The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said it has transferred 15,730 persons deprived of liberty from the New Bilibid Prison to other prison facilities nationwide since 2022, as part of preparations for the prison’s planned closure by 2028. BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. announced the figure in a statement reported by BusinessWorld.
The transfers include 100 inmates moved on Monday, June 9, 2026, as part of ongoing decongestion efforts. Catapang emphasized that the relocation is being conducted in phases to ensure security and proper management of the inmate population across various facilities.
The closure of the New Bilibid Prison, the country’s largest penitentiary, is part of a broader government initiative to modernize the corrections system and address chronic overcrowding. BuCor has been working on transferring inmates to regional prisons and other facilities to meet the 2028 deadline.