TABUK CITY Kalinga – Mayor Darwin Estrañero and the Cordillera office of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP-CAR) Regional Director Jail Senior Supt. Roland Lee Cael formally signed today the deed of donation of a 3,000 square meter lot in Laya East for the construction of the city’s own jail facility.
The donation brings the city closer to having its own correctional facility in line with Estrañero’s initiative to expand government facilities to address the growing needs of the city.
BJMP-CAR officials were grateful for the donation which is one of the main requirements of the national government to fund the construction of a jail facility.
“We want to sincerely express our thanks to the Tabuk city government, especially the honorable mayor, for giving us this area. This is a good partnership between the national agency and the local government so that we will address the needs, the concerns of the locality which we serve,” Chief Inspector Paul Balag-ey, Chief Legal Officer of BJMP-CAR said in an interview.
Balag-ey said the establishment of a city jail would greatly help in addressing overcrowding at the Tabuk District Jail.
Being the only correctional facility in Kalinga, the Tabuk District Jail serves the city and all the municipalities of Kalinga, a situation that poses congestion problems in the future as population grows.
“This site will also address our needs for the next 25 years. I think that considering its vast potential, Tabuk City’s growth will double in the 25 years and with it, problems on waste management, criminality,” Balag-ey said.
“So we are addressing one aspect of criminality by providing the balance of corrections vis-a-vis law enforcement and crime prevention,” he added.
As previously reported, the city government had acquired more than one hectare of lot in Laya East to put up more government offices and facilities.
Apart from the Tabuk City Jail, offices for the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and offices of the city government are expected to rise in Laya East.
Also present during the signing of the deed of the donation are BJMP Tabuk District Jail Warden Chief Inspector John Wayland Lapon and other personnel of BJMP-Tabuk.
