The Iwahig Corrections Facility (ICF) has reinstated visitation privileges for the families of convicts in four subcolonies in an effort to bolster their morale.
However, visitor entry will be controlled based on current health protocols being implemented.
Information officer CTO II Levi Evangelista assured that the resumption of visits by family members of persons deprived of their liberty, or PDL, will not result in the entry of contraband or other prohibited goods in the subcolonies.
The resumption occurred after the central office’s April 27 order to all operating prisons and penal farms.
“Si Iwahig ay muling nagbubukas sa face-to-face na dalaw pero limited lang— nag-iingat pa rin tayo. May health protocols pa rin para pag-iingat sa ating PDLs,” he said.
“Confident tayo na walang makakapasok na contrabands despite na nagbukas na tayo sa dalaw dahil mas mahigpit at ang kilos nila ay limitado,” he said.
According to Evangelista, ICF management will only permit cooked meals and discourages bulky packaging. The inspection is undertaken before the prison camps and before tourists enter the main gate.
All visitors must adhere to the health rules, including being fully immunized, bringing vaccination and identity documents, and wearing face masks.
A restricted number of visitors per day are permitted, each of whom must submit to a complimentary antigen test administered by the penitentiary facility.
The administration added that visitors under the age of 18 are not permitted.
“Natutuwa tayo na nagbukas na uli ito, nagbaba na ng direktiba mula sa national headquarters natin. Itong pagbubukas ng dalaw ay nakakatulong sa repormasyon, imagine two years or more na walang face-to-face na dalaw,” he said.
Only Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. are visitation days. One visitor per PDL is permitted entry.
As part of the new norm, he stated that management’s insistence on rigorous compliance with safety and health protocols will help to secure the safety of all PDLs committed inside.
Evangelista stated that the ICF anticipates the resumption of visits to be continuous.
“As of now, proud tayong sabihin na wala (COVID-19 cases inside) pero we have enough antigen test for our PDLs. If ever man, inaagapan natin pero ngayon, wala tayong cases,” he said.
