61 trainees start basic course for PDEA agents

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 13, 2022): 61 trainees start basic course for PDEA agents (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

Photo courtesy of PDEA

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday said it has started the training of 61 agent-trainees for Drug Enforcement Officers Basic Course (DEOBC) in its academy in Camp Castaňeda, Silang, Cavite.

The DEOBC Class 2022-20 is composed of 41 males and 20 females who took their oath and underwent reception on Wednesday, marking the beginning of their six-month regimented training as drug enforcement officers.

The hiring of DEOBC Class 2022-20 started on March 2, 2020 wherein a total of 1,380 applicants applied. They took qualifying and neuro-psychological examinations simultaneously held week-long in 16 testing centers nationwide

“For the first time, the neuro-psychological examinations for entry-level DEOs were held in-house and online. All four major stages of the examination were made simultaneous and regionalized, thus bringing the recruitment accessible to all applicants,” PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said in a statement.

After undergoing neuro-psychological examination, qualifiers went through medical and dental examination, physical fitness test, and panel interview.

“The continuous hiring of DEOs will boost the government’s efforts in the national anti-drug campaign, and ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) on a nationwide scale,” Villanueva said.

The PDEA Drug Enforcement Officers Basic Course comprises basic management and leadership, communication enhancement skills, community-based anti-illegal drug advocacy, legal studies, anti-illegal drug intelligence and tactics, interdiction operations and investigation, and other non-academic activities.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165290