Manila, Feb. 7 -- The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Thursday the government is making inroads in addressing the decades-old problem of congestion in the country's prisons, and a more efficient penal system may soon be the Marcos administration's legacy.

Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas news program, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. acknowledged that the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, the country's biggest prison, has fallen on tough times in the past 50 years.

He noted that the first prison in the country was built during the Spanish times and the last was constructed in 1973.

In total, he said, the prisons can only house 12,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

"Ngayon po kami sa BuCor, ang ating mga ...