A jail by the shoreline: An environmental and public safety blunder
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) detention facility in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City, is once again facing close scrutiny—not only for overcrowding but for its ongoing contribution to environmental degradation along the coastline.
Residents have long voiced concerns about wastewater from the jail contaminating community drainage systems, which ultimately lead to the sea.
With a staggering inmate population of 665 and only around 80 guards watching them, the facility’s septic system is consistently overwhelmed, often filling to capacity within just a week.
Even BJMP Jail Superintendent Lito Lim-osen has acknowledged that relocating the facility outside Dagupan City is the only feasible long-term solution. His admission highlights what residents and environmental advocates have long asserted: the jail should never have been built in its current location.
Building a jail along the shoreline exposes inmates to the dangers of flooding and storm surges—threats that are only exacerbated by climate change.
Compounding the issue, the jail is situated within the 72-hectare Tondaligan Ferdinand National Park, established in 1964 by a presidential proclamation from President Diosdado Macapagal.
National parks exist to be preserved for public enjoyment, not encumbered by polluting and hazardous facilities. Allowing the BJMP facility to remain contradicts the park’s protected status and underscores a profound failure in environmental planning.
This issue extends beyond a malfunctioning septic system or overcrowding; it addresses the need to rectify a historical misstep. Relocating the BJMP detention facility has become imperative—not merely an option—for the sake of environmental integrity, public safety, and adherence to the law.
Urgent action is needed from Dagupan City and national authorities. Our community, the sea, and even the inmates deserve better than the repercussions of a decision that should never have been made.