The Philippine Penal Colonies

The Iwahig Penal Colony

The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm is one of the most popular prisons in the Philippines.
Iwahig Penal Colony was established in the early 1900's and to this date it's still operational. It is
where criminals from other parts of the country were sent, jailed and forced to do hard labor
while serving their sentence. Later on, the reformed ones are allowed to roam within the
compound and mingle with the community while the "hard cores" remain in maximum
confinement. Within the compound, there are
farmstead tended by former prisoners who, after
serving their sentence, have decided to stay in PP and
start a new life.
The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm was originally
set up in 1902 by the United tates to house Philippine
prisoners who had fought againt the American
colonization of the Philippines. Today, situated on the
lush island of Palawan, only 30 minutes by road from
Puerto Princesa City, Iwahig is unique among penal institutions. Despite the fact that most of
the 2,300 inmates have been convicted o homicide, the majority are minimum security
prisoners and are thus not locked up within the colony. Instead,
these minimum security inmates live in dormitories and work on
one of the many agricultural projects located within the prison
farm. Prisoners who are deemed to be at risk of escaping are
confined to medium or maximum security areas, where they are
monitored, but these prisoners comprise less than fifty percent
of the Iwahig population.

Founded by the American colonial administration in 1904, The Iwahig prison on the island of
Palawan in the Philippines is an open air penal colony covering 38,000 hectares of jungle and
coastland. After a probationary period, long-term prisoners are allowed to become farmers,
fishermen or wardens, as the prison is self-supporting and self-managed. The “lifers’” families
organise their own community existence. Alejandro will soon be released. As “mayor” of the
2,300 prisoners, he acts as an experienced mentor for
various inmates, such as Toting the fisherman or
Rodrigo, a domestic that rebels against his boss, a
violent warden. In the prison court, Alejandro acts as
the prisoners’ lawyer, since he knows about
everything that is going on. When he is finally
released, he starts life all over again with his
reconquered rights and a feeling of dignity.
Photos of Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm

As part of their rehabilitation, prison

inmates receive instruction in this
elementary school.

Aside from classrrom and vocational

instruction, prisoners are also given
lessons in household arts and
handicrafts in the Gusali ng
Karunungang Pantahanan.

The gateway to the Inagawan sub-

colony of Iwahig, where prison hamlets
are found.
Entrance to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm
Old Colonial Building, now the Prison
Recreational Yard

Iwahig Prison Souvenir Shop(inside)

Entrance to the Recreational Hall
In Iwahig Prison

The Souvenir Shop at Iwahig Prison

(outside)
Bilibid Prison

Old Bilibid Prison

The Old Bilibid Prison, then known as Carcel y Presidio Correccional (Spanish,
"Correctional Jail and Military Prison")
occupied a rectangular piece of land which
was part of the Mayhalique Estate in the
heart of Manila. The old prison was
established on June 25, 1865 under a
Spanish royal decree. It is divided into two
sections the Carcel Section which could
accommodate 600 inmates and
the Presidio, which could accommodate
527prisoners. Due to increasing crime, the
Philippine Government enacted
Commonwealth Act No. 67[1] and a new
prison was built in Muntinlupa on 551
hectares of land at an area considered at that time to be "remote". Construction began in 1936
with a budget of one million pesos.[1] In 1940, the prisoners, equipment and facilities were
transferred to the new prison. The remnants of the old facility was used by the City of Manila as
its detention center then known as Manila City Jail. In 1941 the new facility was officially named
"The New Bilibid Prison"

New Bilibid Prison

The New Bilibid

Prison in Muntinlupa City, Philippines,
is the main insular penitentiary designed
to house the prison population of
the Philippines. It is maintained by the
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) under
the Philippine Department of Justice. As
of October 2004, it has an inmate
population of 16,747. The penitentiary
had an initial land area of 551 hectares.
One hundred four hectares of the facility
were transferred to a housing project of
the Department of Justice.
San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm

San Ramon Penal Colony is considered

by correctional experts as the second oldest
penitentiary in the country but the closure of the
Old Bilibid Prison in 1940 made San Ramon as
the oldest existing penitentiary today. Other
historical accounts suggest, San Ramon Prison
was established on August 31, 1870 through a
royal decree promulgated in 1869. It was
established during the tenure of Governor
General Ramon Blanco (whose patron saint the
prison was named after), the facility was originally
established for persons convicted of political
crimes. San Ramon was destined to be a center of experiments
in manner of government as well as variety of products.
Strengthening the historical claim on San Ramon Penal Colony
is the presence of the marker says; Al Ilustre Fundador De Esta
Colonia Exmo Senor Teniente General Don Ramon Blanco Y
Erenas Marque de Pena Plata 31 Agosto 1870.

