Cebu City: The city government is building a water treatment facility to address the foul odor caused by untreated water at the city jail, which residents and inmates have endured for many years, the mayor said. Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia led Thursday the ground-breaking ceremony for the PHP42-million project that will treat wastewater at the Cebu City Jail in the hilly land of the village of Kalunasan.

According to Philippines News Agency, the contractor is given 510 days to finish the project. Garcia said it has been more than five years since the residents in Barangay Kalunasan, particularly those living near the jail facility, complained of the foul odor caused by untreated wastewater. In 2018, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office received a complaint from the residents regarding the incessant pungent odor from the jail facility, citing health and environmental risks to inmates and residents.

City jail head, Chief Supt. Neil Avisado, thanked the city government for considering the project. ‘Proper wastewater management is crucial in ensuring their health, dignity, and humane living conditions. Overcrowding and limited resources often make sanitation a challenge. But with this facility, we can expect a cleaner surrounding, reduced health risks, and a more efficient sewerage system that will directly benefit both the PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) and the populace in this place,’ Avisado said in his message.

Avisado and other jail officials also received from the city government an ambulance for health emergency use in the jail.