PITAHC or Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care which is an Attached Agency of Philippine Department of Health is the appropriate Government Agency that should regulate (if ever) the Practice of Hilot. This is due to the virtue of the Republic Act 8423 that is mandated on December 1997. Though the law was made on 1997, the Implementing Rules and regulation of this act was made not until December 7, 1999 which was Chaired by former DoH Secretary Alberto G. Romualdez Jr. MD.

The objectives of this law are the following:

1. To encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care systems that has a direct impact on public health care.
2. To promote and advocate the use of traditional, alternative health care modalities that have been proven safe, effective, cost-effective and consistent with government standards on health care practice.
3. To develop and coordinate skills training courses for various forms of traditional and alternative health care modalities.
4. To formulate standards, guidelines and codes of ethical practice appropriate for the practice of traditional and alternative health care as well as in the manufacture, quality control and marketing of different traditional and alternative health care materials, natural and organic products, for approval and adoption by the appropriate government agencies.
5. To formulate policies for the protection of indigenous and natural health resources and technology, natural products, by-products and derivatives from unwarranted exploitation, for approval and adoption by the appropriate government agencies.
6. To formulate policies to strengthen the role of traditional and alternative health care delivery system; and
7. To promote traditional and alternative health care in international and national conventions, seminars and meetings in coordination with the Department of Tourism, Duty Free Philippines Incorporated, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation and other tourism related agencies as well as non-government organizations and local government units.

And by 2015, The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care have issued PITAHC Circular 01 series of 2015 about the Guidelines on Implementing RA 8423 IRR on the National Certification of Hilot Practitioners and the Accreditation of Hilot Training Centers and Hilot Healing Center.

As a Practitioner of Hilot, I am commenting on the content of the Law that RA 8423 doesn’t mention about Hilot specially on its definition of terms except for the Definition of Traditional Medicine that states:

the sum total of knowledge, skills, and practice on health care, not necessarily explicable in the context of modern, scientific philosophical framework, but recognized by the people to help maintain and improve their health towards the wholeness of their being, the community and society, and their interrelations based on culture, history, heritage, and consciousness.

RA 8423 Article 2 Section 4.B

Whereas on its Implementing Rules and Regulation Issued in 1999, we can see that it Define Hilot as:

While on PITAHC Circular no. 01 series of 2015, the Definition of Hilot has been changed into this:

This changing definition of Hilot coming from our Government officials makes me think that they have lack knowledge in terms of our Practice in Hilot, but nevertheless as Citizen of this Country and part of the Industry, we are going to reach out to them and correct what was wrongly made specially in the statement of the definition of Hilot that states: “with the use of manipulations, bulong or oracion…” which endangers some spiritual practitioners or may be seen biased towards a certain Faith Tradition that uses Oracion as part of their Spiritual Practice. And besides it may infringed our constitutional rights stated on Article 3 Section 5 that states:

Though I see the Importance of Regulating Hilot as a Health Care Practice so as our very own Indigenous Ancestral Knowledge to avoid exploitation, but we must also consider the Spiritual Aspect of Hilot that the Government or any certain laws could take out from the practice of Hilot. Thus we are making a Review on the Competency Standards that have been formulated by PITAHC in the practice of Hilot. So let us check on What do PITAHC expects to be a Manghihilot.

So PITAHC have set 10 competency in order for an Individual to become a Qualified Manghihilot. Let us Dissect each one of the competency.

I. EMBODY AND ARTICULATE HILOT TRADITION IN THE COMMUNITY

With this we can see that they have a flowchart so that a person could embody and articulate the Hilot Tradition.

1. Demonstrate Commitment to Hilot Tradition
2. Explain the Principles behind the Hilot Tradition to Client/Patient
3. Identify and Describe the practices of Hilot as Filipino Traditional Medicine
4. Advocate the Hilot Tradition to the Community
5. Apply the principles of Hilot Tradition to the Client/Patient.
6. Work within the Hilot Center Regulations and Guidelines.

