The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is eyeing the construction in 2020 of a P250 million academy in Puerto Princesa City within the jurisdiction of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF).
The BuCor Academy will not only be put up to train corrections personnel and officers but will also help boost the city’s tourism initiatives, particularly in Iwahig.
BuCor director general Nicanor Faeldon said instead of Manila, they have decided to construct the academy in the city which has a conducive environment for learning. It is part of their “aggressive improvement” that the public will see in the next two to three years.
“You will be seeing a very aggressive improvement of these facilities in the next 2 to 3 years, in fact, by next year, I have already allocated P250 million for the construction of the BuCor Academy here. We will put the BuCor academy in Iwahig to also boost the area as a tourist attraction,” Faeldon said.
Faeldon added that the law mandates BuCor to put up its own academy to train corrections personnel and officers and because of the revision of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) which states that generated resources should be used for infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, BuCor’s revenue from the joint venture agreement (JVA) with the Puerto Princesa City Water District (PPCWD) will go to “Fund 284”, which Faeldon explained is a newly-created program.
He said the BuCor has requested Congress to revise the appropriation of this fund to include the building of infrastructures that include the academy, other facilities, and the welfare of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
The fund to support the construction of the academy will not only come from the JVA with PPCWD but also from the generated revenues of their other facilities.
“It is not going to be utilized here alone but puwedeng madagdagan or puwedeng mabawasan because let’s say in Davao alone, our revenue there is P300 million annually compared to this JVA na more or less P4 million a year lang. Maliit compared doon sa ibang mga facilities. We will also be getting some funds from other facilities to augment the requirement of this,” he added.
