Culion Museum and Archives
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.
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.
From Culion.net
