Mandaue jail’s female dormitory to be moved to new site
Dormitory Warden Shela Serrano | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The female dormitory of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Mandaue City is set to move to a new and improved location in the city in Sitio Dungguan, Barangay Basak later this year.
According to Dormitory Warden Shela Serrano, the relocation is waiting on the completion of an embankment at the new site. This structure is being built to help prevent flooding, a problem in the area. Funded by the Mandaue City government, the embankment is nearly done, with only the trench base left to be built to elevate the site further.
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The new jail facility features four cells that can accommodate up to 42 female Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
This move is seen as a much-needed response to the severe overcrowding in the current facility located in Barangay Looc. The old jail was originally intended for just 22 detainees but now holds 94 women, resulting in a congestion rate of 380 percent.
Although the new site will also be over capacity at 148 percent upon the initial transfer, it still marks a significant improvement over current conditions.
In addition to the dormitory, a new administrative building is also being built at the site. This P35-million project is funded by the office of Mandaue City Lone District Representative Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon and is already more than 60 percent finished.
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While the administrative building is under construction, BJMP staff will temporarily use two of the dormitory cells as makeshift offices so that operations can continue without delay.The transfer is expected to take place in 2025, although Warden Serrano said they can’t commit to an exact date just yet, as they’re still waiting for some essential infrastructure to be completed.
As for the current jail in Barangay Looc, Serrano said it would be turned over to the Mandaue City government once the relocation is complete.
The outgoing city administration had considered converting it into a new campus for Mandaue City College, but there are no updates yet on whether those plans will move forward.
Serrano expressed hope that once everything would be finished, the women under BJMP’s care would finally have a safer and more humane place to stay.
She said that this was something that was long overdue after years of enduring overcrowded and inadequate conditions.
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