Iwahig Penal Colony or Farm

Just a few kilometers from the crocodile farm in Irawan, you can visit the Iwahig Penal Colony. Iwahig Penal Colony was dubbed the "Prison Without Bars" because the prisoners are gradually trained to enable them to re-merge themselves once again to the free society. 

 

You may buy the souvenir items crafted by the prisoners while serving their sentences in the facility to support them in their bid to live once again as free persons. You will also get to appreciate the system because along the way to the prison facility, you may happen to see prisoners jogging their way along the national highway under the watch of a so-called "trustee". The trustee is a prisoner who have only a few more months to fully serve his sentence. They are trusted to stand watch over the other prisoners as part of their responsibility.

 

The scene along the way to Iwahig is also breathtaking - the long road and the farms on both sides make it ideal for landscape shots. I took a picture in April this year and I show the Iwahig landscape below. I named the picture the Pink Tricycle because only that tricycle was plying the route when I travelled through it.

You may also take the opportunity to visit Balsahan River which is located within the boundaries of Iwahig Penal Colony. It is only a few minutes away from the main road connecting the colony to the national highway. Balsahan River originally was originally created by the prisoners from rocks found in the river. The cool waters in this region is invigorating. You may read more about the river here.

 

The best time to go to Iwahig is around 9 o'clock in the morning or 3 o'clock in the afternoon on a fine day. This will provide you with the best shots of the landscape. You may read my article in another site why this is so. Aside from the landscape, you can also take pictures of egrets and geese reared by the prisoners along the road to the souvenir area of Iwahig Penal Colony.