More than 200 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were transferred Friday from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Sunday.

The transfer is in line with the government’s ongoing measures to decongest NBP and supports the planned closure of the decades-old facility by 2028, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said in a statement.

“This is a major step in our long-term plan to reform the penal system and improve living conditions for inmates,” Catapang said.

The inmates were moved Friday night under tight security.

The operation involved more than 100 BuCor personnel, assisted by the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, and security units from the South Luzon Expressway.

Catapang said the Sablayan facility, located around 400 kilometers southwest of Manila, offers vocational and agricultural programs that aid in inmate rehabilitation and skills development.

NBP, built in 1940, is the country’s largest and most overcrowded correctional facility.

The government plans to shut it down by 2028 and relocate inmates to regional penal farms with better infrastructure and rehabilitation programs.

Further inmate transfers are expected in the coming months as part of BuCor’s nationwide prison decongestion strategy.

A specific timeline for NBP’s closure and future site development has yet to be announced.

Photos: courtesy of Bureau of Corrections