Manila: The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has announced its intention to utilize idle lands for the development of regional sports facilities. BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. revealed that the agency has proposed offering its landholdings to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the establishment of sports complexes, training centers, athlete villages, and multi-sport facilities.

According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s emphasis on the importance of sports in his State of the Nation Address. The president highlighted sports as crucial for national development, youth empowerment, and public health. In a letter addressed to PSC chairperson Patrick Gregorio, dated July 31, Catapang outlined several properties as potential sites for these facilities. These include the 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 BuCor's Masungi Property in Tanay, Rizal.

Catapang expressed optimism about collaborating with the PSC to repurpose BuCor's idle lands, aiming to make sports more accessible to aspiring athletes nationwide. He emphasized that this partnership could address key challenges within the Philippine sports landscape, such as the scarcity of quality training facilities and the need for improved support for grassroots sports development.

By leveraging these land assets, Catapang believes that the PSC can create new opportunities for athletes at various levels, from amateur to elite, thus enabling more Filipinos to pursue their sports aspirations and foster national pride.