The Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) has been certified by the Department of Health (DOH) as a tuberculosis (TB) therapy center where diagnostic, treatment and counseling services can be done, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said.

In a statement, the BuCor said that the DOH Regional Office XI presented the certification to DPPF as a TB-Direct Observed Therapy (TB-DOTS) Center.
“With this achievement, the DPPF emerges as the first Operating Prison and Penal Farm (OPPF) to earn such recognition as a DOH TB-DOTS Center,” the bureau said.
It noted that the accreditation was a result of “a strong partnership between the DPPF Health and Wellness Services Section and the Department of Health.”
DPPF Acting Superintendent CCInsp. Edgardo F. Mendoza Jr. has expressed gratitude to the DOH for the accreditation which was aimed “at enhancing the health and well-being of the Persons Deprived of Liberty currently confined in this prison and penal farm.”
At the same time, the BuCor said that Mendoza is set to meet with officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Region XI “to finalize the plans for this accreditation.”
The DPPF is in Panabo City in Davao del Norte.