Last October 28-29, 2021- Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care conducted their first regional Hilot Congress held at Malay, Aklan which was aired live through their Facebook Page.
On this video we will see different Politicians and Government Officials that supports the amendment of Republic Act 8423 or Philippine Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 that will empower PITAHC as a regulatory body in the practice of Traditional Medicine in our Country. This power should be exercised 24 years ago as the national government are allocating funds for this Government Owned Corporation but for those wasted years, it is only now that they are focusing on Hilot to be regulated.
Since it’s creation, as we see that they focused on promoting foreign traditional medicine such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Chiropractic, Naturopathy and Homeopathy and have neglected to develop methodologies in order to advance the practice of Hilot that could be integrated into the Country’s Health Care Delivery System.
In one of their presentation as the Department Head of the Standards and Accreditation Division have presented the number of Manghihilot that registered in their agency, they have asked Why only 24 manghihilot are in their list. Probably their campaign is not effective enough and the manghihilot see that their new policy is an additional burden for them as Manghihilot.
Since 2008, I have been a Trainer and Assessor of Hilot Wellness Massage NC2 as promulgated by Technical Education Skills Development Authority and from that time we have produced numerous Manghihilot coming from Quezon City, Marikina, Cavite, Ilocos Sur which we teach personally face-to-face and assessed and certify. And the coming of this new policy implemented by PITAHC will only give confusion to our Hilot Provider.
As Training Provider, I think that the institute should coordinate with TESDA and other Training provider of Hilot so that their list will grow. And as we see their best practice of Hilot, it shows the practice of Massage which already covered by PG 856 or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines which the Licensed Masssage Therapist Organization claimed that created them and was strengthened through Department of Health Administrative Order in terms of the practice of Massage in the Philippines.
On the video below is my personal reaction towards the best practice of Hilot and a suggested program that the institution should implement in the integration towards the National Health Care Delivery System.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 