PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — For almost three decades, the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in the province has been the home of Rene (not his real name) after he was convicted and incarcerated for a murder case. At 56, he is now close to completing his sentence after serving it for 28 years.
But he was not alone in waiting for that day, as the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) allows Rene and other persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to live with their families until their releases inside the community they call Barrio Libertad.
BuCor Director Gregorio Catapang Jr. said this model community in Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Puerto Princesa City is one of the ways of the BuCor to integrate PDLs back into society. PDLs who are close to completing their sentences are allowed to live with their wives and children inside the Barrio Libertad.
The bureau also shares this practice with neighboring ASEAN countries during the 2nd ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference, which the Philippines hosted.
“Our PDL has to be relevant, they should not only be safekept or reformed, but also there is a way on how to reintegrate them back to society,” he said.
Rene is among the initial 10 families currently occupying the approximately five-hectare land area allocated by the penal prison for PDLs under minimum security. Additional families will soon occupy the area with the ongoing construction of houses in Barrio Libertad.
The penal prison uses its available resources to build the houses. Each house follows a similar design and features a backyard for cultivating crops and raising livestock or poultry. IPPF already requested power lines from Palawan Electric Cooperative (Paleco) to energize houses in the compound.
This practice already existed around the 1970s. However, changes in leadership and administrations led to the end of the program. The Barrio Libertad is situated in IPPF’s central sub-colony, Iwahig.
The children of PDLs also attended classes in schools built within the sub-colonies. Rene’s daughter studies in Narra town, where they previously lived, and goes back to them whenever she can.
The penal prison believes that the program could contribute to the continuous reformation and boost the morale of PDLs while they are confined inside the prison.
Rene and his family have been living in Barrio Libertad for a couple of weeks and have used their time to start planting some fruit-bearing plants, like calamansi, in their backyard. The bureau also extends supplies as an additional source for their food.
“Nagpapasalamat kami na pinabayaan kaming mga pamilya, libre ang bahay. Malaking kaluwagan sa amin na isang PDL ay nakakasama namin ang mga pamilya namin,” he said.
Once his release paper arrives, Rene will be residing in another land area allocated by the bureau for released PDLs. His house in the Barrio Libertad will be occupied by the next batch of PDLs who are close to completing their sentences.
IPPF Superintendent Gary Garcia said that they also write local government units to assist former PDLs in seeking employment. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
