The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 17, the appointment of Supt. Xavier Solda as the new jail warden of the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory.
BJMP Director Allan Iral said Solda will now supervise the biggest jail facility in Western Mindanao which houses 2,113 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Prior to this assignment, Solda was the chief of the Community Relations Service Office (CRSO) and BJMP spokesperson.
Jail Chief Inspector Jayrex Joseph C. Bustinera took the post vacated by Solda.
Solda’s designation came after the BJMP’s recalibration of strategies to expand its welfare and development programs for the PDLs in its highly populated and most congested jail facilities.
In the turnover ceremony, Solda vowed to impose compassionate justice and improved delivery of services to the PDLs under his supervision.
“More than the reform programs and policy support, the PDL needs our care and understanding,” Solda said.
“Malaking hamon ang ating kinakaharap araw araw ngunit kung nais nating mabago ang buhay ng mga kapatid nating nasa piitan, simulan muna natin ang mabuting pagbabago sa ating mga sarili at kung paano tayo nagsisilbi sa kanila at sa ating mga kababayan (We face huge challenges daily but if we intend to change the lives of our incarcerated brothers, let us start with making the right changes in ourselves on how we can serve them and the public better),’’ he added.
Solda stressed that “change what we need to change, improve what we need to improve, and stop what we need to stop. Our clienteles deserve nothing but the best from us.”
For his part, BJMP Region IX Director Chief Supt. Baby Noel Montalvo ordered Solda to intensify the campaigns against the proliferation of contraband and to continue the decongestion efforts in Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory which at present, houses 2,113 PDL, which translates to a 1,006 percent average congestion rate.
“Gawin mo ang iyong buong makakaya upang maipagpatuloy natin ng mahusay ang mga kinakailangang reporma sa pasilidad (Give your best for us to appropriately continue the needed reforms in the facility),” Montalvo said.
Solda received his degree in Public Safety from the Philippine National Police Academy in 2008 and a Master in Development Management at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).
He also completed a Practical Project Management program at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
Solda is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in Public Management at the Ateneo School of Governance as a scholar under the Dean Dina Abad Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. (Chito A. Chavez)