Culion Leper Colony and the Legacy of Compassion: A Story of Hope Against Leprosy
By: Lopecillo, Yennah Erika, & Velasco, Ma. Krizeapearl
Palawan’s “Island of No Return”
Culion Island is a remote paradise that was challenging to reach. Previously described as "the largest and best-known institution of its kind in the world, and beyond comparison in area and natural facilities." However, isolation took on a new meaning in 1904 when Culion was cut off from the outside world by an Executive Order that also established a leper colony. The patients became the first citizens of an ordinary community built through extraordinary means.
Leprosy is a skin disease that causes severe impairments and deformities that lead to psychological distress and social humiliation. "The Neglected Tropical Diseases." Given their emphasis on community outreach, dermatology departments are increasingly recognized for their management of these diseases, which should come as no surprise. An accurate and timely leprosy diagnosis is essential for leprosy control. Its care requires a multidisciplinary team consisting of certified physicians, nurses, and laboratory staff. Every member of the health sector should continue to use caution in the fight against leprosy.
OBSERVATIONS
In pre-colonial Visayan society, Jesuit missionary Francisco Ignacio Alcina observed locals who exhibited symptoms of leprosy. He described people who were afflicted with pamatas, which created enormous foul-smelling sores. Others had cascado, which caused the skin to crack and exude a foul-smelling fluid as it progressed slowly. When the cracks encompassed the entire body, people usually died.
In 1897, William H. Brown, a physician and missionary in the Philippines, took matters into his own hands and started a colony to provide care and housing for people who were afflicted with leprosy. Situated on the tropical Philippine island of Culion, Brown established and oversaw the Culion Leper Colony. Culion was chosen due to its climate, terrain, and isolation. When Culion first opened in 1906, 150 patients from all over the Philippines were sent there. The colony’s objective was to establish an independent community that would provide the patients with food, housing, medical care, and education. Patients were permitted to bring their families and were given a meager living stipend upon being accepted into the colony. By providing medical care and a chance at survival to patients.
The 1899 Report of the US Senate Committee on the State of Health in the Philippine Islands noted leprosy as a major concern for Americans. A survey team from the US Army looked into possible sites in 1901 for the collection and segregation of leprosy patients. After first deciding that the island of Cagayan de Jolo would be ideal, they ultimately made their home on Culion Island in the Calamianes. The following year, the Second Philippine Commission approved funding for the construction of the leprosarium on Culion. From the prior camp in Cebu (Nueva Caceres), the Act No. 1711, formerly referred to as "An Act Providing for the Apprehension, Detention, Segregation, and Treatment of Lepers in the Philippine Islands," was moved to Culion. People who were affected by the sickness were often avoided by society at large for fear of getting it because of its symptoms.
Leprosy has come to be a historical disease that has been prevalent in human communities for about 3,500 years. Despite the disease's social stigma, persons infected by the Culion Leper Colony were capable of living with dignity, getting medical care, and contributing to the colony. The Culion Leper Colony exemplifies how, even amid adversity, appropriate medical and humanitarian initiatives can bring hope, care, and assistance to people in need. The Culion Leper Colony is a legacy that exemplifies the power of compassion and the significance of providing good care to disease survivors.
Thus, Culion, Palawan, has immense historical significance as an ideal destination for a colony of lepers. Owing to worldwide initiatives, leprosy has been virtually abolished as an epidemic in many different countries.
REFERENCES
- https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/p-library/books/3193e42dc90f0a54e3ba10295955a408.pdf#page=76
- https://leprosyhistory.org/geographical_region/site/culion
- https://thefilipinodoctor.com/article/leprosy-in-the-philippines-history-disease-and-challenges
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/26621981?fbclid=IwAR2f41R2dxWgk1hw7c1swF_pMI6T4MsT2njhXcrfAys4JzajMr1PlkZsD0Q
- https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2013/03/culion-town-historical-walking-tour-palawan-philippines/
- https://www.spot.ph/things-to-do/the-latest-things-to-do/89591/culion-leper-colony-history-in-palawan-a4543-20220619-lfrm