THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Sablayan local government in Occidental Mindoro have unveiled plans to transform the coastal municipality into an economic powerhouse, using the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm as the anchor of a new eco-agriculture and tourism zone.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the joint initiative draws inspiration from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, which has become a model for sustainable rehabilitation through eco-tourism and agriculture.
“Iwahig proves correctional facilities can play a transformative role beyond incarceration. Sablayan has the same — if not greater — potential,” Catapang said.
Sablayan hosts the country’s largest penal facility, housing over 4,100 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) within its sprawling 8,327-hectare farm. The municipality itself spans more than 218,000 hectares, making it the largest in the Philippines.
Mayor Walter “Bong” Marquez called the town a “sleeping giant” long overdue for awakening. “It’s now time to wake up this sleeping giant,” he said, underscoring the town’s vast natural and human resources — many of them underutilized for decades.
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The proposed economic zone will harness the penal farm’s workforce for agro-industrial projects while providing vocational training and employment to PDLs. Catapang said the dual-purpose strategy not only boosts local productivity but also advances BuCor’s rehabilitative mandate.
What sets Sablayan apart, Catapang noted, is its potential as a marine gateway to some of the Philippines’ most prized tourist spots — including Coron, El Nido, Puerto Princesa, Amanpulo, and Romblon. He envisions a cruise route that docks in Sablayan as a transit hub for eco-tourism circuits.
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“With its strategic waterways, Sablayan could be a vital jump-off point for tourism and commerce across Mimaropa and Western Visayas,” Catapang said.
The initiative is still in its early stages, with feasibility studies and policy coordination underway. However, both BuCor and the Sablayan LGU said the project represents a long-term vision to redefine the role of correctional institutions in regional development — one where rehabilitation, agriculture, and tourism go hand in hand.
