Friday, March 11
On Friday we visited the Iwahig Penal Colony that is the largest open penal institution in the world. Within the 95,372 acres prisoners live and work like free men in typical Filipino rural housing. We visited the prison PX and purchased handicrafts made by the prisoners. Included were baskets, kamagong articles inlaid with mother of pearl, and pictures made of inlaid wood..
We visited the colony school where children of employees and colonists attend together.We were invited to visit the home of the manager in the area where both employees and prisoners live. Here beautiful varieties of Philippine mahogany had been used for floors, furniture and doors. A vegetable garden grew at the front of the house and in the rear pens held guinea pigs and rabbits. A duck with her ducklings waddled up to a pan of water near the outdoor kitchen.
Back at Puerto Princessa we shopped at the market. The stalls were stocked with vegetables, fruit, rice, fish, pork, clothing, thongs, baskets and hardware. I couldn’t resist a handsome broom of wild grasses, stitched to a bamboo handle. Nadine and I bought long dresses splashed with large flowers that were displayed on hangers along the walk.
We visited a shell dealer where girls brought out trays of perfect shells for our selection. The shell jewelry of heishi, pukka, and mother of pearl cost from 10 to 25 pesos and I bought several pieces. When we came to the basket shops the variety was amazing. I was fascinated with a large hamper—wicker with bamboo bent for the handles. It was about 36 inches high and seemed too large to consider buying. But when Dean saw how much I wanted it he encouraged me to pay the 29 pesos and worry later about getting it home. Thanks to the help of Edgar Buensuceso of the Philippine Airlines I checked it through with my luggage. It now holds my Philippine treasures in my guest bedroom.
All day my thoughts had been in Cincinnati, Ohio, where my newest grandchild was scheduled to be born by Caesarian section last night about 7:30 Palawan time. When we returned to the Rafols Hotel, and I saw a phone of the counter, I asked if I could place a call to the States. Mrs. Rafols smiled and said, “No, the phone is only for Puerto Princessa. There is not even a connection to Manila.” So I had to content myself for news until we returned to Manila on Saturday.