Culion: A Paradise Recovered
On a steep hillside overlooking the town, a statue of Christ stands next to a giant replica of the seal of the Department of Health. In days gone by, this would have served as a warning to all those approaching the island and today it is the only visible reminder that Culion was once a leper colony.
Culion Island is part of the picturesque Calamianes chain of Northern Palawan. It lies south of Coron - a port which is fast becoming a lively hang-out for travellers - and from there can be easily reached either by private boat or on a regular public ferry.
Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease as it is also called, is no longer a public health problem on Culion and for decades the island has been open to immigrants and visitors alike. There are two main guesthouses in the town, both within walking distance of the fort, the Spanish church and a newly renovated museum documenting the fascinating history of the leper colony.
“Leprosy has been misunderstood since biblical times. Nowadays many people do not know that it still exists, let alone that it is a curable disease,” says Arturo Cunanan, head of the Culion Leprosy Control and Rehabilitation Program. Cunanan was responsible for finally eliminating leprosy from Culion in 1998 using MDT, the multi-drug therapy recommended by the World Health Organisation. “It is hard for people to change their outlook on a disease that has been among the most feared and stigmatised in human history - but gradually we are succeeding,” he adds.
During the American administration of the Philippines at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was estimated that there were around 3,500 to 4,000 lepers in the country. With no cure available, the authorities had a serious health problem on their hands. They decided that the only way to prevent the disease from spreading would be to segregate those afflicted from the rest of society, as had been done at the Molokai leper colony in Hawaii. Culion Island was singled out as a suitably remote location and by 1906 the first batch of 370 patients arrived at the newly constructed leper colony.
During the early years, the patients of Culion had no hope of a cure or of ever returning to their families and the island soon became known as “the land of the living dead”. Lepers from all over the Philippines, including some Chinese and Americans, were brought to Culion by force. “In those days nobody thought of human rights,” says Cunanan, “separation and isolation were seen as a public health measures - to save the healthy from the sick.” By 1931, the island had over 16,000 patients and was the world’s largest leper colony.
A walk around the museum gives you an idea of what life might have been like during those years. Refurbished for the centennial anniversary of the leper colony in 2006, it is well laid out and packed full of books on leprosy and information about different treatments. It also contains poignant mementos of everyday life such as personal letters and coins that were minted for the sole use of the patients.
In the early years, life on the island was strictly controlled. Until 1933, marriage between Culion’s patients was subject to intermittent restrictions. The authorities wanted to prevent close relationships and limit the number of children born on the island. Because it was still relatively unknown how the disease spread, children were taken from their mothers immediately after they were born and brought up separately in the nursery.
Although he was never a patient, Nestor Lisboas has lived most of his life in Culion. His father, a postmaster from Bagio, was one of the first staff to be transferred to the island in 1906. He remembers how, as a child, he was scared of leprosy. “I had friends my own age who were patients but my parents forbid me to play with them,” he explains. “I felt so sorry for them - once they arrived here, it was impossible to escape and even as young children, they were never visited by their relatives.”
Hilarion Guia was one such child. Born in Batangas in 1942, he contracted leprosy as a young boy and was shunned by his local community. An orphan being raised by his grandmother, he was just eight years old when he was sent to Culion. “It was an unhappy point in my life,” recalls Guia, “I remember holding on tightly to my grandmother while my brother pulled me away. When I arrived in Culion I was horrified to see patients with advanced cases of leprosy and I dreaded what would become of me.” However, enrolling in school – a right that he had been denied in Batangas – gave Guia a sense of purpose and he became content that, at least in Culion, he was no longer a social outcast.
Guia, now known affectionately as ‘Sir Guia’ throughout Culion, went on to become a community leader. During the 1980s, seeing no reason for Culion to continue under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health, he lobbied the government to convert the island into a normal municipality. “I saw the young generation growing up healthily but deprived of political rights,” he explains. “I wanted to give them the right to vote.” In 1992 the Municipality of Culion was created and three years later the people participated for the first time in local elections - Guia was voted in as the first mayor.
The positive effect of Culion leper colony is felt not just in the Philippines but also globally. “The island became a Mecca for doctors of leprosy and a model for how the disease should be treated. Now we inspire communities around the world, such as in India, where it is still a considerable problem,” explains Guia.
Thanks to Doctor Cunanan’s strict elimination program using MDT, the children of Culion are now growing up in a healthy environment. But the early days of the program were a struggle - “ a patient once asked me, ‘what are the use of your medicines – will my eyes see again?’ I had to convince him that it was for the sake of his grandchildren that he should take the drugs to rid himself of leprosy,” recounts Cunanan.
The lives and dreams that were once shattered by leprosy can never be restored but today there are new futures in the making. As I wander around the town, it seems to be filled with life – preparations are under way for fiesta day (celebrated every December 8) and the streets are decorated with colourful flags. Music and laughter fill the air as young children practice energetic singing and dance routines outside their houses. I visit the fort in the early evening and hear more music nearby – high school students dressed in traditional costume are performing Filipino folk dances in the half-light. “Before we never thought about the future,” recalls Cresenciano Rosello, a former patient and head-teacher. “Now things are very different and we are filled with hope and ambition for the next generation.”
The folk dancing is a reminder that there are many different sides to Culion – the island’s history stretches back hundreds of years before the leper colony. The original inhabitants of Culion were Tagbanuas, indigenous people with a unique culture. Having been relocated when the leper colony was established, they can still be found in Barangay Carabao in the southernmost part of the island. Spanish missionaries arrived as early as 1622 and, in 1740, the fort was built in defence against fierce attacks from Moros. Much of the fort still stands, as do parts of its accompanying church, which was rebuilt by Jesuits in 1933 as La Inmaculada Concepcion Church.
Culion has a rich natural environment and is home to rare animals such as Philippine mouse deer (the world’s smallest hoofed animal), Palawan hornbills, anteaters and Calamian deer. In the waters surrounding the island, mangroves, seagrasses and corals support a diverse range of marine life – from colourful butterfly fish to elusive dugongs. Many residents are hoping that the island will soon develop into an eco-destination for travellers seeking close encounters with nature.
The island is well positioned for tourism – Japanese shipwrecks in the nearby waters of Coron Bay have long attracted scuba divers from all around the world. Spectacular diving opportunities, beaches and scattered islands have put the Calamianes on the map as one of the Philippines’ prime destinations. So, with developments on the way, Culion will surely receive its share of visitors.
Culion has come a long way over the last century and many are now calling it a rediscovered paradise. Certainly, in stark contrast to the sufferings of years gone by, it is now a place filled with optimism. As I sit on the balcony of my guesthouse on a Sunday morning, life goes on around me – people make their way up to the church, a girl rides by on a red bicycle and a fisherman rests by his paddle-boat, waiting to sell his catch to passers by. Perhaps it is just me but there seems to be a contentment among the people of Culion, which I have not noticed elsewhere. It may be that their past has given them a particular appreciation of the lives that they now lead.
Travel Notes
Asian Spirit flies to Busuanga five times a week every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Travel time is about an hour. From the Busuanga Airport, tourists will take a one-hour jeepney ride to Coron Pier followed by a one–hour boat ride to Culion.
For more information about the island of Culion, you can visit the website: www.culion.net
PREVIOUS
All
