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The new 2015 HP concept presentation

written & photographed by: fergus jm ducharme

The Iloilo Provincial JailSights & Sounds of Ilo²

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This story is part of a new series which we are launching today onhistoricphilippines.com.

The series is called: “The Sights and Sounds of Iloilo” and in addition to ourregular Church features we will be including stories from “The Sights” we seeand experience throughout the province on a regular basis. We hope you willenjoy following our new adventures…

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The Old Provincial Jail backs onto the Provincial Capitol and the Museo deIloilo. The juxtaposition is very interesting and best of all the Governor wantsto have it renovated and used as another major museum at an estimated costof 80 Million Pesos.

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The jail cells look ominous from this side of the bars, even though they nolonger serve their original purpose.

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Guard towers are placed at each corner, theguards can then watch what is going on insidethe main prison courtyard as well as what ishappening outside the walls.

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The main gate is protectedby a barred entrance. NowI’ve never been inside aprison of any kind, but I amtold by family members whostudied “Corrections” incollege and university thatyou get a feeling ofcomplete loss anddevastation when you hearthose doors clang shutbehind you. You get thatfeeling of loss even thoughyou’re getting out as soonas you finish your business.

Now, can you imagine whata newly arrived inmate feelswhen he hears those doorsclang shut behind him andhe knows it won’t beopening for him anytimesoon.

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Is it just possible that people 100 years ago, when this place originally openedthat they were a little ahead of modern times by calling the place a“Rehabilitation” Centre?

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This is what is called the “Search Room” located right next to the mainentrance. Apparently visitors coming to see the inmates were regularlysearched for contraband before they were admitted to the “RehabilitationCentre”.

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An aerial view of the old prison.

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The crest of the Republic of Philippines above the main entrance.

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This fearsome looking wall with only ‘slits’ for windows, just imagine how youwould feel if you were sitting in a cell with only that slit for light and air andscrunched in with 6 or 8 or more other inmates.

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Being in one of these cells, with larger windows, would be slightly better than being in the other cells we saw previously.

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Photo of Iloilo Provincial Jail shortly after it opened in 1911

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The Provincial Jail was originally built and opened in 1911. The property was 868square meters and had a capacity of just over a 1,000 prisoners. It is said that closeto its end it had close of 2,000 guests in residence.

The jail was actually abandoned and its operations split between two operations onein Barangay Nanga in Pototan and the other in Barangay Ungka in Mandurriao during2006.

In the interim, Provincial Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. has announced that theProvincial Government was prepared, with senior levels of government, to renovateand rehabilitate the Old Prison site so that it could become a focal point in the tourismtrade in the Province. It is seen as becoming a major tourist attraction and function asa museum. At total of 80 million Pesos has been allocated to the project.

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As we moved around the outside of the old building, looking into windows tosee what we could see…we spotted this room with stacks of unused ballotboxes. They are embossed with the words: “Spoiled Ballots” and there has tobe several hundred of the stacked there.

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Jomarie Acallar: friend, navigator, facilitator & assistant discoverer

Nilo Jimeno: friend, pilot, facilitator & assistant discoverer

Thank you!