Ray of Hope Village

The women were very excited to have us as visitors and prepared several songs and showed us their morning dance/exercises that Trish and Ichie joined in on!

They are hoping to do a CD soon and will be giving a benefit concert to raise money for their jail. Although they can be in "jail" for years and years (in fact, one women is there for life because her husband had a meth lab and since the property belonged to her - he is Chinese and cannot own property in the Philippines - is it considered her responsibility whether she knew it or not. She is therefore serving a life sentence for a crime she didn't commit and even the staff seemed to support this.

Others have been in jail for 4-7 years WAITING to be sentenced. We heard the same in the men's jail, including stories of one man there for 8 years, and another for 12, who both, once finally tried, were found not guilty.

The women surely had remarkably better conditions than the men, but the justice system is really clogged and crazy; especially for those of little means. Photos to follow.