Baknaw: Bakun’s Traditional Way of Healing

A wife of a manbunong (above) along with other Cordilleran’s continuous practice on traditional healing like the bkanaw of Bakun, Benguet is another indication that the culture of the Igorots is indeed very rich. Image Source: http://maxpasion.photoshelter.com/image/I0000mdBWsyytUpM

Some dubbed it as a black magic activity while others labeled it as an anti-Christian belief. However, despite what the others say, the effectiveness of traditional healing was proven more than a thousand times. Its special power of curing made our ancestors survive when psychiatrist, obstetricians, and pediatricians are not yet available. And the baknaw of Bakun, Benguet was no exception to this.

In an undergraduate  study titled “Pansigdan Di Padtu: Understanding Baknaw in Bakun, Benguet” which was conducted by Nadah A. Dada-an, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Development Communication in Benguet State University, baknaw is defined as a traditional healing practice of Bakun. When a person’s sickness cannot be…