permanent location of PDEA Academy envisioned to be a center of excellence in drug law enforcement with state-of-the-art facilities devoted to education, research and training, said Lazo.

Situated in an eco-tourism destination in the province of Rizal, the training complex is also envisaged as an eco-friendly community enclosed with green buildings that use renewable energy and support sustainable development and environmental protection.

Apart from the recruitment and training of future drug enforcement officers, the new PDEA Academy establishes itself as an excellent provider of programs and scholarships on relevant anti-drug laws and researches; development of curricula, and implementation of appropriate trainings for drug law enforcers and other stakeholders.

Moreover, the infrastructure is poised to become a stamping ground for various activities such as physical conditioning and fitness exercises; military-related undertakings; combat shooting and marksmanship; and other field exercises and learning endeavors for the continuous development of all PDEA personnel.

Since 2006, the PDEA Academy is temporarily occupying a meager 5,600 square meters of land inside Camp General Mariano Castañeda, Bgy. Tartaria, Silang, Cavite, where its flagship program – the Drug Enforcement Officers Basic Course (DEOBC), is helmed.

The program is designed to mold civilians into full-fledged PDEA agents throughout a duration of six months in-house training.

On loan from the Philippine National Police Academy, the patch of land served as home to the PDEA Academy for the last 18 years.

From 2006 to 2023, the PDEA Academy has produced 20 DEOBC classes and 2,319 graduate agents, while 249 specialized courses have been conducted to 9,604 participants.

Altogether, the institution was able to churn out 269 trainings for 11,923 drug enforcement officers; administrative and technical personnel; and members of other law enforcement agencies.

The establishment of a PDEA-owned Academy is a critical investment that yields the highest return for a safer and drug-free Philippines for many generations to come.