Catapang outlines BuCor shift toward humane, reform-centered corrections

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. on Thursday said the bureau is undergoing a transformation toward becoming a human-rights-based, development-driven, and reform-centered institution under its modernization and reform agenda.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the second day of the three-day Justice Summit 2025 organized by the Department of Justice, Catapang said BuCor’s shift in direction places rehabilitation at the core of its mandate.

“At BuCor, we believe that corrections is not about walls; it is about people, and our task is not simply to keep individuals within boundaries, but to help them rediscover their purpose and their place in society,” he said.

Catapang highlighted several flagship projects, including the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm Mega Ecozone, the development of Regional Prison Facilities, and partnerships with local and international organizations. These efforts, he said, aim not only to reduce overcrowding but also to decentralize opportunities for reformation and reintegration.

He noted that BuCor’s reform programs include education, livelihood assistance, skills training, faith-based initiatives, and mental health support designed to restore dignity and prepare persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) for life beyond prison walls.

“The road to a truly humane justice system requires the collective strength of our institutions and the shared compassion of our people,” Catapang told summit participants. He urged stakeholders to remember that justice “at its core, is not punitive but transformative.”

Catapang reaffirmed BuCor’s role as a “pillar of hope within the justice system,” emphasizing that its mission extends beyond safeguarding to reforming, rehabilitating, and reintegrating individuals into society.

“Allow me to echo our shared aspiration: that one day, justice in the Philippines will no longer be measured by the strength of our laws alone, but by the compassion of our institutions, the kindness of our leaders, and the second chances we give to those who seek redemption,” he said.