The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is eyeing to relocate its headquarters from Manila to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said.
In a statement, BuCor said that PCG's relocation was discussed last Monday, Jan. 15, during a meeting between BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. and PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan.
During the meeting, BuCor said the two officials “discussed the possibility of allocating 20 hectares of land within the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) property as PCG's permanent headquarters.”
“Admiral Gavan is asking the BuCor for the allocation of at least a 20-hectare lot to the planned government center of BuCor after the transfer of all of its persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) outside of Metro Manila,” the bureau said.
It said that Director General Catapang assured that the PCG and other government agencies are welcome to put up their offices in the 26.8-hectare area allocated for the planned government center.
“Although, initially the BuCor can only accommodate the PCG's request for three hectares out of the 20-hectare requested, Catapang assured them that the BuCor might ask for a review of the plan programmed for the government center,” BuCor said.
At the same time, BuCor said that Catapang also offered “a parcel of land in the bureau's property in Palawan which is close to the West Philippine Sea.”
For its part, BuCor said the PCG offered to provide the bureau the utilization of PCG's surface assets to transfer PDLs; use of buses to transport PDLs from NBP to ports in Manila; use of PCG's aircrafts during inspections at the regional prisons and penal facilities; and training of Bucor personnel by PCG relative to bureau's mandated functions.