MANILA – The Bureau of Corrections on Saturday transferred another 500 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa, Palawan as part of its ongoing decongestion efforts.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the transfer forms part of the agency’s broader initiative to ease overcrowding in the national penitentiary through the relocation of inmates to other BuCor-operated prison facilities nationwide.

Catapang said the decongestion drive supports the administration’s criminal justice reform agenda aimed at improving public safety, inmate welfare, and human rights conditions.

According to BuCor, the New Bilibid Prison, which was established in 1940, has long faced severe congestion issues.

The facility was originally designed to house around 11,000 inmates but has consistently accommodated more than twice its intended capacity, resulting in challenges related to prison security, inmate health, welfare, and rehabilitation.

Catapang said the transfer to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm is intended to help distribute the inmate population more evenly and provide better conditions for rehabilitation programs.

He added that the relocation effort is also part of preparations for the planned closure of the New Bilibid Prison.

“We envision a correctional system where PDLs can serve their sentences in humane surroundings that promote rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into society,” Catapang said.

The BuCor chief said the planned closure of NBP remains under development but forms part of a long-term shift toward a more modern and sustainable correctional system.

For 2026, BuCor aims to transfer a total of 7,500 PDLs from the New Bilibid Prison to other prison and penal farm facilities across the country.