By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
Source: ICRC Philippines
BUTUAN CITY — For many persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Butuan City Jail in Agusan del Norte, something as basic as taking a bath used to be a daily struggle.
Water was not always available inside detention cells. Some detainees had to carry pails and fetch water outside their cells, adding another hardship to life behind bars.
Now, that burden has eased for around 500 detainees after the turnover of an upgraded water system on March 16, 2026, a project implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
The project, completed just before the dry season, is more than an infrastructure upgrade. For detainees, it means cleaner surroundings, better hygiene, and a more humane way of living.
“The inefficient water distribution and the absence of water coming from some of the faucets made daily life hard for many detainees and staff,” said Hazem Shahin, head of the ICRC office in Butuan.
“With the timely completion of this project before the start of the dry season, detainees can now access water more reliably. Adequate access to water is essential to ensuring humane living conditions and preserving the dignity of detainees,” he added.
Inside crowded detention facilities, access to clean and steady water can mean protection from illness, relief from discomfort, and the ability to meet basic daily needs with dignity. Water is needed not only for drinking, but also for bathing, washing clothes, cleaning shared spaces, and maintaining sanitation.
Under the project, water from a newly built cistern tank is now delivered to elevated stainless-steel tanks installed on the roof decks of the jail’s three dormitories. The system helps ensure that water is distributed more evenly to detention cells. It had already been operating for weeks before the formal handover.
For one detainee, the change is deeply felt in the routines of everyday life.
“Getting water was difficult in the past because we often had to bring our pails and fetch water outside our detention cells, although it was still within the jail’s premises. Now, our detention cell has enough water supply. We can now take our daily showers,” the detainee said.
The turnover came just days before World Water Day, observed every March 22, which draws attention to the global need for access to safe and clean water.
But for the detainees in Butuan City Jail, the issue is not only global — it is personal. It is about health. It is about relief from daily hardship. And it is about restoring a measure of dignity to people whose lives are already marked by confinement.
###
