Representatives of the Embassy of Spain are supportive of the move to recognize the the Manila City Jail  as a historical site, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said.

During the meeting with the Spanish embassy officials, the MCJ management presented an audio-visual presentation (AVP) showing the jail’s historical significance and the programs being offered to the persons deprived of liberty (PDL). 

The Embassy delegation was led by cultural counsellor Alvaro Garcia, assistant to the cultural counsellor Pamela Bigornia and cultural officer Elena Barreres.

In expressing full support, Garcia and his team vowed to gather more historical data and records about the jail during the Spanish era for the purpose.

After the meeting, the visitors toured the MCJ museum to further appreciate its cultural and historical value. 

MCJ warden Supt. Lino Soriano thanked the Embassy of Spain for their assistance in pursuing the recognition of the facility as a historical site.

Earlier, the Manila City Jail Male Dormitory (MCJMD) has strongly pushed for the declaration of the facility as a national historical landmark with initial efforts being made for the installation of a “historical marker.

In recognition of its historical importance the MCJMD, the BJMP said that a consultative meeting was held where the process of installing a historical marker and declaring the facility as a national historical landmark was tackled.

Initiated by Soriano, retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio even attended the consultation meeting as insights were gathered on the proper procedures and requirements for the landmark declaration.

Soriano has pressed for the declaration of the MCJMD as a “historical site’’ owing to its rich history dating back to the Spanish occupation in the country.

Once known as “The Old Bilibid Prison and originally as the Carcel y Presidio Correccional’’ during the Spanish colonial era, the MCJMD was built in 1847 under the direction of Governor-General Narciso Clavería. 

In 1992, the jail facility was officially turned over to the BJMP, but its deep-rooted historical significance remains, an important part of the country's correctional and colonial past.

Recently, Soriano and other key jail officials also conferred with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) for the installation of a historical marker and the formal declaration of the facility as a historical area to preserve its rich historical value.

In the said meeting, Soriano’s team met with Michelle B. Ting, Architect of the Historic Preservation Division and Miguel Antonio Jimenez, History Researcher of the NHCP. 

Jimenez provided a detailed explanation of the necessary requirements for the declaration process and offered alternative options for acquiring specific documents.

He assured NHCP’s willingness to continue assisting and guiding the MCJMD team once all the requirements are completed and submitted.