MANILA - The sad situation of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the cramped Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory will drastically improve following the turnover of Phase 1 of the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory at Payatas Road on Wednesday. Currently, the old Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Barangay Kamuning which houses 3,184 PDLs has a congestion rate of 1,066 percent, a figure far off the livable prison standards. "From the current 1,000 percent congestion rate in the old building, it will be down to 55 percent with the completion of the new Quezon City jail facility. The new facility offers our wards more than enough space to move around and breathe. We can now spare our PDL from a lot of physical, mental, and emotional problems that arise from overcrowding," said BJMP chief, Jail Director Allan Iral, in a statement. Iral thanked all partners in the government and private sector, especially the Quezon City government. He also commended BJMP National Capital Region director, Jail Chief Supt. Luisito Munoz, and his team for their efforts to complete Phase 1 of the project. "We really pushed for this project and finally, 'makakahinga na nang maluwag-luwag ang ating mga PDL' (our PDLs can now breathe a sigh of relief). While we still need to finish other additional facilities in this jail for the next phase of the project, we already have a good place to house our PDL," he added. Iral reiterated that the New Quezon City Jail Building is one of the best-designed jail spaces of the agency. "As we remain faithful to our mandate of their safekeeping and development, we count on the support of all sectors in ensuring that the living condition behind bars is continuously improved; that self-worth for each of the lives therein be restored; and each one becoming a significant member of society, as PDL or as freemen," he said. BJMP spokesperson, Chief Insp. Xavier Solda said that the fulfillment of building a much larger jail facility was completed two years after the Quezon City government and the bureau signed the Deed of Usufruct for the donation of a 2.4-hectare property in Barangay Payatas for 25 years renewable for another 25 years. Solda said that "a request for the QC-LGU (Quezon City-local government unit) funding was ensued by the BJMP for the construction of the fence that would demarcate the 2.4-hectare from the 3.4-hectare property.'' "In 2014, the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory was envisioned as a jail facility that is aligned with the living conditions set by the United Nations standards in the custody of its persons deprived of liberty (PDL),'' he added. (PNA) }