Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in Mandaue City will be able to spend more time with their families and loved ones during the Christmas and New Year holidays, as the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Mandaue implements extended visitation hours.
The Mandaue BJMP, covering both the male and female dormitories, will hold an open house for visitors and families during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
City Jail Warden Jail Superintendent Jessie James Gingoyon said the open house is a long-standing Christmas tradition of the Mandaue BJMP, aimed at allowing PDLs extended time with their families and giving relatives greater flexibility to visit their loved ones.
Gingoyon said the BJMP is expecting a large influx of visitors during the holiday period, particularly on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
While visitors are allowed to bring food, limitations will be imposed due to time constraints and limited resources, especially in screening and inspection procedures.
To ensure smoother and faster processing, the BJMP has augmented its manpower through additional job order personnel.
These personnel will assist in recording visitor details and implementing an identification (ID) system to facilitate efficient entry.
The BJMP expects around 400 to 500 visitors on Christmas Eve, December 24, and Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. Visiting hours on these days will be extended from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., instead of the regular schedule of 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The same extended visiting hours and guidelines will also apply on New Year’s Eve, December 31, and New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026.
Gingoyon urged visitors to cooperate with jail authorities and strictly refrain from bringing contraband items to ensure a smooth and orderly visitation process.
Under BJMP policy, Sundays are usually designated as Family Day.
However, since the holidays fall on weekdays, these special visitation dates will be treated as Family Days to allow PDLs, especially parents, to spend time with their children.
Gingoyon noted that many families have already signified their intention to bring their children, adding that some PDLs have not seen their children for as long as three years.
He also shared that several families will be coming from far-flung areas, including Negros, southern Cebu, and northern Cebu.
To assist financially challenged families, the BJMP has also extended transportation assistance to selected visitors.
“I encouraged our personnel to help families who are struggling and cannot even afford transportation fare,” Gingoyon said.
He added that the presence of family members has a positive effect on PDLs and contributes to better jail management, as inmates tend to be calmer after seeing their loved ones.
In a separate interview, Senior Inspector Ma. Roselle Paracale said the female dormitory will also hold an open house.
She explained that while visitation is normally limited due to space constraints, there will be no limit on the number of visitors during the special visitation period, provided their names are included in the approved visitor list. (VCL)
