Calamianes Group of Islands - Part 14...

CULION

- It was not part of our original plan to visit this place but Mang Jonathan and Loverboy Dodoy were very eager to tour us around their hometown for an additional 500 pesos. I believe they are really trying to boost the tourism in this place, so off we go!

It is actually an hour ride from Coron town. A lot of tourists ignore this place but the history of Culion should not be overlooked.

For more info of the place, please visit this site: http://www.culion.net/index.html

Fort Culion was created to stop Muslim "Moro Raiders" from attacking the island. Within the fort is the PURISIMA CONCEPCION de NUESTRA SEÑORA church. One of the canons is still there but I was not able to take a picture of it.

The island was also called the leper colony. The church began the place for worship for thousands of segregated patients so Theodore Roosevelt ordered to reconstruct a bigger church but also preserving the old walls (made of corals) and the main door.

Father Javier Olazabal helped in fighting leprosy with ANESVAD (a non-profit and non-governmental organization, which supports health and social development projects in Asia). As a tribute, his body lies inside the church.

Today, there are only 5 leper patients living inside Culion Sanitarium.