 Designed in 1869 by Domingo de Escondrillas, the lone architect in Cebu at the time, the "Cárcel de Cebú" was originally proposed as the "Cárcel del Distrito", the main prison for the Visayas District.This accounts for its relatively large size at the time it was built.After a flurry of endorsements and independent review in Manila, the project was approved and construction commenced around 1871.