Establishing our Role in our Society

Hilot has been mentioned in the work of William Henry Scott Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. According to his book at page 118 Hilot is described as a person who apply massage for injured or dislocated muscles, or pressure put on nerve centers. And they were known as Physical experts.

But to the eye of a Catholic Priest as mentioned in the book, Hilot according to Fr. Sanchez as a form of massage in a woman’s abdomen to cause miscarriage or abortion. Though through out time in our History, Hilot evolve so as our definition of Hilot change.

In Hilot Academy, we want to establish the Identity of Hilot as an umbrella term for Philippine Traditional Medicine. As the practitioners throughout the country has their own native practices that is known in their own local dialect. And in promoting it to the world it must have a name which people would know.

In 2012, the Philippine Statistic Authority has conducted survey on different occupational groups of the working population The Philippine Standard Occupation Classification is primarily used as basis for manpower and educational planning, program formulation, policy decision-making and serves as useful guide for statistical operations and activities, such as censuses and surveys.

In this survey we do not find the word Hilot but instead Traditional and Complementary Medicine Associate Professional. They describe this occupational category as follow:

Traditional and complementary medicine associate professionals prevent, care for and treat human physical and mental illnesses, disorders and injuries using herbal and other therapies based on theories, beliefs and experiences originating in specific cultures.

https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psoc/?q=psoc/minor/323

Their tasks include:

a) examining patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status and the nature of physical or mental disorders or illnesses or other ailments;
b) recommending and providing care and treatment for illnesses and other ailments using traditional techniques and medicaments, such as physical manipulation and exercises, blood-letting using natural vessels, and preparations using herbs, plants, insects and animal extracts;
c) providing care and treatment for physical injuries such as setting and healing fractured and dislocated bones using traditional methods of physical manipulation and herbal therapies;
d) advising individuals, families and the community on health, nutrition, hygiene, lifestyle and other issues to maintain or improve health and well-being; and
e) referring patients to, and exchanging information with, other health care providers to ensure comprehensive and continuing care.

Examples of occupations classified here:

Drugless treatment healer
Bonesetter
Faith healer
“Healer of indigenous people (e.g. Mansi-bok (Ibaloi); Mansip-ok (Kankana-ey) in Cordilleras)”
Herbalist
Scraping and cupping therapist
Village healer
Witch doctor

Some related occupation classified elsewhere:

Acupressure therapist – 3255
Acupuncturist – 2230
Ayuverdic practitioner – 2230
Chinese herbal medicine practitioner – 2230
Chiropractor – 3259
Homeopath – 2230
Hydrotherapist – 3255
Naturopath – 2230
Osteopath – 3259
Traditional midwife – 32223230

Through this task enumerated by PSOC, we can have a guideline in establishing our roles in our Society.