P90M Agri-camp for juvenile offenders now underway in Palawan

After nearly five decades of delayed implementation, the Philippines’ first-ever Agricultural Camp for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) is finally becoming a reality. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday at the Inagawan Sub-Colony of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The ceremony was led by Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr., alongside Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

Catapang said the AgriCamp will be built on a 150-hectare lot donated by BuCor. Envisioned as a pioneering rehabilitation and reintegration facility, the project is aligned with Section 15 of Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), as amended. It offers an alternative to incarceration by allowing CICLs who are found guilty to serve their sentence in an agricultural or vocational training setting rather than in a traditional penal institution.

“The agricamp will provide a structured and ecologically sustainable environment where intervention programs such as formal education, vocational and agricultural training, psychosocial support, and life skills development will be implemented under the careful supervision of the DSWD,” Catapang explained.

He added that the facility marks a significant shift in how the country handles juvenile justice, emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment.

The P90 million project is supported by a memorandum of agreement signed by the DSWD, BuCor, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in February 2025. Under the agreement, DSWD will provide funding as the lead agency for social protection, while BuCor will operate, maintain, and supervise the agricultural camp. DPWH will handle the construction work.

The AgriCamp is expected to be completed by early 2026.