Culion

Culion is a small island in the Calamianes, north of Palawan. It poses breathtaking works of nature and unique sets of flora and fauna. Its history is also one of the world’s richest – a history never should be forgotten.

For nearly a century, the island of Culion served as the world’s largest leper colony. The American colonial authorities’ decision to choose this island as the dumping ground of Philippine lepers became a mark on Culion’s face that continues to hunt its residents even up to this day. Now, with the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) that leprosy has been totally eradicated, and the establishment of its own local government unit, Culion begins a new chapter in its colorful history and legacy.

LCC and the Ateneo-Loyola Hostel Project

Loyola College of Culion is a Jesuit school serving the poor, mainly of Culion, on the high school and college levels, with AB Literature as one of the 2 courses being offered. The blossoming tourism activity has motivated the school to offer college and vocational courses relevant to the tourism industry. Despite of the sudden stop in grant funding from the Spanish NGO Fundacion ANESVAD, which until last academic year covered 70% of its operational budget, it was able to actualize the plans for a tourism course in cooperation with the autonomous Ateneo de Naga University.

To enable the school to survive by reorienting its training to responsible eco-tourism, a "teaching hotel" was built – the Ateneo-Loyola Hotel for the Study of Eco-tourism and Livelihood, or the Ateneo-Loyola Hostel. A former dormitory next to the parish church was renovated with the agreement of the St. Paul Sisters and the Department of Health. This teaching facility would make the instruction in tourism possible, both according to the standards of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of the Philippines.

This teaching hotel is called Hotel Maya.