The bureau’s seven prison facilities were originally built to house only around 16,000 inmates, yet they now accommodate approximately 52,000 PDLs nationwide.
Although BuCor has released more than 33,000 qualified inmates since 2022 through legal mechanisms such as parole and Good Conduct Time Allowance, Catapang acknowledged that congestion remains because new inmates continue to arrive from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and provincial jails.
The numbers illustrate the scale of the challenge confronting Catapang — one that cannot be solved by releases alone.
Beyond congestion, he inherited an agency burdened by longstanding issues involving corruption and contraband inside prison facilities.
Catapang recalled that when he assumed office, BuCor was emerging from one of the most controversial periods in its history.
According to him, years of neglect allowed a culture of corruption to flourish inside the prison system.
After nearly four years at the bureau, Catapang believes reforms have begun to restore order.
His leadership at BuCor reflects a familiar approach forged during his military years — discipline, institution-building and long-term planning.
Among the bureau’s priorities are the eventual closure of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and the redevelopment of the property, as well as plans to modernize correctional facilities and improve rehabilitation programs for inmates.
Multifaceted reforms
For Catapang, prison reform extends beyond maintaining security.
It is also about creating a correctional system capable of rehabilitation while addressing structural problems that have accumulated over generations.
Catapang also hopes to oversee the transformation of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) site into a mixed-use property that could generate steady revenue to support the Bureau’s ongoing development and modernization plan.
During a market-sounding summit at The Somerset in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, BuCor unveiled plans to unlock its vast assets in preparation for the NBP’s closure by 2028.
The BuCor chief said the summit focused on the 160-hectare portion of the NBP property available for purely commercial leasing arrangements, and an additional 106 hectares slated for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or Joint Venture (JV) agreements.
Catapang said while portions of the property will be leased, none of the NBP’s assets will be sold, maintaining government ownership throughout.
Annual lease revenues from the 160-hectare commercial area range from approximately P1.25 billion to P1.92 billion, he explained.
Financial parameters set for open bidding include an upfront payment equivalent to five years of lease, totaling between P6.24 billion and P9.6 billion.
Lease payments will be subject to an escalation rate of either 5 percent or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is higher, every three years.
The arrangement will be structured as a commercialized long-term lease, with all improvements to the property remaining the sole property of BuCor, ensuring no divestment of government assets.
The initial contract duration is proposed at 50 years, with options to renew for an additional 20 to 49 years.
Catapang said this initiative not only paves the way for the redevelopment of one of the country’s largest correctional facilities but also represents a forward-looking approach to asset management aimed at supporting sustainable institutional growth and modernization.
From commanding soldiers in uniform to steering one of the country’s most complex civilian institutions, Catapang’s career has been defined by adapting to changing missions.
Today, that mission is measured not by victories in conflict, but by efforts to transform a prison system that he says has long been overdue for reform.
