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 Background
As the world has eliminated leprosy as a public health
problem except for 6 countries, the concerns of
collecting and preserving documents, research materials
and results pictures, books and other memorabilia
related with the disease and its long struggle to
control it, is also an important and urgent task not
only for historical and posterity purposes but for
learning and documentation since there is no other
disease that has created such fear, stigma, ostracism
and institutionalization other than leprosy. The
concomitant public health measures and medical and
patients’ response to the disease had been peculiar,
drastic, devastating and worth reviewing and preserving.
As the world changes its outlook in leprosy, so also in
Culion, which today is now a new political unit, a new
municipality, which as a result of ease of
transportation and communication now opens the once
isolated reservation into migrants and visitors who
finds Culion an ideal place to live and a tourist
destination. The number of new leprosy cases had dropped
significantly and are now coming from other neighboring
provinces and municipalities of Palawan a far difference
of the Culion yesteryears of being a hyper-endemic
island, and now what remains are old disabled, cured
individuals who were brought to Culion from other parts
of the country by virtue of the Segregation Law and
presently being taken care by the institution, much so
that the once familiar scene of meeting “invalid” or
full blown leprosy cases is not anymore seen and the
once distinct division / demarcation of “patients and
non-patients” inside Culion is not anymore enforced,
with the resulting population intermingled with one
church, schools, market, etc. The new treatment
modalities (MDT) have changed the epidemiological and
socio-economic picture of this once isolated island.
The rich natural resources and white beaches and its
serenity are a great attraction to outsiders and tourist
such that the population continues to grow, further
changing not only the physical structure but also the
culture. Majority of the Culion youth today who belongs
to the 3’rd and 4’th generation of early “colonist”
segregated and or early workers of the sanitarium
doesn’t know their roots, why the early Culion is so
unique with no political set-up or identity other than
being a “leper colony”, why the mere mention Culion
would arouse fear to people outside, why Culion is
isolated yet the population is a mixture of different
Filipino culture from north to south of the country.
Unfortunately, there are not much books or reference
materials that the students could avail to enrich
knowledge about Culion history.
Noting these changes and knowing the rich Culion culture
and heritage, a project was made to salvage remaining
items, books, references, journals, instruments,
apparatus, etc. reflective of the old Culion and housed
them in one place called Culion Museum. For the last 10
years, the Culion Leprosy Control and Rehabilitation
Program have worked hard to collect these items, clean
and preserve them. We are hoping that through these
small collections, the past history of Culion and the
fight to control leprosy and the human anguish of the
earlier colonist will be remembered, acknowledge and
lessons learned.
To date, the Culion Museum, house and protect numerous
rare volumes of leprosy journals, text books and other
reference materials for leprosy. It has the complete set
of old Culion coins, the different laboratory apparatus
used in early leprosy research, old Culion pictures and
Wade’s memorabilia’s, and other items reflective or
early patients’ community life.
The Culion Museum was first opened to the public last
February 1997 . Since then, the museum has registered a
significant number of guests composed of students from
Culion and neighboring municipalities of Busuanga,
Linapacan and Coron as a group tours coordinated by the
schools, local guest of the Municipality of Culion and
Culion Sanitarium, as well as local and foreign tourist
and visitors. The museum is also a repository of old
records and registry of patients admitted to the “Culion
Leper Colony” since 1906, which for a number of
instances had helped and provided vital documents / data
of patients admitted in Culion in the early years that
cannot be found in other agency / offices.
The museum has provided necessary information and data
regarding the early Culion, its mission and patients’
life and the resulting community that emanates from the
early settlers. The establishment of Culion Museum is
like building a big puzzle, that collection of items
must continue to complete the puzzle but what is most
important is maintaining the collections at present and
it is in this regard that this project was made.
The Institute of Library and Information Science of the
University of the Philippines (UPILIS) is currently
pursuing a project entitled “Preserving the Memory of
Leprosy in the Philippines,” an undertaking that is part
of the wider international network called the “Global
Project on the History of Leprosy” being initiated by
the University of Oxford. To effectively carry out this
project, the UPILIS has identified 3 key components as
its focus activities, these: 1. to produce an inventory
of all records about leprosy scattered in the 8
leprosaria located across the country; 2. to initiate an
awareness drive that highlights the importance of
preserving the memory of leprosy imbedded in those
records through information campaign targeted not only
to the personnel of the leprosaria in particular but
also to the general public at large; and 3. to provide
technical advise and implement a basic training program
for those who are involved in the administration and
handling of leprosy records and archives.
In line with the objectives of the “Memory of Leprosy”
project, the UPILIS agreed to cooperate and collaborate
with Culion Sanitarium in the latter’s goal of
preserving its collection of archives and manuscripts.
It acknowledge Culion as an important “leper colony”
whose great contributions to leprosy research is
recognized not only in the Philippines but also in the
international field. Thus, its collection of archival
records is of great significance that transcends local
and national boarders. The documentary heritage of the
Culion Leprosaria is the surviving account of the lives
of those people who were afflicted with leprosy and of
those who selflessly dedicated themselves to find its
ultimate cure – the living testimony of courage, hope,
dedication, isolation, desperation and triumph.
Goal
To preserve important old and rare documents, research
materials, books, literatures, journals and memorabilia
and other collections reflective of Culion history,
culture and heritage particularly in the quest to
control leprosy in the Philippines and the early policy,
treatment and care of the person affected with the
disease to form a vital link for Culion – today and be a
guide and inspiration for a brighter Culion – tomorrow.
Specific
Objectives
1. To preserve old manuscripts /documents, records,
writings, research findings, clinical records and books
of Culion Leper Colony
2. To collect/ preserve old medical and laboratory
equipment, which were early used for the treatment,
research and care of leprosy patients.
3. To collect/ preserve old pictures of early Culion
settlement, patients treatment and community life to
include old coins, musical instruments, badges/ uniforms
of early local police, nursing aides, firemen, etc.
4. To provide information regarding the role of Culion
in the control of leprosy in the Philippines and the
resultant community that evolves thereafter.
5. To make all the preserve documents and other
materials, literatures available to interested
researchers, students and individuals worldwide.
6. To include Culion Museum in the Global Project on
History of Leprosy, providing linkages with
international and national organization interested in
this field.
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