00:00The ASEAN countries will help each other to address the lack of personal supply of liberty or PDLs.
00:09This is what Louisa Erizpe wrote.
00:14The government gave a lot to the countries in the ASEAN region
00:18for the reforms that the government is doing to the Philippines.
00:22In fact, in the second ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference held in Palawan
00:27where delegates from Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Timor-Leste came.
00:38The country laid out the changes and plans for our prisons.
00:42We have a long way to go, but I firmly believe that we are on the right path.
00:46That will positively impact our country and society as a whole.
00:51One of the Philippines' efforts to reduce the congestion rate of New Believed Prisons
00:56which used to be 350%, but now it's only 240%.
01:01And to make it worse, the country suggested the prisoner exchange between the ASEAN countries.
01:09The system is that if a Filipino is sentenced in the ASEAN countries,
01:12he will only complete his sentence in the Philippines.
01:15Just like what was done to Mary Jane Veloso who was sent home to the Philippines to complete her sentence.
01:21For example, there are Filipinos who are imprisoned in Indonesia or Malaysia.
01:25We have a prison, not an exchange, but a way of giving,
01:38if a Filipino commits a crime in Indonesia, he is sentenced, but his sentence will be served here in the Philippines.
01:48The Philippines also laid out a plan to make PESA, or Economic Zone, a separate prison and penal farm.
01:54Aside from using the land of MUCOR for agriculture and fisheries,
01:58investors will also be able to enter Iwahig.
02:01The entire facility is at 14,700 hectares, but only a few will benefit from it.
02:07Through this, PDLs will be able to help the government's food security program.
02:12Yesterday, we invited all the ambassadors.
02:16The Singaporean ambassador was there, the Malaysian ambassador was there.
02:22And they are so interested.
02:24I even gave him the master plan.
02:27They told me I will be invited to present this master plan because it will be a food security bank.
02:45Just to ensure that we have the food that we need.
02:49Another plan is to fix and unify the country's prison system.
02:53The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and MUCOR will work together
02:57and will also discuss unifying the authorities even in provincial jails.
03:01Because the order of our dear President, which our Secretary of Justice is now pursuing,
03:07is a unified penology and correctional system.
03:11DOJ and MUCOR also believe that in 2028, this plan will be successful
03:17and the situation of prisons in the country will be better under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
03:23We remain very optimistic.
03:25Most especially considering that the present administration has made prison reform
03:30a key part of its campaign on compassionate justice.
03:34Luisa Erispe for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
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