The Tala Leprosarium

Tala Leprosarium, also known as the Central Luzon Sanitarium, was founded by the American colonial government in 1940 in Caloocan, on the northern fringe of Manila. It accommodated sufferers of Hansen’s Disease on the island of Luzon.

Renamed the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, it began treating general medical cases after a cure was formulated for Hansen patients in the 1990s.

Originally comprising 130 hectares, the government whittled down the property to 70 hectares in compliance with Republic Act 7999, which dictated that the 70 hectares “are alienable and disposable for use as a housing site for the bona fide residents, Hansenites and their immediate families… RA 7999 will give Tala residents titles to the land they occupy – but not without payment.”