2 months ago
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ANOTHER batch of 500 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) has been transferred to the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga in a bid to decongest the country's largest prison facility.
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has also confirmed that additional transfers of PDLs are scheduled before the end of April.
BuCor said 300 PDLs will be relocated to Palawan Prison and Penal Farm, 400 to Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, and 300 to Davao Prison and Penal Farm.
The latest transfer included 56 PDLs from the Maximum Security Camp and 444 from the Medium Security Camp of the NBP.
This initiative is part of BuCor's long-term strategy to gradually shut down the NBP by 2028 and distribute inmates across other penal facilities.
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Under the leadership of BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., the transfer operation was carried out with the assistance of 141 escort personnel led by Chief Inspector Henry Avila.
BuCor's efforts aim to reduce the chronic overcrowding in NBP and provide better living conditions for inmates. By transferring PDLs to regional penal colonies, the agency hopes to enhance rehabilitation opportunities and improve security conditions within the prison system.
"This is part of our broader strategy to ensure humane treatment and efficient rehabilitation programs for all PDLs," Catapang said. "By relocating them to various penal farms, we can provide a more conducive environment for their reform and reintegration."
The transfer of inmates to Palawan, Sablayan and Davao in the coming weeks forms part of this comprehensive decongestion plan.
The government's vision of prison reform is being realized through these systematic transfers, ensuring that correctional facilities nationwide are more manageable and rehabilitation-centered.
The closure of NBP by 2028 represents a landmark reform in the Philippine correctional system.
Catapang said that addressing the issue of overcrowding is key to improving the penal system's effectiveness and safeguarding the welfare of inmates.
"Under the Bagong BuCor sa Bagong Pilipinas, our goal remains clear: to transform the correctional landscape in the Philippines into a system that prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment," he said.