According to his research, San Ramon was closed

down during the Spanish-American war when it sustained
damaged. In 1899, Spanish rule in the Philippines ceased following their defeat to the
Americans. Some 1000 political prisoners in the colony were given back their freedom by the
American authorities. All the buildings, warehouses etc., were burned to the ground, except the
sugar mill and saw mill buildings.
After the war San Ramon was
later re-established by the
Americans. When the American
took over in the 1900s, the
Bureau of Prisons was created
under the Department of
Commerce and Police. On 19
November 1906, American
governor James Smith issued
executive order No. 47 defining
the total land area of San Ramon
Farm to contain 1,414.68
hectares.
 Gateway to the penal colony established on August 31, 1870, some 22 km. from the city
proper. The site was originally agricultural land employing prison labor.

The Executive Building, erected in 1927, when Valentin Macasaet was the prison
superintendent. At the rear are the prison cells where new inmates and hardened criminals are
detained.
Davao Prison and Penal Farm

The Davao Prison and Penal Farm is the first

and one of the oldest and most recognized penal
colonies in the Philippines. Located in Santo Tomas,
Davao del Norte, the penal colony is sprawled at the vast
Tadeco Banana Plantation.
Formerly known as the Davao Penal Colony,the Davao
Prison and Penal Farm was built on January 21, 1932. It
was established within a 5, 212-hectare of land and was
supervised by Bureau of Corrections and the Department
of Justice.
The Bureau of Corrections, alongside with the
Department of Justice is geared towards the training and
reformation of the prisoners. These two departments
also aims to teach the prisoners how to read, write, do
jobs like carpentry, wood carving, barbering, basic
appliance repairing, plumbing, shoe making. By uplifting
their literacy and awareness, the prisoners will learn how
to be responsible citizens especially when out of the prison.
To date, there are approximately 2,863 prisoners detained at the Davao Prison and Penal. With
them are around 187 jail guards and the colony's personnels.

Wood carvings by DAPECOL prisoners: a sala table,

picture frames, paper weights, and canes. The hardwood used for
the carvings comes from the forest located within the colony.

Inmates stripping abaca from hemp stalks. Those in

the colony observe regular working hours and roam freely,
with minimum supervision.
Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm

“Sprawled on a 16, 190-hectare land area, the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm is one
of the prisons nearer to Metro Manila.

According to records and file, the Sablayan prison firsthoused colonist, employees and
prisoners on January 15, 1955. Since its establishment, the prison is continuously improved
through construction of several buildings, including dormitories, employee‟s quarter,
guardhouse, schoolhouse, chapel, recreational hall and post exchange.

The Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm is also where prisoners from New Bilibid Prison are
brought for decongestion purposes. It follows the same colony standards as other penal farms.”
Historical Overview of Philippine Corrections
The Pre-colonial and Spanish Regimes:

During the pre-colonial times, the informal prison system was community-based, as there
were no national penitentiaries to speak of. Natives who defied or violated the local laws were
meted appropriate penalties by the local chieftains. Incarceration in the community was only
meant to prevent the culprit from further harming the local residents.

The formal prison system in the Philippines started only during the Spanish regime, where
an organized corrective service was made operational. Established in 1847 pursuant to Section
1708 of the Revised Administrative Code and formally opened by Royal Decree in 1865, the Old
Bilibid Prison was constructed as the main penitentiary on Oroquieta Street, Manila and
designed to house the prison population of the country. This prison became known as the
“Carcel y Presidio Correccional” and could accommodate 1,127 prisoners.

The Carcel was designed to house 600 prisoners who were segregated according to class,
sex and crime while the Presidio could accommodate 527 prisoners. Plans for the construction
of the prison were first published on September 12, 1859 but it was not until April 10, 1866 that
the entire facility was completed.

