AROUND 500 detainees in Butuan City Jail in Agusan del Norte now have access to sufficient and clean water after the handover on 16 March 2026 of the jail’s upgraded water system, a project implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in cooperation with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
“The inefficient water distribution and the absence of water coming from some of the faucets made daily life hard for many detainees and staff. With the timely completion of this project before the start of the dry season, detainees can now access water more reliably. Adequate access to water is essential to ensuring humane living conditions and preserving the dignity of detainees,” said Hazem Shahin, head of the ICRC’s office in Butuan.
The water from the new cistern tank will be delivered to the elevated stainless-steel tanks installed on the roof decks of the three dormitories inside the jail. This ensures the equal distribution of water in each detention cell. The project was already operational a few weeks prior to the official handover.
“Getting water was difficult in the past because we often had to bring our pails and fetch water outside our detention cells, although it was still within the jail’s premises. Now, our detention cell has enough water supply. We can now take our daily showers,” a detainee said.
The handover was held a few days before World Water Day, commemorated annually on 22 March. World Water Day aims to raise awareness about the need for billions of people around the world to have access to clean and safe water. PR