Hundreds released from Palawan Penal Farm as government renews focus on rehabilitation

In the first half of the year, more than 500 inmates walked out of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm not as prisoners, but as men granted a second chance.

A total of 513 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were released from the colonial-era open-air facility between January and June 12, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) confirmed on Tuesday. Many of them had earned their freedom through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) program, while others had completed their full sentences.

But their release was not the end of the state’s involvement. In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units, Iwahig officials worked to ensure that the former inmates would not return to society empty-handed.

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In a send-off orientation held at the IPPF, Chief Superintendent Gary Garcia addressed the released inmates before they departed the facility.

Located on a 26,000-hectare compound, the Iwahig facility is one of the most distinctive penal institutions in the country, operating largely as an open-air prison farm. Many of its inmates are assigned to agricultural work and vocational tasks as part of their rehabilitation program.