PDEA to establish permanent academy in Tanay, Rizal

MANILA, Philippines — A new establishment that will serve as a permanent training institute for drug law enforcement and education is now in the works and will soon rise in Tanay, Rizal, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The anti-narcotics agency said it held a ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday on an 11-hectare land in Sitio Tablon, Barangay Cuyambay.

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“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,” it said in a statement.

According to PDEA, its academy is temporarily occupying 5,600 square meters of land inside Camp General Mariano Castañeda, located in Barangay Tartaria, Silang, Cavite, since 2006.

PDEA revealed that the academy’s new establishment will host various activities for its personnel, such as physical conditioning and fitness exercises, military-related undertakings, combat shooting and marksmanship, and other field exercises.

According to its records, PDEA acquired the land for the new institute in March 2021 through a Usufructuary Agreement with the local government of Tanay, Rizal.

PDEA said the project’s estimated cost was around P1.56 billion, spanning a five-year implementation phase from 2022 to 2027.

In line with this, the agency said P50 million was allocated for the project’s Phase 1 through a congressional initiative in 2022.

It added that PDEA is set to receive an additional P500 million fund for “the site’s construction of road networks; water and drainage system; electrical power supply; and design and construction plans of priority buildings and facilities,” following congressional insertions in the 2024 budget.