The prison occupied a quadrangular piece of land 180 meters long on each side, which was
formerly a part of the Mayhalique Estate in the heart of Manila. It housed a building for the
offices and quarters of the prison warden, and 15 buildings or departments for prisoners that
were arranged in a radial way to form spokes. The central tower formed the hub. Under this
tower was the chapel. There were four cell-houses for the isolated prisoners and four isolated
buildings located on the four corners of the walls, which served as kitchen, hospital and stores.
The prison was divided in the middle by a thick wall. One-half of the enclosed space was
assigned to Presidio prisoners and the other half to Carcel prisoners.

In 1908, concrete modern 200-bed capacity hospitals as well as new dormitories for the
prisoners were added. A carpentry shop was organized within the confines of the facility. For
sometime the shop became a trademark for fine workmanship of furniture made by prisoners. At
this time, sales of handicrafts were done through the institutions and inmates were
compensated depending on the availability of funds. As a consequence, inmates often had to
sell through the retail or barter their products.

On August 21, 1869, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City was
established to confine Muslim rebels and recalcitrant political prisoners opposed to the Spanish
rule. The facility, which faced the Jolo sea had Spanish-inspired dormitories and was originally
set on a 1,414-hectare sprawling estate.
The American and Commonwealth Governments:

When the Americans took over in the 1900s, the Bureau of Prisons was created under the
Reorganization Act of 1905 (Act No. 1407 dated November 1, 1905) as an agency under the
Department of Commerce and Police. It also paved the way for the re-establishment of San
Ramon Prison in 1907 which was destroyed during the Spanish-American War. On January 1,
1915, the San Ramon Prison was placed under the auspices of the Bureau of Prisons and
started receiving prisoners from Mindanao.

Before the reconstruction of San Ramon Prison, the Americans established in 1904 the Iuhit
penal settlement (now Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm) on a vast reservation of 28,072 hectares.
It would reach a total land area of 40,000 hectares in the late 1950s. Located on the
westernmost part of the archipelago far from the main town to confine incorrigibles with little
hope of rehabilitation, the area was expanded to 41,007 hectares by virtue of Executive Order
No. 67 issued by Governor Newton Gilbert on October 15, 1912.

Other penal colonies were established during the American regime. On November 27, 1929,
the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) was created under Act No. 3579 to provide
separate facilities for women offenders while the Davao Penal Colony in Southern Mindanao
was opened in 1932 under Act No. 3732.

Transfer of the Old Bilibid to Muntinlupa:

The increasing number of committals to the Old Bilibid Prison, the growing urbanization of
Manila and the constant lobbying by conservative groups prompted the government to plan and
develop a new site for the national penitentiary, which was to be on the outskirts of the urban
center. Accordingly, Commonwealth Act No. 67 was enacted, appropriating one million
(P1,000.000.00) pesos for the construction of a new national prison in the southern suburb of
Muntinlupa, Rizal in 1935. The old prison was transformed into a receiving center and a storage
facility for farm produce from the colonies. It was later abandoned and is now under the
jurisdiction of the Public Estates Authority.

On November 15, 1940, all inmates of the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila were transferred to
the new site. The new institution had a capacity of 3,000 prisoners and it was officially named
the New Bilibid Prison on January 22, 1941. The prison reservation has an area of 587
hectares, part of which was arable. The prison compound proper had an area of 300 x 300
meters or a total of nine hectares. It was surrounded by three layers of barbed wire.
Developments After WWII:

After World War II, there was a surplus of steel matting in the inventory and it was used to
improve the security fences of the prison. A death chamber was constructed in 1941 at the rear
area of the camp when the mode of execution was through electrocution. In the late „60s, fences
were further reinforced with concrete slabs. The original institution became the maximum
security compound in the 70s and continues to be so up to present, housing not only death
convicts and inmates sentenced to life terms, but also those with numerous pending cases,
multiple convictions and sentences of more than 20 years.. In the 1980s, the height of the
concrete wall was increased and another facility was constructed, 2.5 kilometers from the main
building. This became known as Camp Sampaguita or the Medium Security Camp, which was
used as a military stockade during the martial law years and the Minimum Security Camp,
whose first site was christened “Bukang Liwayway”. Later on, this was transferred to another
site within the reservation where the former depot was situated.

Under Proclamation No. 72 issued on September 26, 1954, the Sablayan Prison and Penal
Farm in Occidental Mindoro was established. In The Leyte Regional Prison followed suit under
Proclamation No. 1101 issued on January 16, 1973.

