Press Release

19 October 2012

 

The proposal to construct regional prison facilities across the Philippines using the public-private partnership (PPP) option has been approved for Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) funding support last October 12, 2012. The Department of Justice (DOJ), through the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), will take the lead for this project.

 

Members of the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) Board listen to the presentation on the proposed Regional Prison Facility Project through Public-Private Partnership during their board meeting last October 12, 2012. The project will be implemented by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) which is under the Department of Justice (DOJ). In this photo from right to left are PPP Center Executive Director Cosette Canilao, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Deputy-Director General Rolando Tungpalan, Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary John Philip Sevilla and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Director Ma. Soledad Doloiras.

 

The proposed PPP project is the first of its kind in the country. It aims to address the dire jail conditions faced by existing penal facilities such as the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW).

DOJ and BuCor envisions to create a “humane” prison condition that will provide adequate living spaces, facilities and basic needs aimed to curt the occurrence of crimes while in custody.

The funding support, approved by the PDMF Board in its last meeting, shall cover the preparation of a feasibility study, advisory services in developing and structuring the PPP option, preparation of transaction documents, and bid process management until financial close to ensure projects’ viability and bankability.

The project has been identified as a key strategy for the successful implementation of an effective prison systems rehabilitation program which is consistent with the goal to establish and maintain a modern correctional organization. Likewise, it is aligned with BuCor’s mandate of safekeeping and rehabilitation of national prisoners and prepares them for eventual integration into mainstream society after they serve their sentence.

 

The New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City is the main penal and rehabilitation institution that houses the national prisoners in the Philippines. NBP is managed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) under the Department of Justice (DOJ). (Photo sourced from Wikipedia: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/NBPtoday.jpg )

 

The PDMF is a revolving fund managed by the PPP Center and funded by the Philippine government through Executive Order (EO) No. 8 and is supplemented by the government of Australia under a technical assistance program of the Asian Development Bank, and the government of Canada. It supports pre-investment activities for critical infrastructure projects, including pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, development of PPP options and assistance to government agencies in the bidding process to ensure competitive and transparent project preparation.

The PDMF Board governs the revolving fund for PPPs. The Board is chaired by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) with member designates from the Departments of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the PPP Center.