Philippines: Improving access to water for 900 detainees
The newly installed water tanks on the roof deck of the jail.
A newly installed water tank, with the surrounding foliage in the background.
These pipes connect the water meter and the cistern tanks.
This pipe connects the pump to the cistern tanks.
One of the pipes leads to the bathroom at the female dormitory.
Nearly 900 detainees at the San Jose del Monte City Jail in Bulacan now enjoy enhanced access to water, thanks to a project improving their water system.
In the past, the detainees had to spend hours manually collecting water from a pump at the jail's ground floor, then walk up the stairs to their dormitories just so they could take a bath. This proved time-consuming and exhausting for many of them.
Based on the ICRC's assessment, the pressure coming from the jail's pipes was not strong enough to ensure the delivery of water to various parts of the dorms. The ICRC, in cooperation with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), replaced the pipes and added water tanks to increase water supply in the detention facility. The project was completed in January.
After the replacement of the pipes, the water situation in the jail vastly improved.
"Manually collecting water was challenging for the detainees," says ICRC water and habitat engineer Isabel Besinio. "With the completion of the project, they will no longer have a hard time getting water."
The ICRC will continue supporting the BJMP as it seeks to improve living conditions in its detention facilities, particularly those that are suffering from congestion.
