THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology held the inaugural blessing of its new detention facility in Argao town in the southeastern part of Cebu on Monday, April 8, 2024.
It is seen as the second jail-based drug reformatory center in the country.
The inauguration was attended by the chairperson of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Catalino S. Cuy, Argao Mayor Allan M. Sesaldo, and other personnel in uniform.
Known as the Kanlungan sa Piitan Argao District Jail-Reformatory Center, the two-story district jail is designed for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) plea bargainers.
The project construction started in February 2021 and is funded by the DDB and implemented by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
The first floor will house the administrative office, reception area, counseling room, kitchen, multipurpose hall, clinic, and receiving area.
The second floor will house five PDL cells with a total bed capacity of 60 and an open roof deck that will cater to the facility’s water tanks.
Once the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issues its approval, the center shall use the Therapeutic Community Modality Program (TCMP) as its main intervention tool.
It will also adopt the "Katatagan, Kalusugan, at Damayan sa Kumunidad" (KKDK), an intensive recovery program for PDL.
The facility will serve to organize group sessions, and their behavior will be controlled and altered to improve their conduct and way of thinking.
"Honorable Mayor Allan M. Sesaldo will continue to provide support to the BJMP and is willing to assist in providing necessary training for their staff and personnel to have expertise in their programs and other activities," the Public Information Office of Argao stated in a Facebook post on Thursday, April 11. (CDF)