Officials from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Western Visayas and the city government broke ground on the San Carlos City District Jail, worth P249,154,097.87, in Sitio Andoon, Barangay Rizal March 26.
The district jail on a one-hectare property will include an administration building, an accommodation building, and perimeter fence.
Jail Chief Insp. Bryan Donasco, chief of BJMP6 Logistics Division, detailed the facility’s layout during the project briefing, adding the three-storey, 720-square-meter Administration Building will serve as central hub for administrative operations and facility management.
The Accommodation Building, a four-storey structure with 36 cells covering 2,400 square meters, will ensure secure and humane housing for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), with the entire facility enclosed by a sturdy perimeter fence for safety and security, the city said March 27.
The project is funded through the General Appropriations Act, and will be undertaken by 515 Life Construction Corp., with construction duration of 360 calendar days.
The land was granted through a Deed of Usufruct Agreement on Lot Donation, signed by the LGU and BJMP6 on Sept. 27, 2022.
J/Sr. Supt. Marie Rose Laguyo, BJMP6 assistant regional director and concurrent provincial administrator for Negros Occidental, said the Bureau’s vision is to make the facility a model district jail for both the province and the entire region.
She lauded the LGU, adding the groundbreaking ceremony is of historical significance for San Carlos City.
Executive Judge Amy Avellano of RTC Branch 58 said the facility will have a positive impact on the community, BJMP, and especially among the PDLs. She extended her full support for the project, recognizing its role in providing a secure, humane, and rehabilitative environment.
Mayor Renato Gustilo also pledged his strong support for BJMP programs and expressed pride in donating the land for the new facility. He said he is happy to know that the district jail will become a model facility in the region.
BJMP6 director, J/Chief Supt. Simeon Dolojo Jr., meanwhile, underscored the project’s importance, adding it a significant milestone in the Bureau’s efforts to serve the community efficiently.
He thanked the LGU, particularly Gustilo, for their support, and assured that BJMP engineers would closely monitor the construction to ensure its timely completion.
The ceremony concluded with a capsule-laying, led by Gustilo, Dolojo, Laguyo, city and BJMP officials, among others. ||