Birth of the Reception and Diagnostic Center:

Recognizing the need to properly orient newly committed prisoners to the Bureau of
Corrections, the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) was created through Administrative
Order No. 8, series of 1953 of the Department of Justice. It was patterned after the reception
facilities of the California State Prison. The RDC is an independent institution tasked to receive,
study, and classify all national prisoners committed by final judgment to the National
Penitentiary.

The first RDC facility was created in Building No. 9 of the Maximum Security Compound of
the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Muntinlupa City. To isolate the facility from the maximum security
wing which was rocked by violence in 1973, the RDC was relocated to Building No. 7, formerly
referred to as Metro Jail of the Medium Security Compound of Camp Sampaguita, NBP. To
further insulate the newly received inmates from gangs, the Center was transferred to what was
once the military command post adjacent to the Medium Security facility where the RDC
remains to this day. The RDC is a separate division with a technical function. The Chief of the
RDC sees to its independence in carrying out its tasks of receiving and classifying all male
national inmates committed to the Bureau of Corrections by the competent courts. The RDC
chief reports directly to the Director all the activities undertaken by RDC personnel.

The success of prison rehabilitation programs depends on how the RDC handles the
orientation, diagnosis and treatment of newly arrived inmates. Every effort is made to determine
an inmate‟s strength as well as moral weaknesses, physical inadequacies, character disorders,
and his educational, social and vocational needs. It is during the first sixty (60) days, during the
initial contact between a prisoner and his new environment that primordial functions pertaining
to his care and rehabilitation treatment are exhaustively carried out by the staff. At the end of
the period, the inmate is ready for transfer to any of the penal institutions. He is expected to
have overcome his fears and prejudices and is prepared to cooperate in the implementation of
his rehabilitation program.

Being the initial stop of every national male prisoner, the RDC is constantly improving its
rehabilitative programs. One such reform is the adoption of the behavioral modification modality.
Originally a program for drug dependents, the RDC chief recognized the potential of applying its
principles to all committed inmates. Thus the RDC was turned into a Therapeutic Community
Camp on February 6, 2003.

On June 4, 2004, the RDC also started erasing gang marks of all newly committed prisoners
in an effort to eradicate the gang system within the Bureau. Later, then Director Dionisio
Santiago entrusted the administration of the Muntinlupa Juvenile Training Center (MJTC) to the
RDC through a memorandum dated June 18, 2005. Under a memorandum of Director Vicente
G. Vinarao dated March 31, 2005, the RDC was given administrative control over all other
RDCs of the Bureau of Corrections. The RDC has evolved into an institution that uses a modern
positive approach towards penology.

Non-Operational National Prisons:

Before World War II, two national prisons were established by the government which are no
long operational. One was on Corregidor Island and the other in the Mountain Province.

In 1908 during the American regime, some 100 prisoners were transferred from the Old
Bilibid Prison to the Corregidor Island Prison Stockage to work under military authorities. This
move was in accordance with an order from the Department of Instructions, which approved the
transfer of inmates so they could assist in maintenance and other operations in the stockade.

The inmates were transported not to serve time but for prison labor. Until the outbreak of the
Second World War, inmates from Bilibid Prison were regularly sent to Corregidor for labor
purposes. When the War broke out, prisoners on Corregidor were returned to Bilibid Prison. The
island prison was never re-opened.

The Philippine Legislature during the American regime also passed Act No. 1876 providing
for the establishment of a prison in Bontoc, Mountain Province. The prison was built for the
prisoners of the province and insular prisoners who were members of the non-Christian tribes of
Mountain Province and Nueva Viscaya.

The Bontoc prison could be reach only through narrow, poorly developed mountain roads.
Due to the enormous expenses incurred in transporting personnel, equipment and supplies to
the prison, the facility was abandoned and officially closed on April 26, 1932.
Historical Overview of Philippine Corrections
The Pre-colonial and Spanish Regimes:

During the pre-colonial times, the informal prison system was community-based, as there
were no national penitentiaries to speak of. Natives who defied or violated the local laws were
meted appropriate penalties by the local chieftains. Incarceration in the community was only
meant to prevent the culprit from further harming the local residents.

The formal prison system in the Philippines started only during the Spanish regime, where
an organized corrective service was made operational. Established in 1847 pursuant to Section
1708 of the Revised Administrative Code and formally opened by Royal Decree in 1865, the Old
Bilibid Prison was constructed as the main penitentiary on Oroquieta Street, Manila and
designed to house the prison population of the country. This prison became known as the
“Carcel y Presidio Correccional” and could accommodate 1,127 prisoners.

