A total of 5,113 jail officer aspirants took the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Entry Level Examination (EnLex) yesterday.
This represents 91.06% of the expected 5, 615 registered examinees in various examination centers across the country.
Based on the data of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management of the Jail Bureau, there are 17, 362 Jail Officer 1 (JO1) aspirants who have submitted their applications this year, mostly registered as criminologists, teachers, and nurses.
However, pursuant to RA 11131, Registered Criminologists who passed the Initial Medical Examinations are exempted from taking the EnLex, and those who reapplied and have already taken the said exam.
BJMP chief Jail Director Allan Iral commended all the administering personnel for the successful conduct of EnLex this year.
“We are happy that a lot of young professionals are looking at the jail profession as a good career track in the government service,” Jail Director Iral said.
This year, the BJMP needs an additional 2,000 Jail Officer 1 (JO1) to beef up its forces in safeguarding over 129,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in 478 district, city, and municipal jails nationwide.
“The mass hiring is essential to provide quality jail management service towards a more rehabilitative facility for our PDL,” Iral stressed.
To be appointed to the rank of JO1, an applicant must pass the neuro-psychiatric examination, medical examination, drug test, and strength and agility test to determine his/her physical and mental health.
The applicant must also possess a baccalaureate degree and an appropriate second-level eligibility; must not be below l21 nor above 30 years old, at least 5 feet and 2 inches for males and 5 feet for females; and must exceed 5kg of the standard weight corresponding to his/her height, age, and gender.
The Entry Level Examination is a competitive test composed of General Information, Mathematics, Basic English and Grammar, Sentence Arrangement and Paragraph Completion, and Essay.