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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-4/iwahig-prison-all.webp" alt="Iwahig Prison" />
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The Iwahig facility was established for Filipinos who resisted the Americans' bid to colonize the Philippines. Governor Luke Wright authorized the establishment of the penal colony which originally covered 22 acres.


Prisoners who could not be accommodated at Bilibid Prisons in Manila served their sentences at Iwahig.


Unlike most prisons and other penal institutions, Iwahig's minimum security prisoners are not locked up behind bars. Only those classified as either medium or maximum security prisoners are subjected to tight monitoring.


Iwahig's minimum security prisoners engage in agricultural work and live in dormitories. If permitted by the Bureau of Corrections, some of the inmates are allowed to live with their families and can also work at Iwahig's vast land.


To generate income, some of them even set up shops and sell handicrafts handmade by prisoners. The inmates can even access educational opportunities and skills training.





Reference: Philippine News Agency

November 16, 1904: the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan province was established