MORE than P13 million was earmarked for a modern jail facility following the signing of usufruct between the municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Cordillera on Tuesday, January 15.

Senior Superintendent Edgar Bolcio, BJMP regional director, said the P13.2 million is intended for the 3,000 square meter modern and world class jail in Barangay Shilan.

Bolcio said BJMP will follow the requirement of the procurement law with the fund solely intended for the construction of the new La Trinidad municipal jail.

The national government will provide the funds for the construction of the facility, provided La Trinidad will allocate a space for the construction.

“The La Trinidad District jail male dorm and female dorm and the La Trinidad Municipal Jail are already congested. With the construction of this modernized jail. It will ease congestion and humane condition for our persons deprived of liberty (PDL),” he stated.

Mayor Romeo Salda said a reclassification will be conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to give special use of the land area for the building.

The Municipal Council of La Trinidad had earlier adopted Resolution no. 257-2018 appropriating an area of 3,000 square meters from 36,471 square meters parcel of land located in barangay which is suitable for constructing a new jail facility.

Under the contract of usufruct, design, position and orientation of the jail facility to be constructed should be coordinated to the Municipal Planning and Municipal Engineering Office.

The agreement will last for 25 years which will be renewed upon the agreement of the two parties and the area made only for the purpose of establishing a jail facility. Violation of any provisions of the contract will be a ground for revocation.