Who we are

Building a Healthier,More Empowered Community

Culion Foundation, Inc., a non-stock nonprofit, transforms lives across the Philippines by connecting communities to essential healthcare, protecting natural resources, and unlocking local potential.

When you support our work, you help ensure that distance and poverty no longer determine who receives quality healthcare, clean environments, or pathways to prosperity. Together, we are building healthier, more resilient communities where every Filipino can thrive.

Our story Meet our people

Our foundation

Vision, Mission, & Goal

Vision

A leading social development organization for a better quality of life for Filipinos who enjoy the highest level of human development.

Mission

CFI is committed to empowering vulnerable Filipinos through cutting-edge and sustainable programs in health and wellness, economic improvement, environment, education, food security, and gender equity.

Goal

Improve human development outcomes through integrated health, education, livelihood, and environmental programs in vulnerable island communities.

What guides us

Our Core Values

These principles shape how we serve communities, steward resources, and work with partners.

Accountability

Taking full responsibility for our actions and commitments to the communities we serve, ensuring transparency in everything we do.

Trust

Building transparent relationships founded on integrity and mutual respect, creating lasting bonds with our partners and communities.

Loyalty

Staying committed to our mission and the people who depend on us, standing firm through challenges and celebrating successes together.

Teamwork

Collaborating effectively to achieve greater impact together, leveraging diverse strengths and perspectives for collective success.

Respect

Honoring the dignity and diversity of every individual we encounter, valuing different perspectives and treating all with compassion.

Resourcefulness

Finding innovative solutions to maximize our positive impact, making the most of every opportunity and resource available.

Integrity

Upholding the highest ethical standards in all our decisions and actions, maintaining consistency between our values and conduct.

Effective & Efficient

Delivering meaningful results while stewarding resources wisely, ensuring maximum impact through strategic and thoughtful action.

Adaptability

Responding flexibly to evolving needs and changing circumstances, remaining agile while staying true to our core mission.

Our journey

A Legacy of Compassion

Culion Foundation has its roots in the compassionate vision of three remarkable individuals.

Our founders recognized the urgent need for comprehensive healthcare and community development in Culion, Palawan. They witnessed limited access to quality healthcare, economic hardship, and the stigma associated with the island’s history as a colony for people affected by leprosy.

What began as a modest initiative has grown into a holistic foundation addressing multiple facets of community development and continuously evolving to meet changing community needs.

Where it all began

Our Founders

Founder

Fr. Javier Olazabal

At 60, Javier Olazabal y Mendoza moved to Culion to fulfill his dream of serving leprosy patients, not to retire. Born on January 7, 1909, in St. Jean de Luz, he was a Spanish citizen. Ordained a Jesuit in 1946, he never abandoned his dream of serving in Culion, even while holding prominent roles in Spain.

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In 1971, Father Olazabal was assigned to Culion, where he served for 18 years and became affectionately known as Father Ola. He found 700 leprosy patients living in hopeless conditions and worked tirelessly to improve their lives through pastoral care, infrastructure, advocacy, and personal support.

Father Ola lived simply and closely mirrored the patients’ lifestyle. He wrote thousands of letters seeking aid and advocated for multidrug therapy in the 1980s. He saw the first patients cured in 1987 and died on September 10, 1988. He is interred in Culion’s Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Co-Founder

Don Jose Ma. Soriano Sr.

Don José María Soriano was a Spanish-American industrialist with business interests in the Philippines and a discreet philanthropist. In 1970, he became Minister Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

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A devout Catholic, Soriano was introduced to Culion by Father Olazabal. Together with a group known as the “Three Musketeers,” he helped tackle the island’s challenges, leading to the formation of Culion Foundation in 1976 with the Isabel Cultural Corporation and the Philippine Jesuits.

Co-Founder

Don Jose Luis Gamarra

The protégé and student of Father Olazabal, Don Jose Luis Gamarra later served as President of Fundación ANESVAD, which funded hospitals for leprosy patients and granted educational and infrastructure assistance in Culion.

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Through his leadership, Fundación ANESVAD supported CFI in providing medical and research services, as well as socioeconomic assistance to people affected by leprosy and their families.

Leadership

Board of Trustees

Our trustees bring expertise across public health, conservation, business, social development, and governance.

Chairperson

Alberto A. Lim

Chairperson, El Nido Foundation; Former Secretary of Tourism; former Executive Director, Makati Business Club

Vice President

Carlo Irwin A. Panelo

Chief of Party, USAID ProtectHealth; Professor, UP College of Medicine

President

Maria Aurora F. Tolentino

Chairperson of Peace and Equity Foundation; Senior Fellow & Consulting Associate, Synergos; Former Executive Director, Philippine Business for Social Progress

Treasurer

Gil T. Salazar

Executive Director, Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines; former Executive Director, Philippine Business for Social Progress

Trustee

Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu

President and CEO, Empire East Land Holdings, Inc. and Megaworld Central Properties, Inc.; President, El Nido Foundation

Trustee

Alejandro A. Aquino

Advisor, InfiniVAN, Inc.

Trustee

Lalaine M. Joyas

Consultant and former Executive Director, Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc.

Trustee

Ma. Yolanda V. Ong

Founder, Campaigns & Grey Philippines

Trustee

Francesca Cando-Gajete

Vice President for Asia of the International Leprosy Association, Former DOH Leprosy Manager, Medical Director; Brigino General Hospital, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

Trustee

Neil Aldrin D. Mallari

Chief Scientist of the Center for Conservation and Innovation, Professor at De La Salle University

Corporate Secretary

Reginaldo L. Hernandez

Former Corporate Secretary, Andres Soriano Corporation

Trustee

Sylvia Estrada-Claudio

Professor Emeritus, Department of Women and Development Studies, College of Social Work and Community Development. University of the Philippines, Diliman

Our people