The Carcel was designed to house 600 prisoners who were segregated according to class,
sex and crime while the Presidio could accommodate 527 prisoners. Plans for the construction
of the prison were first published on September 12, 1859 but it was not until April 10, 1866 that
the entire facility was completed.

The prison occupied a quadrangular piece of land 180 meters long on each side, which was
formerly a part of the Mayhalique Estate in the heart of Manila. It housed a building for the
offices and quarters of the prison warden, and 15 buildings or departments for prisoners that
were arranged in a radial way to form spokes. The central tower formed the hub. Under this
tower was the chapel. There were four cell-houses for the isolated prisoners and four isolated
buildings located on the four corners of the walls, which served as kitchen, hospital and stores.
The prison was divided in the middle by a thick wall. One-half of the enclosed space was
assigned to Presidio prisoners and the other half to Carcel prisoners.

In 1908, concrete modern 200-bed capacity hospitals as well as new dormitories for the
prisoners were added. A carpentry shop was organized within the confines of the facility. For
sometime the shop became a trademark for fine workmanship of furniture made by prisoners. At
this time, sales of handicrafts were done through the institutions and inmates were
compensated depending on the availability of funds. As a consequence, inmates often had to
sell through the retail or barter their products.

On August 21, 1869, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City was
established to confine Muslim rebels and recalcitrant political prisoners opposed to the Spanish
rule. The facility, which faced the Jolo sea had Spanish-inspired dormitories and was originally
set on a 1,414-hectare sprawling estate.
The American and Commonwealth Governments:

When the Americans took over in the 1900s, the Bureau of Prisons was created under the
Reorganization Act of 1905 (Act No. 1407 dated November 1, 1905) as an agency under the
Department of Commerce and Police. It also paved the way for the re-establishment of San
Ramon Prison in 1907 which was destroyed during the Spanish-American War. On January 1,
1915, the San Ramon Prison was placed under the auspices of the Bureau of Prisons and
started receiving prisoners from Mindanao.

Before the reconstruction of San Ramon Prison, the Americans established in 1904 the Iuhit
penal settlement (now Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm) on a vast reservation of 28,072 hectares.
It would reach a total land area of 40,000 hectares in the late 1950s. Located on the
westernmost part of the archipelago far from the main town to confine incorrigibles with little
hope of rehabilitation, the area was expanded to 41,007 hectares by virtue of Executive Order
No. 67 issued by Governor Newton Gilbert on October 15, 1912.

Other penal colonies were established during the American regime. On November 27, 1929,
the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) was created under Act No. 3579 to provide
separate facilities for women offenders while the Davao Penal Colony in Southern Mindanao
was opened in 1932 under Act No. 3732.

Transfer of the Old Bilibid to Muntinlupa:

The increasing number of committals to the Old Bilibid Prison, the growing urbanization of
Manila and the constant lobbying by conservative groups prompted the government to plan and
develop a new site for the national penitentiary, which was to be on the outskirts of the urban
center. Accordingly, Commonwealth Act No. 67 was enacted, appropriating one million
(P1,000.000.00) pesos for the construction of a new national prison in the southern suburb of
Muntinlupa, Rizal in 1935. The old prison was transformed into a receiving center and a storage
facility for farm produce from the colonies. It was later abandoned and is now under the
jurisdiction of the Public Estates Authority.

On November 15, 1940, all inmates of the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila were transferred to
the new site. The new institution had a capacity of 3,000 prisoners and it was officially named
the New Bilibid Prison on January 22, 1941. The prison reservation has an area of 587
hectares, part of which was arable. The prison compound proper had an area of 300 x 300
meters or a total of nine hectares. It was surrounded by three layers of barbed wire.
Developments After WWII:

After World War II, there was a surplus of steel matting in the inventory and it was used to
improve the security fences of the prison. A death chamber was constructed in 1941 at the rear
area of the camp when the mode of execution was through electrocution. In the late „60s, fences
were further reinforced with concrete slabs. The original institution became the maximum
security compound in the 70s and continues to be so up to present, housing not only death
convicts and inmates sentenced to life terms, but also those with numerous pending cases,
multiple convictions and sentences of more than 20 years.. In the 1980s, the height of the
concrete wall was increased and another facility was constructed, 2.5 kilometers from the main
building. This became known as Camp Sampaguita or the Medium Security Camp, which was
used as a military stockade during the martial law years and the Minimum Security Camp,
whose first site was christened “Bukang Liwayway”. Later on, this was transferred to another
site within the reservation where the former depot was situated.

