In Promoting Hilot as the Philippine Traditional and Natural Medicine, we must be reminded that our Country is an Archipelago that is composed of 1,107 islands that been inhabited by almost more than 175 ethnolinguistic tribes. From these Tribes, we will find a diverse culture and tradition; at the same time methods of healing that we now call as Hilot. Modern Medicine arrived to our country during the Colonisation of Spain by the 1600’s to 1800’s. Prior to their arrival, the pre-colonial Filipino’s have our own medicine and as per record shows from the 17th to 18th centuries, the state-of-the-art medical and pharmaceutical science was developed by the Spanish Friars based on the system of healthcare provided by the Pre colonial practitioners of Medicine and Health Care which is the Babaylan.
Each tribe has their distinct method of healthcare and ways on curing illness that modern researcher and cultural advocate must preserve. Standardising it into one process will not help preserving it. We must be reminded that what our Country makes unique is that we cant be called Philippines without the existence of the Ethnolinguistic Tribes that are present in our country. The same thing will apply to Hilot, it will not become a National Healing Modality without the others.
We can not omit one healing practices in favour of the other. Filipino Scientific Community must take time in studying each modality to prove its effectiveness in providing a cure. As Hilot provide also the four dimension of Healthcare delivery as well having its own diagnostic procedure in determing the cause of ailment of the patient.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 