MANILA– The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will launch the book, Hidden Lives, Concealed Narratives: A History of Leprosy in the Philippines, on Wednesday, 17 February 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at the NHCP building, T.M. Kalaw Street, Manila. The book launch takes place during the observance of Leprosy Week. DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman is the guest of honor.

The book is an anthology of papers written by various academics about the history of leprosy from the earliest period to the present. A departure from the usual historical emphasis on political figures, events, and movements, the book examines colonial and postwar policies on Hansen’s disease, the establishment of colonies where those stricken by the disease were taken and, most important, the role of the afflicted and their efforts to assert their humanity. The project was supported by the Sasakawa Foundation, which has a global program on Hansen’s disease.

During the book launch, the Philippine Postal Corporation will also launch a special commemorative stamp highlighting the arrival of the first Filipinos brought to the Culion Leper Colony in Palawan.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote and preserve Philippine historical heritage through research and publications, conservation, marking of historic sites and structures, and administration of national shrines and historic museums.