Prisoners were classified as maximum, medium, or minimum security prisoners. Murderers fall under maximum security and are kept guarded in big house. Medium security prisoners are grouped by 10’s to take care of and harvest 6 hectares of land. Minimum security prisoners are going to be released soon. Another feature of this colony is that families of the prisoners can live and stay with them. These family members can also work at Iwahig vast land area and can sell handicrafts to earn for a living.
Iwahig Penal Colony was established in the early 1900’s. It is where criminals from other parts of the country were sent, jailed and forced to do hard labor while serving their sentence. Later on, the reformed ones are allowed to roam within the compound and mingle with the community while the “hard cores” remain in maximum confinement. Within the compound, there are farmstead tended by former prisoners who, after serving their sentence, have decided to stay in Puerto Princesa and start a new life. After a probationary period, long-term prisoners are allowed to become farmers, fishermen or wardens, as the prison is self-supporting and self-managed.
There were no barriers surrounding the gate to keep the prisoners in. Prisoners are discourages to escape from it’s prison, because mountains and South China Sea surrounding the prison. Transportation off the island is pretty impossible for a prisoner to arrange by himself and if one decides to run off to the mountains, he is sure to die of malaria.
This colony encompasses a 35-hectare scenic farm planted with coconut palm trees, rice, and other crops cultivated by the prisoners and their families. The prison’s population is about 2500 and visitors can walk freely around farm except inside maximum security house.
Some street scenes
Manila
Banaue
Porto Princesa
Cebu
Bohol
Boracay
Talisay
