First posted on Radyo Bandera’s Facebook and YouTube page, the video has now garnered 4.9 million views on Facebook and over 40,000 views on YouTube as of posting time.
The Bureau of Corrections has even given a certificate of recognition to Canja for his contribution in helping turn the innovative Iwahig prison into a tourist destination.
Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm bills itself a “prison without bars.” This program allows inmates to roam freely within the prison grounds and also gives inmates the chance to enroll in skills training and other vocational programs while they are serving time.
Canja told ABS-CBNNews that he uses dance as an alternative exercise.
He has been a corrections officer for five years and a member of the Escorting Unit and Emergency Response Unit in Iwahig.
Other guards at the prison say he’s hard-working, trustworthy, and has established a close relationship with the inmates.
If dancing Filipino prisoners feels more than a little familiar, there’s a good reason for that. The prison dance program at the Cebu Provincial Detention Center blew up online back in 2007 when prisoners performed a flawless rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in the yard.
with reports from ABS-CBNNews
