CPSC DG Prof. Dr. Dhameja, Faculty Specialist Prof. Yaqoob, Join the 2nd ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference

Prof. Dr. Suresh Kumar Dhameja, Director General of the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), and Prof. Naeem Yaqoob, CPSC Faculty Specialist, attended the 2nd ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference held at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, Philippines. The conference aimed to address key challenges in the correctional system such as prison overcrowding, rehabilitation, reintegration, and security.

This year’s theme, “Weaving the ASEAN Regional Corrections Identity: Co-creating a Shared Vision of Transformation,” resonated with CPSC’s role of promoting knowledge-sharing through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). With this, Prof. Dr. Dhameja and Prof. Yaqoob explored opportunities for TVET programs for prisoners and inmates in support of their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

In the conference, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) presented their Master Development Plan which included urban expansion, the creation of an Export Processing Zone (EPZ), and the relocation of correctional facilities. These initiatives highlighted the Philippine’s continued efforts to improve its correctional services and contribute to national peace, order, and economic stability.

The conference dinner also provided a platform to meet and network with delegates from ASEAN Member States, as well as international partners who play a key role in advancing prison reforms across the region. During the event, Prof. Dr. Dhameja and Prof. Yaqoob met with General Gregorio Pio P Catapang Jr., AFP (RET.), CESE, CCLH, BuCor Director General; V. Dennis M. Socrates, Governor, Provincial Government of Palawan, Philippines; and Ms. Nguyen Thu Nga, Third Secretary, Consul and Economic Officer at the Embassy of VietNam in the Philippines.

The Bureau of Corrections, formerly the Bureau of Prisons from 1905 to 1989, is an agency of the Department of Justice responsible for the custody and rehabilitation of national offenders, commonly referred to as Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), who have been sentenced to three years or more of imprisonment.