Under Proclamation No. 72 issued on September 26, 1954, the Sablayan Prison and Penal
Farm in Occidental Mindoro was established. In The Leyte Regional Prison followed suit under
Proclamation No. 1101 issued on January 16, 1973.

Birth of the Reception and Diagnostic Center:

Recognizing the need to properly orient newly committed prisoners to the Bureau of
Corrections, the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) was created through Administrative
Order No. 8, series of 1953 of the Department of Justice. It was patterned after the reception
facilities of the California State Prison. The RDC is an independent institution tasked to receive,
study, and classify all national prisoners committed by final judgment to the National
Penitentiary.

The first RDC facility was created in Building No. 9 of the Maximum Security Compound of
the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Muntinlupa City. To isolate the facility from the maximum security
wing which was rocked by violence in 1973, the RDC was relocated to Building No. 7, formerly
referred to as Metro Jail of the Medium Security Compound of Camp Sampaguita, NBP. To
further insulate the newly received inmates from gangs, the Center was transferred to what was
once the military command post adjacent to the Medium Security facility where the RDC
remains to this day. The RDC is a separate division with a technical function. The Chief of the
RDC sees to its independence in carrying out its tasks of receiving and classifying all male
national inmates committed to the Bureau of Corrections by the competent courts. The RDC
chief reports directly to the Director all the activities undertaken by RDC personnel.

The success of prison rehabilitation programs depends on how the RDC handles the
orientation, diagnosis and treatment of newly arrived inmates. Every effort is made to determine
an inmate‟s strength as well as moral weaknesses, physical inadequacies, character disorders,
and his educational, social and vocational needs. It is during the first sixty (60) days, during the
initial contact between a prisoner and his new environment that primordial functions pertaining
to his care and rehabilitation treatment are exhaustively carried out by the staff. At the end of
the period, the inmate is ready for transfer to any of the penal institutions. He is expected to
have overcome his fears and prejudices and is prepared to cooperate in the implementation of
his rehabilitation program.

Being the initial stop of every national male prisoner, the RDC is constantly improving its
rehabilitative programs. One such reform is the adoption of the behavioral modification modality.
Originally a program for drug dependents, the RDC chief recognized the potential of applying its
principles to all committed inmates. Thus the RDC was turned into a Therapeutic Community
Camp on February 6, 2003.

On June 4, 2004, the RDC also started erasing gang marks of all newly committed prisoners
in an effort to eradicate the gang system within the Bureau. Later, then Director Dionisio
Santiago entrusted the administration of the Muntinlupa Juvenile Training Center (MJTC) to the
RDC through a memorandum dated June 18, 2005. Under a memorandum of Director Vicente
G. Vinarao dated March 31, 2005, the RDC was given administrative control over all other
RDCs of the Bureau of Corrections. The RDC has evolved into an institution that uses a modern
positive approach towards penology.

Non-Operational National Prisons:

Before World War II, two national prisons were established by the government which are no
long operational. One was on Corregidor Island and the other in the Mountain Province.

In 1908 during the American regime, some 100 prisoners were transferred from the Old
Bilibid Prison to the Corregidor Island Prison Stockage to work under military authorities. This
move was in accordance with an order from the Department of Instructions, which approved the
transfer of inmates so they could assist in maintenance and other operations in the stockade.

The inmates were transported not to serve time but for prison labor. Until the outbreak of the
Second World War, inmates from Bilibid Prison were regularly sent to Corregidor for labor
purposes. When the War broke out, prisoners on Corregidor were returned to Bilibid Prison. The
island prison was never re-opened.

The Philippine Legislature during the American regime also passed Act No. 1876 providing
for the establishment of a prison in Bontoc, Mountain Province. The prison was built for the
prisoners of the province and insular prisoners who were members of the non-Christian tribes of
Mountain Province and Nueva Viscaya.

The Bontoc prison could be reach only through narrow, poorly developed mountain roads.
Due to the enormous expenses incurred in transporting personnel, equipment and supplies to
the prison, the facility was abandoned and officially closed on April 26, 1932.