Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube are platforms I use to share my thoughts. Though these are content creation platforms that an individual use to share their creation. These platform always advice to update your tax information to be monetize, provide what viewers want to become viral and trending, and follow certain rules of engagement.
But with all of that I would say, I am not a content creator nor a social media influencer and i may not be also worthy to be a Vlogger or Blogger at all. I am just a mere Manghihilot that has a desire to share what I know in order to preserve our Culture and Tradition.
I do not push everyone to like me nor love me or whatever terms that is appropriate. When i learn to use AI like Microsoft CoPilot, Google Gemini I employ them so that it could help me write perfect post.
Now, I am just relying on my own words not polished by any AI to write this post. So, I apologize if this writing sound bad.
But to continue to what I want to express here is, I want to talk about being a Cultural Bearing on which as someone who actively inherits, practices, safeguards, and transmits the intangible cultural heritage—such as traditional knowledge, arts, languages, beliefs, and customs—of a community to future generations. And that I believe who I am instead of claiming to myself as content creator, social media influencer, digital publisher, online personality, blogger, vlogger, podcaster, etc.
What I bear is the medicine of our Ancestor which is Hilot. And through Hilot it opened up to me to rediscover our very own spirituality. And through my dedication, i was able to retrieve our Sacred Ancestral Indigenous Filipino Healing Arts and Science which we call as Hilot Binabaylan. Now, this wisdom will not be lost to forgottenness, as long as I live. And teaching it was my means to preserve this knowledge so as in writing articles here and to all the websites that I personally manage. With this, I personally secure domain names and websites at my own cost, which are the landasnglahi.com, hilotacademy.com, anituhan.org, and FilipinoMagick here at BuyMeaCoffee.com. I may sound or look greedy by obtaining these domains. But my intention is to secure our Ancestral Presence visible online in this Virtual, Digital World and Heritage Sphere. Even when I die, this digital personality may remain. Though to be honest I am not sure about that. Aside from these digital platforms, I have written books which is copy righted until 50 years after my death. But most important is, I have taught the lessons and initiated and ordained people to do the work that i am doing.
MY LINEAGE
As a Cultural Bearer, I bear the Culture that been Cultivated in me. And that Cultivation started at Home. The Culture I bear, is the Culture that been Cultivated to me by my Parents, Grandparents, Uncle and Aunts who are my Elders. So, I could say that it is my Maternal and Paternal Grandparents starts the cultivation in me on which I honorably call and mention their names here. To my Maternal Grandparents, Tranquilino Dela Torre Gomez and Loreta Payco vda. De Gomez, and to my Paternal Grandparents Diomedes Paqueo Comon and Valencia Dolar Comon, to my Parents Roland Dolar Comon and Raquel Payco Gomez. They are my bloodline lineage, the people who lovingly raised and guided me from an early age, shaping who I am through their care and the experiences we shared together.
NON-FAMILY LINEAGE
I would also like to honor my non-family mentor, Dr. Rueben M. Galang Jr, Teacher and Curriculum Developer of the School of Alterntive Medicine at St. Francis Divine College. HIs Guidance and dedication played a significant role in shaping our understanding and practice of Alternative Medicine.
After his passing, Sir Arnel Belenzo and I continued the work and vision of our beloved teacher, striving to carry forward the knowledge he shared with us. In time, this journey led me to establish my own institution, the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, dedicated to preserving, promoting, and advancing the healing tradition of our Ancestors.
Many of the individuals shown in this photograph have gone on to establish their own schools and training programs, contributing to the growth of traditional and complementary healing in their respective communities. Some have since crossed over to the realms of the ancestors, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and guide those who follow in their footsteps.
OUR HILOT BINABAYLAN LINEAGE
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan is the fruit of both ancestral cultivation and academic formation. It is where family heritage, lived experience, traditional wisdom, and scholarly learning converge to create a living lineage of healing, service, and cultural stewardship.
AS CULTURAL BEARER
I hold sacred the teachings entrusted to me by my ancestors and the wisdom generously shared by my teachers. Through years of personal research, community immersion, and service as a TESDA-accredited Trainer and Assessor for Hilot Wellness Massage NC II, I came to understand that the true strength of Hilot lies not in a single system of knowledge, but in the collective wisdom of the people.
As a trainer and assessor, I did not see myself as the sole source of knowledge. Instead, I listened first. I observed the practices, stories, and healing traditions that students brought from their families and communities. Before teaching, I learned from them. Before assessing, I documented the knowledge they had inherited.
While many of these practices fell outside government standards, I recognized them as valuable expressions of our cultural memory and healing heritage. Rather than allowing them to disappear, I preserved them through documentation, reflection, and continued study.
By weaving together, the wisdom of my ancestors, the guidance of my teachers, and the traditional knowledge shared by countless healers across the Philippines, I developed the foundations of what would later become the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan. It is a living lineage where ancestral cultivation, community knowledge, and academic formation converge in the service of healing, cultural preservation, and future generations.
Today, as a Cultural Bearer, I remain committed to preserving the lineage of knowledge entrusted to me through my ancestors, teachers, and the communities from whom I have learned. Along this journey, I have encountered individuals who, after receiving teachings, choose to claim the knowledge solely as their own and distance themselves from the lineage and community that nurtured their growth. Others pursue training primarily for titles or recognition, yet do not continue the practice or embody the responsibilities that come with the tradition.
While these choices sadden me, I respect each person’s path. My sadness comes from seeing individuals disconnect themselves from the very source that helped shape their understanding. To me, a lineage is more than a collection of techniques or information. It is a living relationship built upon gratitude, mentorship, service, and the continuous transmission of wisdom from one generation to the next.
Throughout my study of ancient Asian and Indigenous healing traditions, I have observed a deep respect for teachers, elders, and lineages. Knowledge is not viewed merely as a commodity to be acquired, but as a sacred trust to be cultivated, practiced, and passed on with integrity. The bond between teacher and student often continues long after formal instruction has ended.
In contrast, modern society sometimes promotes the idea that once a person graduates or receives a credential, they no longer need to maintain a relationship with those who guided their learning. While independence and personal growth are important, I believe that true mastery is rooted in humility and lifelong learning.
Hilot, as a Traditional Filipino Medicine and healing art, is a lifelong journey. No one ever truly finishes learning. Even medical doctors, despite completing years of formal education and professional training, continue their studies, engage in continuing education, and often maintain relationships with their mentors, institutions, and professional communities. In the same way, the practice of Hilot calls us to remain students throughout our lives while honoring the lineage, teachers, communities, and ancestors who have made our learning possible.
For me, the preservation of Hilot Binabaylan is not only about safeguarding techniques. It is about preserving relationships, gratitude, memory, and lineage so that future generations may know where the teachings came from and continue to carry them forward with respect and integrity.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 