BuCor project in Masungi to push through if experts approve — Catapang Jr. 

Former Armed Forces Chief of Staff now Bureau of Corrections chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. during a press briefing in this photo taken on November 2022. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. said on Tuesday that if urban planning experts give the go-signal, the bureau’s new headquarters will be constructed in Masungi Georeserve in Tanay, Rizal.

“I will recommend that we push through with it, without violating the ecological environment,” he said when asked on ANC what he would do if the experts give them the go-signal to construct a headquarters in the area.

According to Catapang, some of these experts will come from the University of the Philippines (UP) School of Urban and Regional Planning.

“I’m not an expert in urban planning or in environment, so I’m asking our experts, some of them are from UP, to help us,” Catapang said.

Catapang assured the public that BuCor will only use 20 to 30 hectares out of the disputed 270 hectares, and that it will only be on vacant spaces at the bottom of the mountain.

This move follows BuCor’s plans to set up a headquarters in Masungi, which was met with criticisms from the park’s management due to conflicting legal claims. The title of the land however, belongs to the bureau.

READ: BuCor eyes new HQ at Masungi Georeserve, relocation site for NBP elsewhere

However, in a previous statement, Masungi Georeserve had emphasized that the area was unbuildable due to its mountainous ranges. The management also expressed concerns that construction could harm the existing environment.

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JPV