Philippines’ prison without walls

Carlo Mercedez works, like many people, behind a computer in this simple office for 8 hours a day – Monday to Friday.

“Then I get weekends off to spend time with my family,” says Carlo.

The only thing is that Carlo is a prisoner, who is serving 30 years.

“At 6 in the morning we have head count, then we go back to prepare to go to the office at 8am. We go home at 12noon to have lunch then go back at the office at 1pm. At 4pm, there is another head counting. Then we can go home.”

He is one of 3,000 inmates in this unique prison without walls.

“I’ve been here in Iwahig for seven years. I don’t know when I will be released but I already served my minimum sentence since 2011.”

Carlo’s is finished the minimum of his sentence so he is allowed to live in his own house with his wife and three young children– who go to a school inside the open air prison’s facility.

Inmates at Iwahig Prison in Puerto Princesa City, Philippines wait for the flag lowering ceremony. Some of them have the privilege to live in their huts within the vicinity of the so-called Prison Without Walls.

Inmates who are just convicted of more serious crimes like illegal drugs dealing, murder or rape are free to work inside the prison during the day but are locked up at night.

“At present Iwahig is directly receiving committals from the Regional Trial Court of the Province of Palawan but the New Bilibid Prison is transferring in Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm those who are already classified as medium security status. Inmates are categorized by the inmates classification board based on their sentence and shall be further reclassified when they have meet requirements to be granted other privileges. They are allowed to live with their own families because there is certain programs being implemented but in infantile stage—what we call the halfway house wherein inmates are being prepared to return to a free society”, says Richard Schwarzkopf Jr., the Penal Superintendent.

And he is proud of Iwahig being one of the biggest open prisons in the world and the only one of its kind in Asia.

“We can say about the uniqueness Iwahig as prison without bars maybe because of its vast location, natural environment and way of treating inmates…I must say that some of our existing programs being undertaken can be adapted, if suited to other prison facilities,” he adds.

The area was used to exile people during the Spanish colonial period and later as a penal colony under American rule. Now there is a rice farming, coconut plantations, poultry, fishpond and vegetable farms on the 30,000 hectares prison. Based on their skills, inmates are given jobs from farming to office work.

The prison is surrounded by a thick mangrove forest, a mountain range and a highway in the Philippines'last ecological frontier.

And the place has also become some what of a tourist attraction.

Aldrin who is serving for 20 years makes a living from selling handicrafts to people who come to see the unique prison.

“Those who want to see Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm and our historical buildings, please visit us. You can help us, inmates, by visiting this facility and buy souvenir items,” he encourages tourists.

One of his customers today is Jobert James from Manila.

The entrance to the souvenir shop, a building which dates back from the US-colonial era.

“When you heard the word prison, normally you think of inmates being behind walls. So I thought Iwahig would be dangerous because inmates are outside. I was afraid that they might harm us. Because you see, they’re convicts… But my impression has changed. It is really safe here,” says Jobert who is surprised with what he saw.

The souvenir shop at Iwahig Prisons and Penal Farm where tourists can buy cheap handicrafts and other items made by the inmates themselves.

The prison is surrounded by a thick mangrove forest, a mountain range and a highway.

These natural surroundings are the only thing that separates the prisoners from the outside world.It’s Xerxes Sebido’s job as a prison guard to keep track of the inmates. He says each year around four or five escape.

“It’s not easy to guard so many inmates but the number of guards has been increased. We have also implemented new security measures. And we strengthened our rehabilitation and reformation programs. This helps the inmates to have a clear outlook in life and not think of escaping anymore,” he says.

Xerxes and the other guards also live on site.

“We are given a piece of land here to build our house so our families can stay with us. This is also one strategy of the Bureau of Corrections to keep the employees near when something happens like when a prisoner escapes.”

Penal Superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf Jr says those who escape are usually easily caught. He would like to see zero escapes but instead of building walls….he is working on making prisoners want to stay.

“We have many reformation programs being implemented and enhanced such as the basic education and technical-vocational education for the inmates; the moral and religious, sports and recreation, behavioral modification, health and welfare and work and livelihood programs”.

Back at the office inmate Carlo Mercedez is encoding a file in the computer.

He says while he feels lucky that he can still live with his family he longs for life outside Prison Without Walls.

“As an inmate who lives with his family, I am happy but as a prisoner, it is not as happy as when you are a free man in the society.”

He has planned out his future when he is released from prison.

“I am only considering two options. First, my idea is that we would go back in my hometown in Camarines Norte. We have a piece of coconut plantation there that I can improve and continue. My second option would be to stay here in Palawan. I have seen the nature of Palawan. So there is part of me that would prefer to stay here if we can buy a piece of land.”

Penal Superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf Jr says that 10 percent of Iwahig’s prisoners became repeat offenders after being released.This is lower than the national average. The jail has also had no recent history of riots or mass breakouts.Most other jails in the Philippines have brutal conditions, with inmates packed beyond capacity in dingy, airless cells and having to take turns sleeping.

(Originally appeared on Asia Calling as a radio feature)