THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) have entered into an agreement to explore the use and development of ancestral domain lands for regional prison and penal farms aimed at easing congestion and promoting community development.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on Monday by BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. and NCIP Chairperson Marie Grace T. Pascua in Muntinlupa City, sets a framework for identifying and developing about 1,000 hectares of ancestral domain land in each region under NCIP jurisdiction.
A technical working group will also be created to evaluate the proposal’s feasibility, ensure compliance with relevant laws, and outline the terms for implementation.
In a statement on Monday, Mr. Catapang said the plan is in line with the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013 and its implementing rules, which authorize BuCor to establish additional penal farms aside from its seven existing facilities. He said new regional sites would help decongest prisons while allowing persons deprived of liberty to remain closer to their families and communities.
“The goal is to make detention and rehabilitation more humane while fostering economic activity in host communities,” he said.
For her part, Ms. Pascua said the initiative aligns with NCIP’s mandate to ensure indigenous participation in development projects affecting their lands and “a step toward both justice and inclusion.” — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
