The Manila City Jail Male Dormitory (MCJMD) opened on Monday, the first-ever dormitory dedicated to the needs of elderly persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
In an exclusive interview with Manila Standard, jail warden Supt. Lino Soriano revealed that the facility will initially benefit 96 PDLs.
“Senior citizens in the Old Bilibid Compound will now be segregated in a dormitory to be called ‘Dorm Sesenta’. True to our tagline, ‘we serve, we care, we transform’, we have initiated the establishment of a specialized dormitory exclusively for them,” he said in Filipino.
Soriano noted it is the first of its kind within the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), highlighting a commitment to humane treatment of PDLs and aligning with the city government’s programs for the elderly.
The facility houses the set props used in the movie ‘Green Bones’, the multi-award-winning film about the life of inmates.
Present during the ceremonies were BJMP-NCR Regional Director JCSUPT Baby Noel P. Montalvo, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 31 Judge Maria Sophia Tirol Solidum-Taylor, ‘Green Bones’ creator JC Rubio, and actors Leo Martinez and Gerhard Acao.
Meanwhile, Soriano is also looking to establish a historical marker to preserve the heritage of the country’s oldest prison.
“A historical marker serves as a powerful symbol of remembrance, recognition, and education. Its essence lies in the preservation and celebration of our shared heritage… We put a historical marker to make sure the stories of our past remain visible, valued, and relevant for generations to come,” he stressed.
Formally opened in 1865, the facility survived the Spanish, American, and Japanese occupation, initially serving as the centralized correctional facility accommodating prisoners from different parts of the Philippine archipelago.
