Most unusual and thought-provoking tourist attraction I’ve ever visited. We only visited the ‘open prison’ area, and were treated to dances by the inmates; then had the opportunity to buy handicrafts. I’m glad I went.

Included as part of our shore excursion, interesting but not an exciting attraction. Our guide explained that it is one of a number of “prison without bars” established by the United State in 1904. Inmates are required to tend tracts of farmland instead of languishing in cells. Not many guards in evidence, the few inmates spotted in the fields carrying out their duties in a languid manner. When we all disembarked the buses, the music began, inmates on a variety of instruments and accompanied by energetic dancers. A covered area showcased various handicrafts produced by the inmates in their spare time. Nice Rizah monument nearby. It is the largest prison of its type in the country, the entry gate controlled by one guard who gave us a cursory glance and waved the bus through with a smile.

Not much to see really. I went hoping to see more about the arrival of the Palawan massacre survivors at Iwahig. There is essentially nothing there that they allow you to see in this regard, as the actual coastal area where survivors arrived is within the maximum security portion of the prison.