Last October 26 & 27, 2023- our Hilot Training Team that compose of Me, Lakay and Mam Nora attended to the 3rd Regional Hilot Congress that been Hosted by Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care in collaboration with Hilot Philippines Development Center of International School of Sustainable Tourism at International Institute of Rural Reconstruction compound, Brgy. Biga 2, Silang, Cavite, Philippines. The said Congress was attended by Select Manghihilot of Region 4 A CaLaBaRZon or Cavite, Laguna, Batanggas, Rizal and Quezon Province and our Team represents the Cavite Province since we are representing the Municipality of Silang through Hilot Philippines Development Center. Though in reality, I am still at City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan; Lakay Magbaya represents City of Taguig, Metro Manila; and only Mam Nora Columna is originally from Cavite Province which is from General Trias City.
The 3rd Regional Hilot Congress has been welcomed by a message from Dr. Nonie John L. Dalisay on behalf of Governor Juanito “Junvic” C. Remulla, where he emphasizes Hilot as traditional health care practices in the past and its effectiveness in terms of health care. Then it was followed by a message from our Managing Director at Hilot Philippines Development Center and President of International School of Sustainable Tourism, the former Secretary of Department of Tourism, Dr. Mina T. Gabor.
In her welcoming message, Dr. Gabor have emphasized the goal of the 21st Century in taking care of one’s self as she pointed out to the commercial and advertisement shown in Televisions and even in Social Media as experts advised that all of us must look good and our Goal must be happy as it will help also our Economy. The HPDC president also reminisces here experience when she was the Tourism Secretary as she was asked to talk about Medical Tourism and Hilot was never been mentioned before but good thing Now, everyone is talking about Hilot and it is about time that all of us will go back to Hilot.
Right after the welcoming message of Former Tourism Secretary, the Director General of Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care Dr. Anabelle Pabiona De Gusman was called to give her Welcoming Message to the Participants of 3rd Regional Hilot Congress. In her message she takes pride about the work of PITAHC as she explain why Hilot Congress takes place. In her message She honors the founder of Philippine Traditional Alternative Medicine Act who is Dr. Juan Flavier former DoH Secretary and Philippine Senator. It is through Senator Juan Flavier that emphasizes that Health Center should be a Center for Wellness and not a Center of Illness. Then the Regional Director of Department of Tourism of Calabarzon in the person of Director Maritess Castro that exhort the role of Manghihilot in caring for the Health of the community employing Traditional & Alternative Health Care modalities. And through it, Department of Tourism have a continuous Collaboration with Pitahc in the promotion of Philippine Traditional Hilot through Wellness Tourism.
The Current Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa also give his message through a recorded Video. He said that: Hilot is deeply engraved in our History embodies Holistic approach in treating illnesses and promoting health and well being of our kababayan.
There are more speakers that speaks grately about Hilot and it is very overwhelming to know that these people recognizes our role in preserving our Indigenous practices of health care and it could be integrated into the Universal Health Care Delivery System. Aside from these prominent people, the practitioners were also able to voice out our sentiment and deliver it to Pitahc to be address it properly and in the End all the participants of the 3rd Regional Hilot Congress were able to create a Declaration where we all agree with as we have been lead by a Dumagat Chieftain and Community Health Worker in pronouncing the Declaration:
Kami mga hilot at iba pang mga tradisyonal na pilipinong
We as Manghihilot and other Filipino Traditional Healer, Together with the Community Health Worker and Barangay Health Worker do continue to offer our services in our respective comminities in order to achievve our Goals towards Universal Health Care. We desire to strengthen our role in the continuing to help the promotion of Health and prevention from illness by giving primary cure to common and simple illness through safe, effective and affordable treatment, and by referring to appropriate professional and health center and hospital to cases of chronic illnesses.
manggagamot, kasama ang mga community health worker at
barangay health worker ay patuloy na nag-aalay ng aming
paglilingkod sa aming mga nasasakupang komunidad upang higit
na makamit ang mga hangarin ng universal health care.
Nais naming pagtibayin ang patuloy naming pagtulong sa
promosyon ng kalusugan at pag-iwas sa karamdaman, sa
pagbibigay paunang lunas sa mga karaniwan at simpleng sakit sa
pamamagitan ng mga ligtas, epektibo at abot-kayang
panggagamot, at sa pag-refer ng mga malulubhang karamdaman
sa kinauukulang health center at ospital.
Bilang mga certified o recognized na mga BHW, CHW, Hilot,
As Certified and Recognized Barangay Health Worker, Community Health Worker, Manghihilot and other Traditional Medicine Practitioner, It is our Prayer that we will be formally recognize and include us as part of the Rural Health Unit in the community where we belong. Signed this 27th Day of October 2023 in Silang, Cavite on the 3rd Regional Hilot Congress and Pista ng Gamutang Pilipino.
at iba pang mga tradisyonal na pilipinong manggagamot, dalangin
namin ang pormal na
Pagkilala at pagbilang sa amin bilang bahagi ng rural health
unit na sumasakop sa aming komunidad.
Nilagdaan namin sa silang, cavite ngayong ika-27 ng oktubre,
2023 sa okasyon ng 3rd regional hilot congress at pista ng
gamutang pilipino
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 