Culion by Katherine Jack

island of

dreams

Katherine Jack travels to the beautiful Calamianes Islands of PalawaN to meet the inspiring inhabitants of Culion, once the location of the world’s largest leper colony. pHOTOGRAPHY BY katherine jack

s our banca ferries us across the calm of Coron Bay, the jade-colored hills of Culion Island emerge from the early morning haze. From a distance, the island is indistinguishable from the scattering of other islands that surround it. Yet as we draw closer, a gigantic stone eagle carved on the steep slopes above the pier catches our eye. This majestic bird, seemingly watching over land and sea, is part of a huge replica of the Philippine Health

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Service seal. It was built almost 100 years ago by the inhabitants of Culion’s leper colony and remains an enduring symbol of the island’s extraordinary history. Culion is part of the Calamian island chain of northern Palawan. It is one hour by boat from the town of Coron, the diving and eco-tourism hub of Busuanga Island. The boat journey offers an unforgettable glimpse of the Calamian archipelago. Clouds linger on the tops of densely forested

Fishermen approaching the pier of the idyliic Culion Island DECEMBER 2008

Children at play in the clear waters off the island

The island was suitable because of its idyllic remoteness, and it enabled the isolation of those with leprosy hills whose valleys seem to plunge into a bluegreen sea. Pigmy swiftlets dive and soar around the fantastic limestone rock formations where Judy Cataquis is these lovely birds writing a book on build their nests. the island’s history Upon arriving in Culion, I visit Judy Cataquis, a medical technologist at the Sanatorium who is currently writing a book on the history of the island. “At the beginning of the 20th century, leprosy was a serious public health problem in the Philippines,” she explains. “The country’s American administration decided that the only way to contain the disease — and to research a cure — was to isolate all those infected on a remote island, as had been done before on Molokai Island in Hawaii. Culion was singled out as a suitable location for the leper colony because of its remoteness and self-sustaining isolation.”

A young family in Culion

Nestor Lisboas, the son of Culion’s first postmaster, tells me more. Sitting outside his house on the seashore, he describes the island in the early 20th century. “In May 1906 the first batch of 370 patients arrived,” he recounted. “Lepers were being rounded up throughout the Philippines, arrested, and sent to Culion. During the early years, there was no effective treatment and the island soon became known as ‘the land of

the living dead’ as most of its inhabitants had no hope of being cured or of ever seeing their families again.” By the year 1931, Culion had become home to over 16,000 patients and was the world’s largest leper colony. It became the global center for doctors from all over who wished to study the disease where a variety of treatments were developed and then tested. Next, I climb the steep stone steps that DECemBER 2008

The view from the Fort

The Culion Sanitarium

Culion is now a happy island. Its residents enjoy a gentle pace of life and a developing eco-tourism industry begin in the town center to the house of Hilarion Guia, the inspirational former leprosy patient who became Culion’s first mayor. When I get there, “Sir Hilarion Guia, former leper patient and Guia” – as he is Culion’s first mayor affectionately known in his hometown — is hard at work at his desk composing a speech that he will deliver at an international conference on leprosy in India the following week. “Our achievements in Culion have made us a model for countries that are still in the process of eliminating leprosy,” Sir Guia explains. “It is important that we remember our past as we help others to build a future.”

ONE LEPER’S STORY Guia’s life has certainly changed since he arrived on the island as a seven-year-old orphan in 1949. “Coming to Culion was an unhappy point in my life,” he recalls. “I was horrified by the patients that I saw with advanced cases of leprosy and worried that I would end up like them. Before I came here, I lived with my grandmother in Batangas but because of my disease, I was a social outcast and was not

allowed to attend the local elementary school. I longed to learn and would ask my playmates in the neighborhood to teach me. When I came to Culion, things were different – I was part of the community and could enroll in school. I found a sense of purpose in life.” Guia went on to become a schoolteacher and has lived to benefit from Multi-drug Therapy, a cure for leprosy that was introduced by the World Health Organization in the mid-1980s. Since then, he has played a key role in changing the political status of Culion and giving its citizens the right to vote. “By the 1980s, most of the population was completely healthy but I saw generations of children growing up without their basic political rights. I felt that it was no longer

necessary for Culion to be administered by the Department of Health so I lobbied the government to declare it a normal municipality.” In 1992 the Municipality of Culion was created, and three years later Guia was elected as the island’s first mayor.

Great medical advancement Returning to the Culion Sanatorium, I went to see Dr Arturo Cunanan, the unsung hero responsible for the complete elimination of leprosy from Culion a decade ago. Cunanan’s grandparents were among the first leprosy patients on Culion, although the disease affected no other members of his family. “Since I was young it has been my dream DECEMBER 2008

La Immaculada Conception Church

WHERE TO STAY l Aplaya “Tabing Dagat” Lodging House is a welcoming guesthouse with a restaurant and wonderful sea views. It’s also just a five-minute walk from Culion’s main pier.

PLACES TO VISIT l The Culion Museum Journey back in time with photographs, books, artifacts and other mementos from the island’s fascinating history. l The Parola This Spanish fort built in 1740 has a spectacular view of the sea and surrounding islands. It was here that canons were once fired against Moro pirates attacking Culion. l La Inmaculada Conception Church Drop by this beautiful, historic place of worship beside the fort.

to serve the people of Culion,” he told me. “At first, I wanted to be a plastic surgeon so that I could help those whose hands and faces had been disfigured by leprosy. It was only in the 1980s, when the World Health Organization put forward Multi-drug Therapy, that I realized I would be able to completely cure all of my patients — that was more than I had ever imagined.” Through a rigorous health program, Cunanan helped free the island from leprosy by 1998. “I am thankful that I was here at the right time — I feel proud of what I was able Dr Arturo Cunanan

to contribute to my community,” he beams. “It is a great joy to see the children of Culion growing up healthy and happy with bright futures ahead of them.” The people of Culion were outcasts for much of the 20th century. Although many lived close to despair, they courageously hoped for a better life for future generations. Nowadays it is clear that these dreams have been fulfilled: Culion is a vibrant, happy island with a gentle pace of life and a developing eco-tourism industry.

NAtural thrills Visitors to Culion can explore a diverse mountainous landscape surrounded by mangrove forests. In the warm sea, rare dugongs graze on sea grass beds and coral reefs support a wide range of marine life, including 20 species of butterfly fish. As with much of Palawan, the island has many

endemic species such as Calamian deer, anteaters, hornbills and the elusive mouse deer. Cashew trees grow widely and are harvested to make bandi, a traditional delicacy of nuts roasted in caramel. In 2006, the people of Culion held an international celebration to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the leper colony. This year marks the 10th year since leprosy was eliminated from Culion entirely. “Our past is essential to our future,” says Hilarion Guia. “We want to share our extraordinary history with visitors who come to enjoy the natural beauty of our island.” On the banca journey back to Coron, I watch as the shape of Culion disappears in the distance. The island is a symbol of triumph over great adversity — it is no wonder the people are now calling it a “re-discovered paradise”. ■

HOW TO GET THERE Coron town is accessible from Busuanga Airport. Cebu Pacific flies to Busuanga from Manila. Visit www.cebupacificair.com decemBER 2008