BuCor eyes Bilibid Prison closure

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is moving forward with plans to close the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and redevelop the sprawling property into a commercial and government hub, the agency’s chief said Wednesday.

BuCor director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the bureau has completed its market sounding survey and is drafting the terms of reference for the proposed redevelopment.

The plan must secure regulatory clearances before it is submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for final approval.

Speaking on DAILY TRIBUNE’s “Straight Talk” program, Catapang said his primary goal is to close the historic prison and transform the land into a “global city.”

The initial phase of the redevelopment will focus on a portion of the property that has already been cleared of inmates and informal settlers, Catapang said.

Early concepts for the site include a government center to house various state agencies, a housing development, commercial establishments and a large concert venue.

As part of the plan, the bureau is coordinating with the Pag-IBIG Fund, the state-backed home development mutual fund, to build a housing project dedicated to corrections and Department of Justice personnel.

Catapang acknowledged that severe prison congestion remains one of the agency’s biggest challenges.

While the bureau regularly releases reformed individuals, it continues to receive a steady influx of new inmates transferred from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and various provincial jails.

No new national prisons or penal farms have been built in decades, exacerbating the overcrowding.

Since taking office, Catapang said he has worked to reform an institution that suffered from years of neglect, citing systemic issues with corruption, illegal drugs, contraband and prostitution.

Under his tenure, several corrections officers have been dismissed or disciplined.

“The reforms must still be institutionalized,” Catapang said, despite what he described as a major turnaround in the agency’s operations.

Beyond the Muntinlupa property, the bureau plans to maximize its other landholdings through partnerships with the private sector and other government agencies, including its agricultural and penal properties in Palawan and Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.