The Muntinlupa City Council held a public hearing to address the impending development of the vast land of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), which is expected to affect residents. 

The NBP, located in Barangay Poblacion, is under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and houses prison facilities. 

The NBP Reservation, which refers to the surrounding areas outside the prison facilities, contains houses of BuCor employees, public school teachers, and residents, as well as public schools and churches. 

The City Council’s Committee of the Whole, with all councilors present, conducted the public hearing together with presidents of resident associations and informal settlers, representatives from the Commission on Human Rights, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and BuCor. 

Councilor Raul Corro, majority floor leader, said the entire City Council held the hearing “due to the importance of the subject matter: the Bucor proposed master development plan for NBP.”

He explained that the hearing discussed the “concern of informal settlers on their relocation and the legal requirements to be met to have a relocation plan that meets the minimum livable requirements such as availability of basic services like water, power and other amenities.”

Corro emphasized that the city government is entitled to its equitable share in the development of any national wealth such as land under its jurisdiction, and should be informed about the kind of development to be implemented in NBP.  

He added that prior consultation with the city government must be conducted as mandated by law, and prior approval of the Sanggunian is required for any project involving the conversion of the NBP Reservation into a commercial development.