BuCor - UP ink MoU land exchange use involving Laguna, Palawan
In a statement released Sunday, the MOU was signed by BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. and UP President Atty. Angelo Jimenez at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City last Friday.
According to the statement, BuCor plans to establish a Regional Prison Facility (RPF) in Laguna, using 500 hectares from UP's Laguna-Quezon land grant.
Meanwhile, UP will gain access to 500 hectares of BuCor's land in Iwahig, Puerto Princesa City.
Catapang said the reciprocal arrangement is designed to maximize land use in a manner that aligns with the objectives of both organizations.
'This partnership addresses logistical needs, such as the establishment of a regional prison facility as we prepare for the closure of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City come 2028,' Catapang said.
The BuCor hear added the MOU could serve as a model for future collaborations aimed at enhancing public service and educational initiatives across the country.
For his part, Jimenez thanked the Bucor for entrusting UP with this partnership which will pave the way for the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) consisting of representatives from both BuCor and UP, tasked with exploring the feasibility of the proposed land utilization.
Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Agreement for a tripartite partnership on education access and workforce development was also signed by Catapang, Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Chancellor of the UP Open University (UPOU), and Mr. Robert Lester Aranton , president of the UP Alumni Association (UPAA).
Under the MOA, the UPOU shall facilitate access to its Massive Open Online Courses, which include courses relevant to workforce development and professional growth for Bucor personnel and persons deprived of liberty while UPAA will coordinate between UPOU and Bucor with regard to information materials, PDLs inquiries, enlistment and participation and guidance during program implementation.
The UPAA shall also make the services of its Job Placement Office available for PDLs who have graduated from the UPOU under this program and who are due for release from Bucor.
The statement said the latest initiative aims to make education accessible and transformative, offering hope, dignity, and second chances to PDLs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
UP system to receive P25.8B in 2026 NEP
The University of the Philippines (UP) System is set to receive the largest allocation among the country's 117 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in 2026, with P25.82 billion proposed under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). The state university has campuses spread across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. According to budget documents from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the UP allocation will be divided into P17.81 billion for personnel services — covering the salaries, benefits, and allowances of its faculty and staff; P7.06 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) to support academic operations; and P950 million for capital outlay to finance infrastructure improvements, equipment procurement, and laboratory upgrades. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) will get P3.62 billion, a significant jump from its previous budget as the government aims to expand access to low-cost tertiary education in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces. The Philippine Normal University, the country's flagship teacher education institution, has been allocated P1.53 billion, and the Technological University of the Philippines with P1.51 billion. Other SUCs in Metro Manila with notable allocations include Rizal Technological University (P1.07 billion), Eulogio 'Amang' Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (P520.9 million), Philippine State College of Aeronautics (P514 million), and Marikina Polytechnic College (P317.17 million). The Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute, a specialized research body under UP, will get P72.07 million to pursue energy policy and technology development initiatives. Outside the NCR, the Mindanao State University (MSU) System will get the highest allocation at P6.28 billion, reflecting its role in providing higher education access across Mindanao, particularly in conflict-affected and underserved areas. Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte follows with P1.91 billion, supporting its agriculture, fisheries, and renewable energy research programs. Central Luzon State University (P1.77 billion) in Nueva Ecija, known for its strong agriculture and aquaculture expertise, also secures a top spot, along with Benguet State University (P1.55 billion) and Central Mindanao University in Bukidnon (P1.54 billion), both recognized for agricultural innovation and extension services. For 2026, SUCs in the National Capital Region are collectively set to receive P34.99 billion, while the rest of the country's SUCs will divide the remaining P89.51 billion, forming the P124.5-billion proposed nationwide SUC budget. This falls under the education sector's P974.7-billion allocation, the single largest share in the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget, which also funds the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. The education sector got the largest allocation in the proposed 2026 NEP—P1.224 trillion, upholding the constitutional mandate to prioritize education funding. This includes P928.5 billion for the Department of Education, P33.9 billion for the Commission on Higher Education, and P20.2 billion for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
Salmon's rural bank eyes sustained loan growth in H2 2025
Financial technology firm Salmon Group Ltd. on Wednesday said its subsidiary Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna) Inc. is looking to sustain its loan growth in the second half, after growing by 44.82% in the first six months. According to Salmon co-founder and Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa chairperson Raffy Montemayor, the bank grew by 1.4 times to P1.316 billion in the first half of the year from P908.7 million in 2024, which it aims to sustain, if not exceed in the second half. 'We hope. That's what we're working towards, that we'll have faster growth in the second half. It really depends on our deposit taking performance,' he told reporters in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. 'It's hard for us to project because it's all about how much deposits can we grow in order to accommodate the growth in the loan portfolio, so that's very difficult to project,' he added. The bank's first-half loan portfolio was made up primarily of point-of-sale installment loans or product loans, which allow customers to fund their purchases with retail partner stores. Montemayor said the loan growth would largely depend on the growth of the bank's deposits, which jumped 63% to P952.8 million in the first half from P584.3 million last year. This is expected to grow further, as the bank is set to allow customers to apply for time deposits on the mobile application moving forward. 'The second half of 2025 may be very different to the first half in deposits and as a result, may be very different on loan growth so it's difficult to provide a projection, but we expect it to continue to grow and grow significantly versus the same period last year,' he said. Advanced EPFS license Montemayor also said the bank is now finalizing its application with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for an advanced electronic payment and financial services (EPFS) license, which will allow customers to make more digital services such as fund transfers and bills payments. He earlier said the bank would apply for the advanced EPFS license in July, but on Wednesday said this has been delayed as the company had to iron out details, and that this is now expected to be filed within the month of August. Under BSP Circular 1033, an advanced EPFS allows supervised financial institutions to offer fund transfers and other transactions beyond primary services such as account balance inquiries, that are included in the basic EPFS license. Montemayor said he is also set to do ocular inspections of the potential sites for the three branches that are expected to be put in by 2026 in the coming week — one in BGC, one in Cebu, and one in Cagayan de Oro, complementing the two it already has in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and Bacoor, Cavite. The bank ended the first half with a return on equity (ROE) ratio of 58.9%, return on assets (ROA) of 24.9%, and capital adequacy ratio of (CAR) of 32.7%, outperforming the average of rural banks across the country during the period. 'We're very healthy. We have the equity needed to make investments to protect the bank from any external shocks, so we're very proud of that achievement,' Montemayor said. Salmon last year said it targets to grow its loan portfolio to $2 billion in the next three to five years, as it seeks to expand its customer base by catering to what it calls the 'neglected' market and stepping into other countries in Southeast Asia. It ended 2024 with a P1.2-billion loan portfolio. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
06-08-2025
- GMA Network
BuCor reports 22% decrease in NBP congestion
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) reported Wednesday a decrease in the congestion rate of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) under the Marcos administration. It said the congestion rate decreased by 22.4% from 313% in 2022 to 243% in 2025. BuCor attributed the decrease to the transfer of 11,601 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the NBP to other prisons and penal farms as well as the release of 23,629 PDLs from 2022 to 2025. Meanwhile, BuCor said that new dormitories are under construction to increase the PDLs capacity in the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, Davao Prison and Penal Farms, and the Leyte Regional Prison. However, it said 32 more dormitories amounting to P14.6 billion are needed to address the backlog. 'We are very fortunate to be given P6 billion as per the directive of the President for the construction of eight dormitories including the supermax facility in Sablayan,' BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said in a statement. BuCor, meanwhile, said that 300 PDLs were transferred from the NBP to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro today. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ, GMA Integrated News
