sherwin called earlier as i was getting ready for mass. he was planning an out-of-town trip to baguio preferably this thursday. when i put down the phone, i was all giddy and excited until i remembered that my exam was moved to friday. plus, when i mentioned the trip to my mother, she already told me that i couldn't go if ever plans push through. didn't debate with her on how safe it was and how many we were going if in case we do go out-of-town because it was going to be pointless. once parents make up their minds, that's the end of discussion. i'm sure you know what i mean. but we'll see. i just have to squeeze in a short trip out of town before OJT starts next month.

for sure i'm going to Banawe to see the famous rice terraces on April 13th for two days. the trip was organized by the same people who organized the Palawan conference. Dr. Boncan invited us if we were interested and of course we are! there are sidetrips to Baguio and Sagada (i think?) too so it's going to be fun.

i haven't had the chance to talk about the conference at Palawan. it was on the "American Legacy in Palawan: With Focus on the Culion Leper Colony and the Iwahig Penal Colony".

before Palawan became famous for its beautiful beaches among other tourist spots, the island was notorious for Culion which was a leper colony during the American period. when the Americans came, leprosy was rampant and we all know that part of the Americans' plan for the Philippines was to improve health conditions. they picked Culion island in Palawan to be the place where lepers around the Philippines would live in isolation. the objectives of the leper colony was positive because by isolating the lepers in an island with complete facilities: a town, recreation center, etc. they get to live a more normal life than live among the non-lepers. plus, they get to be treated. that way, spreading of leprosy could also be controlled. there was a hospital at Culion where nurses and doctors as well as the medical staff were recognized as heroes as they were risking their lives by working on the lepers. lepers were also allowed to wed and when babies were born, they were separated from their parents for five years. these babies lived at a convent with the nuns where they were taken care of until it was safe for them to be returned to their leper parents. Culion was like an ordinary island with a town because people lived normally. they even had their own money! but of course, funding the colony was tight during the American period because maintaining the colony was tedious. the hospital needed supplies for the better living of the lepers. years after, the Philippine General Hospital found a cure for leprosy until the spreading of the disease died down and Culion was free from leprosy. at present, Culion still has a town with people living in the island. but people from Culion (and the rest of Palawan as well) had to deal with the aftermath of their island being a leper colony. people there were looked down on because they had a reputation of being "lepers". at least now, if you've learned of the history of Culion, you'll know that it's leprosy free because there's already a cure and it's totally safe to go there these days. the convent and the hospital are still there. oh, during the American period, there were also non-leper people at Culion. they were separated from the town where the lepers lived. hospital workers were also disinfected properly after their working day at the hospital for safety.

as for the Iwahig Penal Colony, the Americans also put up a prison in Palawan. Iwahig is a vast space of land where prisoners could plant and move freely than just being behind bars all day. if you'd ask me, if i were to commit a crime i'd like to be jailed at Iwahig (yep, it's still penitentiary). when we went on a tour there, there were men hanging out under a shady tree with the mountains as their backdrop. i thought they were care takers or the guards but they turned out to be prisoners! imagine? prisoners hanging out under a shady tree! how cool is that? at least they get to enjoy nature while they serve their term! the tour there was short but meaningful. there are still American-style structures in the vicinity like the Recreation Hall and the Souvenir shop. oh, the office of the head too. but of course, they're already very old. we bought souvenirs there and the profit would go to the prisoners who created the crafts.

so yeah. i realized that you'd appreciate historical places more (or ALL places in general) if you knew their past and listened to their stories. Filipino culture is really rich. it's good to get away from our fast-paced lives once in a while and actually take time to appreciate our heritage. it's like travelling back to time and reliving the past each time you step into a historical site.

the conference was from 8am-5pm with just two 10-minute breaks in between. but would you believe that i honestly didn't get bored? it was that interesting. like i said, you'd appreciate the places more if you did more than sight-seeing.

i'll post pictures when i get the pictures developed.

from the digicam and cameraphone:

the guest speakers...


dr. celestina boncan (UPM)


vanessa fermil (UPM)


Gail Limcumpao (UPM)


oops! uminit ulo!


Mary Rose dela Rosa (UPM)




apple and i engaging in a highly intellectual conversation. mwahaha!

haha! just kidding! only Dr. Boncan's picture there is authentic. mwahaha! van, apol, and i decided to mess around while we were on a break. we sneaked into the conference hall and pretended that we were speakers too! haha! that was hilarious! but don't they look authentic?








more conference pictures...




intermission from PSU students


the speakers