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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Catapang: BuCor to defer relocation plans to Masungi Georeserve 

Catapang: BuCor to defer relocation plans to Masungi Georeserve 

Published Mar 7, 2023 03:00 pm

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) will defer its plans to relocate its headquarters to the Masungi Georeserve pending review of the possible adverse environmental and ecological impacts in the area. 

Masungi Georeserve

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. confirmed the agency’s decision on Tuesday, March 7 during the Senate Committee on Tourism’s hearing on the land-grabbing, illegal logging and quarrying issues negatively impacting the Masungi Georeserve.

“Most importantly, the 270 hectares of land awarded to BuCor pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1158, as the site of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), will no longer push through, including the plan to relocate its national headquarters to this site will be held in abeyance pending further studies to be undertaken taking into consideration the impact on the environment with the construction of BuCor facilities in the area,” Catapang said during the hearing.

The BuCor earlier earned flak after it revealed its plans to transfer its headquarters and training institute within the Masungi Georeserve—an award-winning ecotourism and conservation site in the province of Rizal. 

The area itself has been a constant concern for peace and order, with Sen. Risa Hontiveros deploring the harassment and attacks on the country’s forest rangers who were just carrying out their duties in protecting the georeserve.

Hontiveros bared that at least 13 Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) personnel have been killed in the earnest pursuit of performing their duties within the last six years. 

“Threats to their lives are real. With this in mind, outside the matter of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and its plans in the Masungi, it would serve as well to be reminded that people and our rich natural environment are our country’s invaluable natural resources,” Hontiveros pointed out during the hearing. 

“And Masungi, as part of the Upper Marikina watershed, helps in regulating waterflow, provides a natural defense against typhoons, and helps prevent catastrophic flooding,” she stressed.

Sen. Nancy Binay, chairperson of the Senate tourism panel, welcomed the BuCor’s announcement.

“Masungi plays a crucial role in our conservation efforts. Being at the forefront of efforts to conserve, restore and improve the environment, Masungi provides us with a template of how we can tackle the very urgent issue of climate change,” Binay said. 

Related Tags

Risa Hontiveros Gregorio Catapang Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Nancy Binay Masungi Georeserve Senate Committee on Tourism
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