Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 
Introduced by Representative Divina Grace C. Yu 
1st District, Zamboanga del Sur 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to transfer the supervision and control over Provincial Jails to Bureau of 
Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). 
Section 61 of Republic Act No.6975, also known as the Department of Interior and Local 
Government Act of 1990 states that:   
“Powers and Functions – The Jail Bureau shall exercise supervision 
and control over all city and municipal jails. The provincial jails shall be 
supervised and controlled by the provincial government within its 
jurisdiction, who's expenses shall be subsidized 
by 
the National 
Government” 
In the present set-up, BJMP is mandated by the law to exercise supervision and control 
over all district, city, and municipal jails, while provincial and sub-provincial jails are 
under the auspices of their respective provincial governments. 
Our government is operating two different offices catering to the same clienteles and 
employing different sets of personnel for that purpose. It sometimes creates confusion 
as to jail management strategies and leadership standards. 
Through this measure, there will be a holistic approach in the administration and 
supervision of prison and jail facilities in the country. This would lead to better 
implementation of existing standards, policies, and guidelines in the administration of 
local jails with regards to the safety of inmates, persons in custody awaiting 
investigation, and ensuring that detention facilities meet at least the minimum standard 
of treatment of prisoners. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
        DIVINA GRACE C. YU 
October 27, 2022
10:08 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 
Introduced by Representative Divina Grace C. Yu 
1st District, Zamboanga del Sur  
AN ACT 
MANDATING THE BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY TO 
EXERCISE SUPERVISION AND CONTROL OVER PROVINCIAL JAILS AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology shall exercise supervision and 
control over provincial jails. The supervision and control of provincial jails by provincial 
government are hereby transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management Penology. For 
purposes of this Act, it is understood that provincial jails include all existing sub-provincial 
jails. 
Each provincial jail shall be headed by a provincial jail warden with a rank of 
superintendent, who must be a graduate of bachelor of laws or a holder of a master's degree 
in management, public administration, public safety, criminology, penology, sociology, 
national security administration, defense studies or other related disciplines from a 
recognized institution of learning, and must have satisfactorily passed the necessary 
training or career for such position as may be established by the Bureau of Jail Management 
and Penology. The chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology shall appoint the 
provincial jail warden. 
Section 2. Within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Interior 
and Local Government and the Secretary of Budget and Management shall revise the 
organizational structure and staffing pattern of the Bureau of Jail Management and 
Penology to include the necessary manpower to operate provincial jails. 
Section 3. All the existing provincial jail facilities, equipment, records, rights, liabilities, and 
other assets of every provincial government are hereby transferred to the Bureau of Jail 
Management and Penology. For this purpose, there is hereby established a three-year 
transition period to commence from the date of the effectivity of this Act. 
During the transition period, the provincial government shall subsidize the 
subsistence allowance of inmates and the maintenance of the jail facility, including 
payments of utilities and necessary repairs.  
Section 4 The transfer of functions, facilities, equipment, records, rights, liabilities and 
other assets from the provincial government to the Bureau of Jail Management and 
Penology shall be without prejudice to the provisions of Republic Act No. 716o, otherwise 
known as the “Local Government Code of 1991,” that are not otherwise inconsistent with 
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this Act. Such transfer, and the creation and filling-up of positions to man the provincial 
jails shall be completed within the three-year transition period. 
Section 5. The incumbent personnel of provincial jails shall continue to perform their duties 
and responsibilities in a holdover capacity until such time that qualified personnel based on 
the staffing pattern, are assigned and appointed. The qualified incumbent personnel of 
provincial jails may be absorbed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology without 
loss of seniority. 
Any personnel who are not absorbed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 
shall be given preference in the filling-up of vacancies in the provincial government or shall 
be allowed to retire under existing laws, rules and regulations. 
Section 6. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be sourced 
from the current appropriations of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. 
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act 
must be included in the General Appropriations Act. 
Section 7. There is hereby created a special oversight committee to monitor and expedite 
the implementation of this Act. The committee shall be composed of the Secretary of 
Interior and Local Government as chairperson, the Secretary of Budget and Management 
as co-chairperson, and the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, the president of the 
League of Province and the chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, as 
members. 
Section 8. Within ninety (9o) days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Interior 
and Local Government, in coordination with the chief of the Bureau of Jail Management 
and Penology and the president of the League of Provinces, shall promulgate the rules and 
regulations implementing the provision of this Act. The implementing rules and regulations 
issued pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in two 
(2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Section 9. Sections, 61,62 and 63 of Republic Act No.6975, as amended, otherwise known 
as the “Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990;” Paragraph (3), 
Subsection (b), Section 7 of the Republic Act No. 9263. otherwise known as the “Bureau of 
Fire Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Professionalization Act of 
2004;” and pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 7160 on the control and supervision of 
provincial jail; and all other laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby amended or modified accordingly. 
Section 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,