The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) needs more than P177 billion to implement its modernization plan which includes the construction of regional prisons, setting up of facilities for persons convicted of heinous crimes, and development of idle lands for agricultural production.
“But initially we need about P18.9 billion to jumpstart the BuCor modernization plan,” BuCor Acting Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. told journalists in a press conference on Monday, Feb. 20.
He said that since there are plans to close down the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) reservation in Muntinlupa City, the funds for the modernization plan could be sourced from leasing the property to corporations.
“We can raise as much as P300 billion. If we have 300 hectares and we allow the lease of about 300 hectares with the amount of P1 billion per hectare easily we can raise the amount,” he explained.
He said there around 1,000 families of informal settlers at the NBP reservation but he assured that they will not be left out without homes.
“Magtatayo tayo ng (we will build) tenement house to accommodate all of the informal settlers,” he also said.
Catapang, a retired chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said BuCor’s road map is in accordance with the Philippine Development Plan of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Republic Act 10575 or the Bucor Act of 2013, and RA 11928 or the Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Act.
He said he hopes to present BuCor’s plan to the President in March.
“We’re still asking for the most convenient time of the President but we are prepared to present anytime,” he also said.
During the meeting with the President, Catapang said he will ask the President “to issue an executive order enjoining all government agencies and bureaus to support BuCor’s modernization road map.”
He said he “will request the President to declare some portions of the existing reservations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as heinous crimes facilities.”
He said he is eyeing 1,000 hectares each from Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija which has 45,000 hectares; Camp Peralta in Capiz which has 33,020 hectares; and Camp Kibaritan in Bukidnon which has 33,020 hectares.
“The construction of these facilities will commence in 2024, but in the meantime, we have the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm which is in Mindoro. We were given funds by DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) to immediately construct the heinous crime facility in Mindoro which will accommodate 2,500 PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) who were convicted of heinous crimes,” he also said.
Aside from this, Catapang said the BuCor is currently securing locations for regional prisons that will add to its existing five operating prison and penal farms (OPPF) including the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro. The other existing OPPFs are Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Abuyog, Leyte; San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga City; Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Palawan; and Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte.
“We will reconfigure our prison compounds into only 2,500 PDLs per prison compound to address the congestion issue,” he said.
At the same time, Catapang said BuCor will be asking for “the increase of daily subsistence allowance for PDLs from P70 to P100 and then we will ask the hiring of additional 4,000 correctional officers to address the correction officers versus PDLs disparity because we are really in need of people to supervise the PDLs.”
He said BuCor is also eyeing to relocate its headquarters and corrections institute in Tanay, Rizal where it also plans to erect housing facilities for its personnel.
“We are commissioning the UP Urban Planning and Regional Planning Office as one of those who can help in our urban planning if ever we finally decide to go to Tanay,” he also said.
Catapang revealed he is proposing to convert the existing OPPFs into agri-aqua production centers in accordance with RA 10575.
The idle lands in the prison facilities will be used as food production center, he said.
“Lahat gusto ko i-develop. Ayoko nakakakita ng tiwangwang na lupa, sayang. Food security ang problema ng bayan natin (I want to develop BuCor’s properties. I don’t want idle lands. The problem of the country is food security),” he said.
He added that he has been meeting with Department of Agriculture (DA) officials on ways to better develop BuCor’s land holdings.
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