528 new BuCor uniformed personnel take oath

Five hundred twenty-eight newly hired Bureau of Corrections uniformed personnel took their oath of office yesterday during the continuing celebration of the agency's 118th founding anniversary.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. told the the newly hired personnel that he is determined to change the old system inside the bureau.

"Uulitin ko, dapat ang BuCor ay relevant, sustainable and respected at hindi pabigat sa gobyerno" (I repeat, the Bucor, should be relevant, sustainable, respected and not a burden to the government), he declared.

"Hindi kayo pumasok dito para lang magkatrabaho kundi para magserbisyo, kaya patatagin ninyo ang loob nyo at palakasin ninyo ang katawan nyo," (You didn't join us just to have a job but to do public service, so steel yourselves and keep yourselves healthy), he reminded them.

The hiring of the new uniformed personnel will augment the workforce of the BuCor and help the agency perform its twin mandates of safekeeping and reforming persons deprived of liberty.

In 1990, BuCor's population was only 13,624 and the ratio of Corrections Officer to PDL was 1: 9. But to date, with a population of more than 51,000, the facility's ratio of CO to PDL has gone up to 1:27.