A total of 8,800 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City has received their first dose of vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
BuCor records showed that there are more than 28,000 PDLs at the NBP. Nationwide in its seven prison facilities, there are more than 48,500 PDLs.
The number of vaccinated PDLs at NBP was disclosed by BuCor Directorate for Health Welfare Services (DHS) Deputy Director TSSupt. Maria Cecilia B. Villanueva on Facebook Live on the occasion of 27th National Correctional Consciousness Week (NCCW).
Villanueva said that BuCor received 10,000 vials of vaccines for PDLs for their first dose. “Sa susunod, meron pa ulit na 10,000 para sa second dose (We will be getting another 10,000 more for the second dose),” she said.
At the same time, Villanueva said the inmate population of BuCor’s prisons is currently free from COVID-19.
“Sa katunayan sa ngayong araw wala tayong postive na COVID na PDL (At the moment we have no PDL who is positive for COVID-19),” she said.
Aside from the NBP, BuCor earlier said that as of Oct. 18, inmates who have been vaccinated included 3,100 from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, 214 from the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga City, and 60 from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF).
There were also 588 BuCor personnel who have been vaccinated, it said.
Last Monday, BuCor Director General Geraldo Q. Bantag assured the bureau will beef up efforts to get all PDLs and personnel in its seven prison facilities vaccinated against COVID.