Yesterday, June 14, 2026, marked a significant milestone for the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan as we conducted the Assessment Day of our Hilot Binabaylan Alignment Program. Present during this important rite of passage were Gian Abian, Emel Pascua, and Wilan Silvan—three dedicated practitioners who are set to graduate on June 21, 2026.
Their graduation carries historic weight. They will become the last recipients of the Master’s in Ministry on Hilot Binabaylan Practice.
This transition, however, is not a downgrade of our program—it is a profound upgrade in our vision, structure, and responsibility.
A New Educational Horizon: The 2027 Degree Program
Beginning in 2027, the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan will strive to implement a more comprehensive academic pathway: the
Bachelor’s in Ministry on Indigenous Filipino Healing Arts and Science.
This four-year degree program is designed to strengthen both the intellectual and practical foundations of future healers. It will integrate certification tracks in:
- Magtatawas (diagnostic ritual practice)
- Spiritual Wellness Facilitation
- Albularyo (traditional community healing)
- Hilot Binabaylan Practice
The program will follow a blended (hybrid) learning model, where:
- Theoretical subjects are studied online, allowing accessibility to students from various locations.
- Practical training is conducted in person, under the direct guidance of our trained mentors—the Hilot Tanglaw.
This ensures that learning is not merely conceptual, but embodied.
Dunong Hilot: Beyond Knowledge, Toward Embodied Wisdom
The transmission of Dunong Hilot (Hilot Knowledge) is anchored in four essential pillars:
1. Knowledge
Understanding the theories, principles, and cultural context of Hilot.
2. Skills
The actual ability to perform healing techniques effectively.
3. Ability
The natural capacity and intuitive sensitivity that a practitioner brings into the healing process.
4. Attitude
The ethical foundation—how a healer treats patients, community, and the sacred responsibility of healing.
Through years of teaching, I have encountered students who excel in theory yet struggle in practice. This is why our evolving framework emphasizes integration—where knowledge must become action, and action must be guided by wisdom and compassion.
Honoring Lineage: Healing as Ancestral Continuity
As Indigenous Healers, Hilot Binabaylan practitioners are taught the sacred value of ancestral recognition.
Hilot is not a personal invention or a system for self-glorification. It is a living lineage—a continuation of the wisdom passed down by our ancestors, the original stewards of this land.
Preserving this lineage is not about demanding recognition for oneself, but about restoring honor to those who came before us. In doing so, we reclaim not only healing practices, but also cultural identity and spiritual sovereignty.
Hilot in Action: Healing Beyond the Physical
During our recent assessment, one graduating candidate shared a powerful insight:
that a simple pagtatawas (ritual diagnosis) is not limited to identifying the cause of illness—it can also become a bridge toward resolving deeper life concerns.
In one instance, this practice evolved into a form of life coaching and relationship counseling, helping strengthen the bond between a couple.
This is the essence of Hilot.
Healing is not confined to the body.
It extends into the emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of life.
The Hilot as a Nation Builder
This is the future we envision:
A generation of healers who are not driven solely by patients or profit, but by service to humanity.
A Hilot is:
- A healer of individuals
- A guide for families
- A stabilizer of communities
- A bridge between past and future
When practiced with integrity, Hilot becomes a force of social transformation.
By restoring balance in individuals, we restore harmony in families.
By strengthening families, we rebuild communities.
By empowering communities, we participate in the healing and rebuilding of our nation.
A Call to Purpose
As we prepare to graduate the final batch of Master’s-level Hilot Binabaylan practitioners, we also open a new chapter—one that calls for deeper commitment, broader learning, and greater responsibility.
The path of Hilot is not merely a career.
It is a calling.
And in answering that calling, we become more than healers—we become nation builders.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 