Going to prison in the Philippines

by Teodora Karidova (Bulgaria)

I didn't expect to find Philippines

Traveling around South-East Asia for years, my interest in the Philippines was increasing. Every traveler I met was praising the beauty of the country and the people. It didn't take long to convince me and I was on the plane to Palawan island - the largest island in the western Philippines. My first stop was the capital, Puerto Princesa. And what better place to meet people,than in a hostel. After a rather rough but exciting tuk tuk ride from the airport to the hostel, I checked in and decided to try the bar and see who was around. The first person I met was going to be my travel companion for the next week but I didn't know that yet. Greg was a French chef who was working in fancy resorts for a few months and traveling the world for the rest of the time. We talked about our travel plans for the island and he mentioned “going to jail” the next day. Since I hadn't done any research on Palawan, the suggestion sounded intriguing. We agreed to share fuel expenses for the motorbike he had already rented and to explore some of the island together. Next morning after breakfast we were ready for an adventure. Or so we thought. Iwahig prison was some thirty minutes away by road from Puerto Princesa. Once you arrive at the gates, a huge welcome sign greets you, and some of the friendliest prison guards were waiting. They waved us through with the motorbike, jokingly asking if we were there to visit or stay. The prison was built by the United States to hold the Philippine prisoners who had fought against the American colonization of the Philippines. Today the prison is a penal farm facility and is one of most bizarre and interesting places I have ever seen. First thing that made a huge impression on both of us was that a lot of the prisoners were walking freely inside the prison. It didn't feel like prison. It felt like a village, with houses, shops, a church and even a primary school. The penalty farm system is giving a chance to the minimum security prisoners to work on the agricultural land inside the premises. Some were planting crops, some were building new facilities. And all of them were carrying tools that can easily be used as weapons, but surprisingly we didn't feel threatened at all. Quite the opposite, driving through the prison, most of the prisoners waved at us, asked for photos or just wanted to chat for a minute. One prisoner even invited us to the local church to “hear the word of God”. We politely declined, although it would have been quite the experience now thinking back. What we were seeing was so fascinating, and we hungered for more, so we had to find a prisoner who would be willing to tell us more about the life inside Iwahig penal colony. Gabriel was an inmate of the minimum security compound and was serving 10 years for drug possession. He was working in a small grocery shop where we stopped for some cold water and to rest. He didn't speak good English but explained that less than half of the prisoners there were serving life sentences, many of them for homicide or drug/weapon trafficking. The prisoners who were considered at risk of trying to escape were kept in the medium and maximum security compounds and were being closely monitored by guards a little less friendly than the ones at the main gate. Iwahig prison was a very surreal place. The penalty farm system works so well, some of the inmates who were imprisoned decide to stay and settle in with their families and live on the farm after being discharged. This explained why we saw so many houses and the primary school. This experience was an eye-opener and is definitely a more enriching experience than the typical touristy fare on Palawan. I didn't know what to expect going there, and I left feeling grateful for having the chance to meet those people and see an alternative to typical incarceration practices. It was a very thought provoking and inspirational day that I would never forget.