Bureau of Corrections (Philippines)
| Kawanihan ng Koreksiyon | |
.png) Seal | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1905 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of the Philippines |
| Headquarters |
|
| Employees | 5,646 (2024)[1] |
| Annual budget | ₱6.11 billion (2023)[2] |
Agency executive |
|
Parent agency | Department of Justice |
| Website | https://www.bucor.gov.ph/ |
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor /ˈbjʊ.kɔːr/; Filipino: Kawanihan ng Koreksiyon;[4] formerly the Bureau of Prisons from 1905 to 1989) is an agency of the Department of Justice which is charged with the custody and rehabilitation of national offenders, commonly known as Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), who have been sentenced to three years of imprisonment[5] or more. The agency has its headquarters in the New Bilibid Prison Reservation in Muntinlupa.[6]
History
[edit]Spanish colonial era
[edit]
The Old Bilibid Prison which was located on Oroquieta Street in Manila was established in 1847 and by a Royal Decree formally opened on April 10, 1866. On August 31, 1870, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm was established in Zamboanga City for Muslim and political prisoners opposed to the rule of Spain.
American colonial era
[edit]
The Iuhit penal Settlement now known as Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm was established in 1904 by the Americans in 28,072 hectares of land. The land areas expanded to 40,000 hectares in the late 1950s.[7] and expanded again to 41,007 hectares by virtue of Executive Order No. 67 issued by Governor Newton Gilbert on October 15, 1912.
The Bureau of Prisons was established on November 1, 1905 under the Reorganization Act of the Philippine Commission as an agency under the Department of Commerce and Police.[7][8] The Reorganization Act also re-established the San Ramon Prison in 1907 which was destroyed during the Spanish–American War in 1898. The prison was placed under the Bureau of Prisons and receive prisoners in Mindanao.[7]
The Correctional Institution for Women was founded on November 27, 1929, by virtue of Act No. 3579 as the first and only prison for women in the Philippines.[7] Later, on January 21, 1932, the bureau opened the Davao Penal Colony in Southern Mindanao.[7]
The New Bilibid Prison was established in 1935 in Muntinlupa due to the increased rate of prisoners.[7]
Contemporary era
[edit]Proclamation No. 72 issued on September 26, 1954, established the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, and the Leyte Regional Prison was established on January 16, 1973, under Proclamation No. 1101.[7]
The Administrative Code of 1987 and Proclamation No. 495, issued on November 22, 1989, changed the agency's name from Bureau of Prisons to "Bureau of Corrections".[7]
President Benigno Aquino III signed into law on May 24, 2013, Republic Act no. 10575 or the Bureau of Corrections Act which enables the government to upgrade and professionalize the country's penal system.[8][9]
During the administration of President Bongbong Marcos in the 2020s, a proposal has been made to merged the BuCor with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to align the Philippines' penal system with its Southeast Asian neighbors.[10][11]
Function
[edit]The Bureau of Corrections is an agency under the Department of Justice. It manages prisons in the Philippines such as the New Bilibid Prison. It shares roles with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) which is under the Department of the Interior and Local Government although there are proposals to merge the two bodies.[11]
The BuCor maintains the detention of inmates or what it calls "persons deprived of liberty" (PDLs) serving sentences more than three years of imprisonment. While the BJMP deals with convicts serving sentences less than three years or suspects awaiting trial.[12]
Prisons
[edit]
The Bureau of Corrections maintains seven prisons and penal farms across the Philippines:[5][13]
- Current facilities
- Correctional Institution for Women (CIW)
- Main prison in Mandaluyong
- CIW Mindanao in Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte
- New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa
- Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro
- Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
- Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte
- San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City
- Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte
- Former facilities
- Corregidor Prison Stockade (1908 until the outbreak of the World War II)
- Fort Bonifacio Prison in Makati (until the 1980s)[14]
- Bontoc Prison in Mountain Province[14]
- Future facilities
- Regional Prison Facility in Palayan, Nueva Ecija. Groundbreaking in 2026.[15]
Organization
[edit]Director Generals
[edit]The Bureau of Corrections is managed by the Director General who is colloquially called as the chief of the organization.[16]
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| George Wolfe | 1904 – 1910 |
