BuCor chief seeks Congress support for prison reform, medical parole

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. is urging lawmakers in the 28th Congress to back measures establishing a unified penology and correctional system, standardizing medical parole, and maximizing property management for income generation.

Catapang said the reforms, pushed under the leadership of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., aim to make BuCor “relevant, sustainable, and respected.” He called on stakeholders, families of inmates, and partner agencies to rally behind the initiatives.

The proposals form part of a broader effort to decongest the country’s overcrowded prisons and strengthen rehabilitation programs. From June 2022 to June 2025, BuCor released 23,629 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) and transferred inmates to regional facilities, including Iwahig Penal Farm in Palawan and Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro.

These steps brought down the congestion rate at the New Bilibid Prison from 313 percent in 2020 to 224 percent in 2025.

BuCor has also modernized its facilities by expanding dormitories and hiring additional personnel. Its budget has doubled from P5 billion in 2022 to P10 billion in 2025, with more funding expected through joint ventures and income-generating projects.

The bureau has likewise digitalized inmate records to accelerate parole and clemency processes while maintaining security. Rehabilitation programs, particularly for inmates with drug-related cases, are being supported by private companies through education, skills training, and post-release employment opportunities.

Catapang said the reforms are geared toward building a sustainable, modern, and respected correctional system that rehabilitates inmates effectively while easing overcrowding in Metro Manila prisons.