Manila, June 9 -- The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Tuesday that 15,730 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have been transferred since 2022 to penal farms nationwide as part of the plan to eventually close and redevelop the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa by 2028.

In a statement, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the latest batch was composed of 100 PDLs who were transferred on Monday from NBP to the Leyte Regional Prison.

Catapang said the planned closure of NBP presents both challenges and opportunities for BuCor as discussed in BuCor's recent marketing summit focused on the future use of NBP's expansive property.

The prison compound sits on a vast tract of land totaling 375.61 hectares, with 160 hect...