The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has transferred 500 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City.

The relocation of PDLs to other prison facilities nationwide is part of BuCor’s effort to reduce overcrowding at the NBP and prepare for the facility’s planned closure in 2028, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said yesterday.

Catapang said the PDLs came from three sections of the NBP: 147 from the Maximum Security Camp, 153 from Medium Security, and 200 from the Reception and Diagnostic Center.

The transfer was conducted with the assistance of 150 corrections officers, including members of the BuCor SWAT, escort teams, and medical personnel, with the support of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, a P272.1-million prison facility will be constructed at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan. A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently for the Correctional Institute for Women that will accommodate 500 PDLs.

The new facility will feature a state-of-the-art, two-story Type B dormitory building designed to house 10 PDLs per cell. It will have individual restrooms and solar lighting.

The construction marks a significant step toward a more humane and effective criminal justice system, Catapang said.