Although, I make my way around Puerto Princesa on my own via tricycle or multi-cab, there are many tourist destinations, which are further out and very difficult to get to. As such, I asked the city tourism department if they could suggest a tour group that I could sign on with to see some of these sights, in order to get a clearer picture of what they are advertising to visitors. They insisted on getting me a guide and sending me around in a city vehicle, and so after picking up my guide, Mildred from the airport, where she usually works, we were off to visit Iwahig prison.
Alcatraz it's not, but Iwahig Penal Colony is a major prison for the province of Palawan, and along with the Puerto Princesa City Jail in the center of town, it focusses on a program of rehabilitation rather than pure punishment. The Philippines has strict laws when it comes to crime, and they still hang people for things such as possession of drugs. You can serve time in Puerto Princesa if you are fined more than twice for littering or throwing away cigarette butts in public.
Despite this, Iwahig prison has rice paddocks and other agricultural areas, gardens and even a souvenir shop that are all worked by the inmates. The prisoners are taught craft skills, which include everything from wood carving to basket weaving, and the souvenir shop has everything that you can find at the smaller shops in town. This prison shop is actually quite a bit bigger that the shops in town. In fact, many of the souvenirs that line the shelves of the tourist shops in the city proper are actually made at the prison as well. They make jewelry, carved wooden boxes, rain makers, wooden sail boats, a large assortment of plastic molded animals, and even Bruce Lee style nunchuks with the word Palawan painted on the side. There are a few pieces that have the word Palawan carved or blazoned in a beautiful graphic lettering with flowers or other iconographic accoutrements, but for many items the word Palawan is written on the side with a Sharpie, almost as an afterthought.
They are exceptionally gifted at making dream catchers (again North American), and mimicking the carving styles of many of the island province's indigenous tribes (which carve in styles that souvenir shops request, leading to more mimicry). The amount of products they produce, mixed with the wide range of skills that are developed are impressive indeed. It would just be nice if such an impressive program of skills education could be backed up by a cultural program of specialization in local products, rather than propagating an industry of copiers. None the less, it beats making license plates. (see more photos)
Alcatraz it's not, but Iwahig Penal Colony is a major prison for the province of Palawan, and along with the Puerto Princesa City Jail in the center of town, it focusses on a program of rehabilitation rather than pure punishment. The Philippines has strict laws when it comes to crime, and they still hang people for things such as possession of drugs. You can serve time in Puerto Princesa if you are fined more than twice for littering or throwing away cigarette butts in public.
Despite this, Iwahig prison has rice paddocks and other agricultural areas, gardens and even a souvenir shop that are all worked by the inmates. The prisoners are taught craft skills, which include everything from wood carving to basket weaving, and the souvenir shop has everything that you can find at the smaller shops in town. This prison shop is actually quite a bit bigger that the shops in town. In fact, many of the souvenirs that line the shelves of the tourist shops in the city proper are actually made at the prison as well. They make jewelry, carved wooden boxes, rain makers, wooden sail boats, a large assortment of plastic molded animals, and even Bruce Lee style nunchuks with the word Palawan painted on the side. There are a few pieces that have the word Palawan carved or blazoned in a beautiful graphic lettering with flowers or other iconographic accoutrements, but for many items the word Palawan is written on the side with a Sharpie, almost as an afterthought.
They are exceptionally gifted at making dream catchers (again North American), and mimicking the carving styles of many of the island province's indigenous tribes (which carve in styles that souvenir shops request, leading to more mimicry). The amount of products they produce, mixed with the wide range of skills that are developed are impressive indeed. It would just be nice if such an impressive program of skills education could be backed up by a cultural program of specialization in local products, rather than propagating an industry of copiers. None the less, it beats making license plates. (see more photos)
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