May 22, 1954
Trece Martires was declared a city and capital of Cavite province by virtue of Republic Act No. 981. The city was named after the 13 martyrs sentenced to death during the Spanish regime, while the names of the city’s 13 barangays were from the martyr’s surnames.
May 27, 1906
Culion Leper Colony was established on the island of Culion in Palawan province, with about 370 patients in its first year. The colony, which then had the largest concentration in the world, also served as a global laboratory for leprosy research. Culion had its own government, police and monetary system.
—Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research
Sources: Inquirer Archives, DOT, Official Calendar of the Republic, Historical Calendar (1521-1969), cavite.gov.ph, chanrobles.com, cebu.gov.ph, pia.gov.ph