| M. L. Stewart | 1910 – 1914 |
| W.H. Dade | 1914 – 1920 |
| Julius W. Quillen | 1920 – 1923 |
| Ramon Victorio | 1923 – 1930 |
| Paulino Santos | 1930 – 1937 |
| Eriberto B. Misa Sr. | 1937 – 1949 |
| Eustaquio Balagtas | 1949 – 1954 |
| Alfredo Bunye | 1954 – 1958 |
| Enrique Fernandez | 1958 – 1962 |
| Jason Angeles | 1962 |
| Felix Amante | 1962 – 1965 |
| Dominador Danan | 1965 – 1966 |
| Alejo Santos | 1967 – 1971 |
| Vicente Raval | 1971 – 1982 |
| Catalino Macaraig Jr. | 1979 |
| Ramon Liwag | 1982 |
| Vicente Eduardo | 1982 – 1986 |
| Edralin Palacios | 1986 |
| Meliton Goyena | 1986 – 1991 |
| Cleto Senoren | 1991 |
| Eriberto Misa Jr. | 1991 – 1993 |
| Vicente Vinarao (first term) | 1994 – 1998 |
| Pedro Sistoza | 1998 – 2001 |
| Ricardo Macala | 2001 – 2003 |
| Dionisio Santiago | 2003 – 2004 |
| Vicente Vinarao (second term) | 2004 – 2007 |
| Ricardo Dapat | 2007 |
| Oscar Calderon | 2007 – 2010 |
| Ernesto Diokno | 2010 – May 2011 |
| Manuel Co (first term) | May – August 2011 |
| Gaudencio Pangilinan Jr. | August 2011 – August 2012 |
| Manuel Co (second term) | August – November 2012 |
| Rafael Ragos | November 2012 – March 2013 |
| Franklin Jesus Bucayu | March 2013 – 2015 |
| Ricardo Rainier Cruz | 2015 – June 2016 |
| Rolando Asuncion (OIC) | June – November 2016 |
| Benjamin Delos Santos | November 2016 – July 13, 2017 |
| Valfrie Tabian (OIC) | July 14, 2017 – April 30, 2018 |
| Ronald dela Rosa | April 30 – October 12, 2018 |
| Nicanor Faeldon | November 21, 2018 – September 5, 2019 |
| Melvin Ramon Buenafe (OIC) | September 6–20, 2019 |
| Gerald Bantag | September 20, 2019 – October 21, 2022 |
| Gregorio Pio Catapang[17] | October 21, 2022 – present |
| Source: Bureau of Corrections[18] | |
Logo
[edit].svg)
The logo of the bureau represents the government agency's mandate, the rehabilitation of inmate. The logo focuses on the man in prison as the main concern of rehabilitation. It presents man behind bars, but who looks outwards with the hope of rejoining the free community. The 7 rays of the sun represent the 7 operating prisons and penal farms who carry out the reformation programs of the bureau. The color green symbolizes hope. The color orange is symbolic of happiness. The bar of justice represents the Philippine justice system.
References
[edit]- ↑ Department of Budget and Management. "Staffing Summary Fiscal Year 2024" (PDF). Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ↑ GAA 2023 Archived March 30, 2023, at the Wayback Machine dbm.gov.ph
- ↑ Gregorio, Xave. "BuCor chief suspended as questions linger on 'middleman' in Lapid slay". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ↑ Narvaez, Eilene Antoinette; Macaranas, Edgardo, eds. (2013). Mga Pangalan ng Tanggapan ng Pamahalaan sa Filipino (PDF) (in Filipino) (2013 ed.). Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. p. 6. ISBN 978-971-0197-22-4. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- 1 2 Department of Justice, archived from the original on April 30, 2008, retrieved May 27, 2008
- ↑ "About the Bureau of Corrections Archived 2009-10-05 at the Wayback Machine." Bureau of Corrections. Retrieved on October 2, 2010. "Bureau of Corrections NBP Reservation, Muntinlupa, Philippines."
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Corrections in the Philippines, Bureau of Corrections, archived from the original on April 11, 2008, retrieved May 30, 2008
- 1 2 "Agency Profile". Bureau of Corrections. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Avendaño, Christine (May 28, 2013). "Aquino signs law to modernize prisons, professionalize corrections personnel". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Ganancial, Rachel (February 18, 2025). "DOJ studies merger of BJMP, BuCor". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Pulta, Benjamin (December 4, 2023). "Bigger roles for BuCor, BJMP under 5-year prisons development plan". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Merger of BuCor and BJMP eyed for decongestion". Daily Tribune. June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Cabalza, Dexter (July 22, 2023). "BuCor needs P205B to decongest facilities by 2028". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- 1 2 "History: Non-Operational National Prisons". Bureau of Corrections. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Reyes, Maria Asumpta Estefanie (April 23, 2026). "Regional Prison Facility to rise in Nueva Ecija, seen to ease jail congestion". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Buan, Lian; Talabong, Rambo; Gavilan, Jodesz; Abad, Michelle (December 18, 2019). "Fixing the Bureau of Corrections: Government walks a tightrope". Rappler. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Fernandez, Daniza (March 24, 2023). "Gregorio Catapang permanently appointed as BuCor director general". Inquirer.net. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ↑ "Past Directors". Bureau of Corrections. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Bureau of Corrections (Philippines) at Wikimedia Commons
