COADM01

GROUP -7
IWAHIG PRISON
AND PENAL FARM

IWAHIG PRISON & PENAL FARM

The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm is located at

Baranggay Iwahig, Palawan a 30 minute ride from the
capital Puerto Princesa. There are at this moment
some 4,000 inmates living there.These minimum
security inmates live in kind of dormitories and are
working on one of the many agricultural projects. High
risk prisoners are confined to maximum securities

LAND DISTRIBUTION

In 1955, President Ramon Magsaysay promulgated

Administrative Order No. 20 which allowed the distribution of
colony lands for cultivation by deserving colonists. This was
implemented by the Secretary of Justice Pedro T. Tuazon
and Agriculture and Natural Resources Secretary Juan G.
Rodriguez who granted qualified colonist six hectares of land.

GOV. LUKE EDWARD WRIGHT

authorized the establishment of a penal colony in

the province orPalawanon November 16, 1904. This
penal settlement, which originally comprised an
area of 22acres, served as a depository for
prisoners who could not be accommodated at

SOUVERNIR SHOP

You can avail of the different souvenirs that is made

by the prisoners themselves. This is also their way of
making some money for their families while they are
in prison.

WORK AND LIVELIHOOD

The Bureau offers a variety of inmate work programs,

from agricultural to industrial.

AS A TOURIST SPOT

There is a unique place in Palawan where criminals can

almost roam free in their respective prisons. The Iwahig
Prison and Penal Farm is a colony-based landmark that
houses law offenders in Palawan.

IWAHIG PENAL COLONY: This

facility was established during
the American occupation. It was
however, during the Spanish
regime that Puerto Princesa was
designated as a place where
offenders sentenced to
banishment were exiled. A
specific area of Puerto Princesa
was
selected as the site for a
correctional facility. The
American military carved out a
prison facility in the rain forest of
Puerto Princesa. The institution
had for its first Superintendent
Lt. George
member
of
Governor Luke Wright authorized the establishment
of aWolfe,
penal acolony
in the
U.S.
expeditionary
province of Palawan on November 16, 1904. the
This
penal
settlement,force,
whichwho
later became
first
prisons
originally comprised an area of 22 acres, originally
served the
as a
depository
director.
for prisoners who could not be accommodated
at the Bilibid Prison in
Manila. In 1906, however, the Department of Commerce and Police (which
later became the Department of Public Instruction) moved to turn the
institution into the center of a penal colony
supervised in accordance
with trends at the time. Through the departments efforts, the Philippine

The settlement was at first beset by

attempted escapes. But under the
supervision of Col. John R. White of the
Philippine Constabulary, who would
become superintendent of Iwahig in
1906, the colony became a successful
settlement. A merit system was devised
for the prisoners and vocational activities
were offered. These included farming,
fishing, forestry, carpentry, and hospital
paramedical work. Prisoners could
choose the vocational activities they
wanted. In 1955, Administrative Order
No. 20 was promulgated by the
President and implemented by the
Secretary of Justice and the Secretary of
Agriculture and Natural Resources

This order allowed the distribution of colony lands for cultivation

by deserving colonists. The order also contained a list of qualifications for colonists who
wished to apply for a lot to cultivate, the conditions for the settlers stay in his land, loan
requirements and marketing of the settlers produce. Lots granted did not exceed six
hectares. On August 16, 1959, a committee was created by President Carlos P. Garcia to
study the state of national prisons. Accordingly, prisoners in Iwahig were divided into two
groups: the settlers and colonists.

The settlers are those engaged in farming for their own benefit; they are the ones
whose applications for land to cultivate have been approved. The government furnishes
the land and initial requirements for tools, dwellings and beast of burden. They are
required to reimburse expenditures incurred for their maintenance and that of their
families out of the products of their farms. Upon their release from the colony, they
receive whatever amount of money they have credited in their favor, after deducting the
obligations they have. Iwahig is subdivided into four zones or districts: Central subcolony with an area of 14,700 hectares; Sta. Lucia with 9,685 hectares; Montible with
8,000 hectares and Inagawan with 13,000 hectares. Recent developments and
presidential proclamations have dramatically reduced the size of the prison reservation