NEW HOME. Female inmates from the correctional facility in Mandaluyong are directed into a bus after disembarking from M/V St. Francis Xavier on Wednesday night (June 28, 2023) at the port of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. They are part of an initial batch of 500 inmates from Metro Manila to be transferred to Iwahig Prison and Penal Colony. (Photo by Izza Reynoso)
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Some 500 male and female inmates arrived here by boat on Wednesday night as part of the Bureau of Correction’s (BuCor) efforts to decongest penal facilities in the National Capital Region.
The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF), located less than 22 kilometers outside the city proper, will be the new home of these former residents of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City and the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
They arrived in Puerto Princesa aboard the 2GO vessel M/V St. Francis Xavier, under the watchful eye of around 200 BuCor personnel, who accompanied them on their ocean voyage.
The 450 male and 50 female inmates traveled as regular passengers although they were kept separate from others during the trip.
According to BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr., this represents the beginning of a larger plan to transfer 2,500 to exile settlements within the IPPF, and the goal to establish a correctional facility for women in the province.
"This initiative is a component of President Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s Philippine Development Plan, aimed at regionalizing the incarceration of PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) in order to accelerate their rehabilitation and facilitate the improvement of prison facilities," Catapang said.
"This is a mix of PDLs, including residents of Palawan and others who are not originally from Palawan but have chosen to be here. If you have seen their condition in Muntinlupa, they would prefer to be here. What they are experiencing there is worse than being cramped in a can of sardines," he told reporters covering the inmates’ arrival.
Catapang added that a number of the relocated inmates will be reclassified from “medium and maximum security levels” to “minimum security level” as they near the completion of their sentences.
IPPF Superintendent Gary Garcia, who was in charge of overseeing the smooth transition to their new confinements, said the process was handled meticulously to ensure the safety and security of the inmates and the general public.
Garcia said the inmates were treated to a special meal, deviating from their regular diet as persons deprived of liberty.
Thirteen hired buses transported the male inmates to the Inagawan Sub-Colony and the female inmates to a separate penal facility located in Barangay Sta. Lucia.
Their convoy was secured by BuCor personnel with some help from the 3rd Marine Brigade and the Puerto Princesa City Anti-Crime Task Force.
"They will all undergo health check-ups to determine any illnesses acquired during their journey. The female inmates will also undergo the same procedure, which includes pregnancy tests to ensure appropriate care for expectant mothers, if any," said Garcia.
Meanwhile, Catapang said he is committed to pursuing the implementation of "Barrio Libertad."
He explained that this program aims to allow PDLs under minimum security to reside with their families while completing the remaining years of their sentences.
Construction of the IPPF, often called “prison without bars,” began in 1904 when 61 detainees from Bilibid Prison were ordered transferred there by the American regime. (PNA)
