Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm
Encyclopedia
Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City
, Palawan
, Philippines
is one of seven operating units of the Bureau of Corrections
under the Department of Justice
.
The Spanish regime had earlier designated Puerto Princesa, Palawan as a place where offenders sentenced
to banishment were exile
d, but the facility was established only during the American occupation. Governor
Luke Wright
authorized the establishment of a penal colony in the province of Palawan
on November 16, 1904. This penal settlement, which originally comprised an area of 22 acre
s, served as a depository for prisoners who could not be accommodated at the Bilibid Prison in Manila. A prison facility was created by the American military
in the rain forest of Puerto Princesa. Lieutenant George Wolfe, a member of the U.S. expeditionary force was the prison's
first Director.
The Department of Commerce and Police moved the institution to the center of the colony.The Philippine Commission
of the United States government
passed Act No. 1723 in 1907, classifying the settlement as a penal institution.
Escape
attempts was the first problem that the colony experienced but because of the efforts of Col. John R. White of the Philippine Constabulary
, the settlement became a successful colony. White became the superintendent of Iwahig in 1906. Vocational activities were available which includes farming, fishing, forestry
, and carpentry
. Prisoners were free to choose the vocational activities they wanted.
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 hectare
s of land.
President
Carlos P. Romulo
created a committee on August 16, 1959 to study the state of national prisons. The prisoners in Iwahig were divided into two groups, settlers and colonists. The settlers are prisoners whose applications for land to cultivate have been approved. Tools, dwellings and beasts of burden
were furnished by the government. Expenditures incurred for their maintenance and for their families were reimbursed from the products of their farms. Settlers receive any amount of money they have loaned after the government deducts their obligations.
During that time, Iwahig was subdivided into four zones or districts: Central sub-colony with an area of 14,700 hectares; Sta. Lucia with 9,685 hectares; Montible with 8,000 hectares and Inagawan with 13,000 hectares.
by the French directors Alexandre Leborgne and Pierre Barougier, France, 2005.
This film received the Grand Prix in 2006 at the EBS International Documentary Festival
held by the national public television of Korea, EBS
.
Puerto Princesa City
The City of Puerto Princesa is a city located on the western provincial island of Palawan, one of 80 provinces which make up the Philippines...
, Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
is one of seven operating units of the Bureau of Corrections
Bureau of Corrections (Philippines)
The Bureau of Corrections is an agency of the Department of Justice which is charged with the custody and rehabilitation of national offenders, who have been sentenced to three years of imprisonment or more...
under the Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
.
American territorial period
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
to banishment were exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d, but the facility was established only during the American occupation. Governor
Governor-General of the Philippines
The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain and the United States, and briefly by Great Britain, from 1565 to 1935....
Luke Wright
Luke Edward Wright
Luke Edward Wright was a United States political figure. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines between 1904 and 1906 and also as Secretary of War from 1908 to 1909.-Biography:...
authorized the establishment of a penal colony in the province of Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
on November 16, 1904. This penal settlement, which originally comprised an area of 22 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s, served as a depository for prisoners who could not be accommodated at the Bilibid Prison in Manila. A prison facility was created by the American military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
in the rain forest of Puerto Princesa. Lieutenant George Wolfe, a member of the U.S. expeditionary force was the prison's
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
first Director.
The Department of Commerce and Police moved the institution to the center of the colony.The Philippine Commission
Philippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was a body appointed by the President of the United States to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines. It was first appointed by President William McKinley in 1901. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral Philippine...
of the United States government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
passed Act No. 1723 in 1907, classifying the settlement as a penal institution.
Escape
Prison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
attempts was the first problem that the colony experienced but because of the efforts of Col. John R. White of the Philippine Constabulary
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary ' was the oldest of four service commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was a gendarmerie type para-military police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority replacing the Guardia Civil...
, the settlement became a successful colony. White became the superintendent of Iwahig in 1906. Vocational activities were available which includes farming, fishing, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, and carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. Prisoners were free to choose the vocational activities they wanted.
Land distribution
In 1955, PresidentPresident of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay was the third President of the Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957. He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.-Early life:Ramon F...
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
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
Pedro T. Tuazon. and Agriculture and Natural Resources
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
Secretary Juan G. Rodriguez, who granted qualified colonist six hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of land.
President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Carlos P. Romulo
Carlos P. Rómulo
Carlos Peña Rómulo was a Filipino diplomat, politician, soldier, journalist and author. He was a reporter at 16, a newspaper editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32...
created a committee on August 16, 1959 to study the state of national prisons. The prisoners in Iwahig were divided into two groups, settlers and colonists. The settlers are prisoners whose applications for land to cultivate have been approved. Tools, dwellings and beasts of burden
Pack animal
A pack animal or beast of burden is a working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back; the term may be applied to either an individual animal or a species so employed...
were furnished by the government. Expenditures incurred for their maintenance and for their families were reimbursed from the products of their farms. Settlers receive any amount of money they have loaned after the government deducts their obligations.
During that time, Iwahig was subdivided into four zones or districts: Central sub-colony with an area of 14,700 hectares; Sta. Lucia with 9,685 hectares; Montible with 8,000 hectares and Inagawan with 13,000 hectares.
"Out of Bonds" - Documentary Film
The Iwahig Prison is the subject of an award winning documentary film, "Out of Bonds"Out of Bounds (documentary film)
Out of Bounds is a 2005 French documentary film directed by Alexandre Leborgne and Pierre Barougier.-Subject matter:...
by the French directors Alexandre Leborgne and Pierre Barougier, France, 2005.
This film received the Grand Prix in 2006 at the EBS International Documentary Festival
EBS International Documentary Festival
EBS International Documentary Festival is hosted by EBS, a national public television featuring educational and cultural programs in Korea. EIDF is one and only documentary festival through both screening and broadcasting at the same time...
held by the national public television of Korea, EBS
Educational Broadcasting System
Educational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000...
.