Mindanaotoday.com | MisOr official: New, bigger MOPJ 75% complete
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Overcrowded jail cells will be a thing of the past once the new and bigger Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) will be finished, a provincial lawmaker said.
Gerardo Sabal III, member of the provincial board, said the new penitentiary facility, located at Barangay Apas in Initao town, is now 75 percent complete, and once finished, it will be considered as the newest and biggest provincial jail in the country.
The new MOPJ sits on a five-hectare property and will have more than a dozen buildings with watch towers, water reservoirs, solar-powered street light, and a primary and secondary perimeter fences.
According to a Phil. Information Agency-10 (PIA-10) report dated Jan. 30, 2023, the new MOPJ can house up to 1,200 inmates.
Sabal, who accompanied the provincial government team led by Gov. Peter Unabia in inspecting the progress of the facility in March, said there will be separate complexes for male, female and minor inmates.
He added part of the plan of the sprawling compound is an area for agriculture where occupants can grow crops and raise livestock so they can attain food self-sufficiency.
“The new MOPJ will not only be state-of-the-art but it will be provide the inmates with an opportunity such as the alternative learning system,” Sabal said.
The PIA-10 report said the MOPJ occupants can also enhance their learning through trainings provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The provincial legislator added it is high time that the MOPJ be transferred to a spacious location away from the urban center since the existing one is already overcrowded.
Built in the early ‘70s, the present MOPJ was designed to accommodate 200 persons deprived of liberty, but there were times that the inmate population has tripled.
“Because of overcrowding, most of the inmates are living in what we call ‘inhumane’ condition. In fact, others are sleeping on hammocks. We know they are serving the crimes they have committed, but let’s give them dignity while undergoing reformation,” Sabal said.
He added the present MOPJ is located within the city’s downtown area surrounded by business establishments, malls, and condominiums.
Once the provincial jail is transferred, Sabal said the area where the present MOPJ stands can be converted into a commercial center where the provincial government can earn income from.
Bliss Francis Acain, a provincial board member who’s also a resident of Initao, has welcomed the transfer of the MOPJ to his hometown.
“That would mean additional economic opportunities for my townmates, especially in the public transport system. Since the new MOPJ is located three kilometers from the poblacion, our habal-habal and tricab drivers can really earn by ferrying visitors and workers to and from the MOPJ,” Acain added. (MT)
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