THE Bureau of Corrections has offered its landholdings to the Philippine Sports Commission as potential sites for the establishment of regional sports complexes, training centers, athlete villages, and multi-sport facilities.
In a letter dated July 31 to PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. offered Bucor properties in Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro; Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte; Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Dujali, Davao del Norte; Zamboanga Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur; and BuCorMasungi Property in Tanay, Rizal.
Catapang also expressed Bucor’s support for the PSC’s mission of serving as the catalyst and advocate for the propagation of Philippine sports and that its properties represent a nationwide spread that can be maximized in contributing to the government’s vision of a unified sports program aimed at enhancing the quality of life of the Filipinos, instilling national pride, and attaining international prestige through excellence in sports.
“I look forward to partnering with PSC and to put to good use all the idle lands of Bucor,” Catapang said in his letter.
He said setting up sporting facilities in BuCor landholdings will make sports more accessible to aspiring athletes across the country, considering their strategic locations.
He added that this partnership could play a pivotal role in addressing some of the pressing challenges facing the Philippine sports landscape, including limited access to quality training facilities and inadequate support for grassroots development.
“By leveraging BuCor’s land assets where athletes can thrive, the PSC can create new opportunities for athletes at all levels, from amateur to elite, ensuring that more Filipinos have the chance to pursue their dreams in sports and instill national pride,” Catapang added.
