NBP decongestion underway, 300 PDLs relocated

Around 300 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) arrived safely at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Saturday morning, as part of the Bureau of Corrections’ (BuCor) ongoing efforts to decongest the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said the transfers are aligned with the agency’s long-term strategy to address overcrowding while strengthening manpower for the penal farm’s Agro-Institutional Projects.

The transfer is also part of preparations for the planned closure of the NBP by 2028, with the agency gradually shifting operations to regional prison facilities.

Catapang emphasized that the relocation initiative signals a shift toward more humane correctional practices and reflects the government's goal to modernize the Philippine penal system with rehabilitation, not confinement, as the central philosophy.