Iwahig, Puerto Princesa – The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), led by Director General GREGORIO PIO P CATAPANG JR., AFP (Ret.), CESE, CCLH, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the first-ever Agricultural Camp for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) in the Philippines on 07 May 2025 at the Inagawan Sub-Colony of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF).
The event was attended by key officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), alongside representatives from partner agencies, showcasing the government’s united commitment to juvenile justice reform. This collaboration is a testament to collective action in our unified stand in favor of a transformative program that is envisioned to rehabilitate the CICL.
This 150-hectare Agricamp, donated by BuCor, is envisioned as a pioneering rehabilitation and reintegration facility aligned with Section 15 of Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA), as amended. The facility offers an alternative to incarceration, allowing CICLs who are found guilty to serve their sentence in an agricultural or vocational training setting.
The Agricamp will provide a structured and ecologically sustainable environment where intervention programs such as formal education, vocational and agricultural training, psychosocial support, and life skills development will be implemented. These initiatives are designed to promote positive behavioral change, to prepare CICLs for successful reintegration into their communities as productive and responsible citizens.
BuCor Director General GREGORIO PIO P CATAPANG JR, AFP (Ret.), CESE, CCLH, through IPPF Superintendent C/SUPT GARY A GARCIA, RCrim, MSCA, gives full support for the Agricamp as a key step in CICL rehabilitation and reintegration.
CO1 Ma. Eden F Larawan
Contributor
