Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. has assured Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan that improving the welfare of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) will always be the top priority of his agency.
Catapang made the assurance after Yamsuan made the call to ensure the welfare of PDLs as the BuCor intensify its effort to forged joint ventures with the private sector to generate income for the agency and the PDLs as well.
Aside from the opportunity for PDLs to earn a living while serving their sentence, these collaborations with government and non government agencies also form part of their reformation in preparation for their release and re-integration to the society, Catapang said.
Under the “Bagong Bucor sa Bagong Pilipinas” no one will be left behind, as we navigate through our modernization program to make the Bucor relevant, sustainable and respected.
Catapang added that under RA 10575, “ We have the absolute authority to design, formulate and implement land-use development plans and policies as a way to maximize our assets’ value for the effective and extensive reformation (corrections) programs for national inmates.”
“We may even propose additional penal farms as may be necessary as possible, aside from the existing seven prison and penal farms to decongest existing penal institutions and accommodate the increasing number of inmates committed to the agency,” Catapang explained.
He also assured Yamsuan that it is in their mandate under Republic Act 10575 otherwise known as the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013 that the safekeeping of PDLs are within the established United Nations standards.
Catapang also thanked the good Congressman for commending him for taking the lead in developing BuCor’s property through collaborations with the private sector and for teaming up with the Philippine Economic Zone
Authority ( PEZA) in establishing economic zones in select operating prison and penal farms of BuCor.
Under RA 10575, all BuCor lands shall be used for inmate security, reformation programs and as a means to promote sustainability, both for income and non-income generating programs, with or without partnership among nongovernment organizations, civic organizations or other government entities.
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