CPDRC proposes P96 million budget for 2027

Local

THE Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) is proposing upgrades to its personnel and facilities for next year.

The Capitol-run jail facility is proposing a budget of P96.3 million for 2027, a 23% increase from this year's P78 million.

Retired Col. Dr. Felipe Montejo, the current warden of CPDRC, said they are seeking a bigger budget for the food allowance of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), travelling expenses, capital outlay, and other operational expenses for next year.

For the food allowance, CPDRC is seeking P44.5 million next year, up from this year's P37 million, as it plans to increase the daily meal allowance of inmates from P67 per person to P88.

The budget for travelling expenses will also increase slightly, from P150,000 this year to P200,000 next year. This will cover the expenses for PDLs who will be convicted and transferred to the Abuyog, Leyte penitentiary.

The fuel allocation will also increase from P36,000 to P60,000 to cover the transportation of PDLs attending court hearings in various courts in northern and southern Cebu.

As for environmental and sanitary services, Montejo said they need to conduct weekly cleaning of the jail facility's septic tank, as it easily fills up due to the number of inmates using it every day.

For drugs and medicines, the proposed budget for next

year is P5 million.

As for the provincial jail's capital outlay, the proposed allocation will increase significantly from P120,000 this year to P2 million next year.

Montejo said they intend to purchase new firearms and equipment for their personnel.

"Mo-procure ta og firearms, kay mga guba na ang firearms nato, dugay na kaayo to sila. Unya mo-increase ta og personnel nato pero wa silay armas. Di nato mabantayan in case naay mahitabo sa PDLs, hasta pud ang gear,"

Montejo told members of the provincial board during the second day of deliberations on Cebu Province's proposed P14.6-billion annual budget for 2027 today November 4.

During the deliberations, board member Raymond Joseph Calderon noted that CPDRC is seeking P1.8 million for other supplies and materials next year.

However, the jail facility's spending under this item during the first half of 2026 was below P300,000, out of its P800,000 allocation for the entire year.

Montejo explained that they plan to repair the facility and install new roofing, as several sections of the structure already have holes.

He said they are currently replacing the plywood used as beds by inmates, as many of the boards are already damaged and need to be replaced.

CPDRC is also seeking P240,000 for training expenses next year.

Montejo said that the majority of provincial guards have not received training on how to properly manage PDLs.

The provincial jail is also seeking to hire additional personnel.

Currently, CPDRC has 60 personnel, but Montejo said this is not enough, considering that the standard ratio is one prison guard for every 10 PDLs.

CPDRC currently has a population of just over 1,000 inmates, despite having just a capacity of 1,500. Most of the cases involve drug-related offenses, followed by rape and murder.

With the current population, Montejo said the provincial jail needs more than 100 additional prison guards.

Montejo said they have several vacant positions, including 13 Prison Guard 1 (PG1) positions, one PG3 position, seven job order positions, two casual positions, one administrative officer position, and one medical officer position.

They prefer to hire criminologists, since their courses are in line with the jail function. However, Montejo said these vacancies are still insufficient to meet their staffing requirements.

"Mangayo mi og additional... create og position kay kulangan mi og position, vacancy ni siya (naa), pero sa atong provisional chart, kulangan pa gyud ta. Dili enough ang kaning vacant kay gikan sa PG1 modiretso PG3, dili moagi og PG2," Montejo said, adding that they are requesting an additional 40 positions to be filled.

ABC President and ex-officio board member Celestino "Tining" Martinez, who chairs the provincial board's Committee on Budget and Appropriations, told Montejo to submit the request in writing so the board members could take it into consideration.(MyTVCebu)