With these 6 areas in embodying Hilot, I believe that instead Demonstrating Commitment, it should be Developing Commitment first because haw can you demonstrate if you have no skills, knowledge and abilities in performing and demonstrating Hilot Tradition. So if we are going to Develop Commitment towards the Hilot Tradition, we should know first what is Hilot and what does it do and how it works. And in the Developing Commitment clause, the principles of Hilot must be clearly taught and explained so as the practices of Hilot in terms of Diagnostic, Treatment and Prevention of Physical, Emotional and Mental Ailments or disease. As practitioner of Hilot, automatically we advocate Hilot Tradition as it supports us in Daily living, but who is needed to advocate Hilot is PITHAC in general by implementing the provision of the Rules and Regulation of RA 8423 in Rule 11 Section 2 that says:

But unfortunately, PITAHC does not advocate Hilot but instead supported other Traditional Medicine practices such as Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda and so on. Hilot Practitioners need support from our Government in order to protect the people or General Public so as the practitioners it self. I remember in 2022, the Hilot Congress talks about Fly-by-Night practitioners who is using the Term Hilot to validate their practice but extort patients/client.

Now let us move to the second Competency that PITHAC implies to a Manghihilot which is:

II. TO PRACTICE GROUNDING TECHNIQUES OR TRADITIONAL SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Though these second area of competency has a broad interpretation specially if we talk about Traditional Spiritual Formation.

Since the History of the Philippines is not only covered during the Time that Magellan arrived in the Philippines so when we talk about Filipino Traditional Spirituality it may cover not only Catholicism but also Islam so as Hindu/Buddhist Spiritual practices.

So it is much better to have a clear definition of traditional spiritual formation or the term Grounding Techniques. In terms of Folkloric Hilot Tradition, which is the Medicine of the Common People, I never seen a Hilot Practitioner who will do an Asana or Meditation before providing Hilot.

Most likely, Folk healers would have a specific time to do the “pakain” or feeding of their abilities through Orasyon. And these Folk Healers would call that practice as “Pagpopondo” or in English as “Funding”. And on the time that they are going to touch a person in healing they will only utter the “susi” or Key Prayer to make their healing works.

Such as in Islamic Folk Healing Practices they do “Wudu” or Ritual Washing on 7 body parts to make them worthy of their Prayers and on the actual healing before they touch would Say the Words: ” Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim! Allahu Akbar!” which means In the Name of Allah The most Gracious and the most Merciful! Allah is Most Great!”

While on the practice of the Folk Healing by the Indigenous People of the Philippines, it vary from different Tribe. So some healer may ground by making sound from either Gong or Drums and they sing and dance until they reach a Trance state then healing session will begin.

While on the practice of Luntiang Aghama in Healing our Grounding Method is based on the knowledge on the Practice of Hilot. A hilot practitioner will be well grounded if they know the Nature of the Illness that is why we have our Pagtatawas. And when we already know, we can formulate treatment plan that we could apply to the client/patient condition. In terms of Spiritual Formation, Tawas is our Tool to connect our Soul to the Soul of our client and to the Universal Soul which is the main source of Healing. And the Hilot Philosophy that we follow is that Every Individual has their own healing ability thus our work as Manghihilot is just a Channeler of that awareness to an Individual and to awaken their own healing abilities for them selves.

III. WORK WITHIN THE PHILIPPINE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

This one is too complex that it Requires PITAHC to make a Resolution. As Hilot Practitioner, we see our role as Primary Health Care practitioner providing Traditional Diagnostic, Preventive, Promotive, Treatment and Rehabilitative Function; and as Manghihilot, we envision that we could serve as an additional work force into the Public or Private Health Care Facilities and we are calling the attention of the Promotion, Advocacy and Training Division of Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care so as the Philippine Department of Health, Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Higher Education, Philippine Council on Health Research and Development, so as the signatories of RA 8423 IRR such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and even Department of Science and Technology and even the National Commission on Culture and Arts so as the National Commission on Indigenous People to consider the work of Manghihilot as being essential to the Health Care Delivery System in the Philippines.

IV. ASSESS CLIENT/PATIENT ACCORDING TO HILOT TRADITION

Since these competency aims to professionalize the practice of Hilot that is why it ask to get client information for data keeping. But traditionally, the work of Hilot is based on Trust and Faith. But in terms of assessing the client, this means that we should find out our Client’s need for Hilot. In TESDA Hilot Standards and Regulation, Client’s need may be expressed into the Client’s expectation requirements which was listed as the following:

• Improved Relaxation
• Improve Sense of Well being
• Improve Skin Condition and
• Stress Reduction

But for us in Hilot Academy as it was taught to us by our Manghihilot, what we deal with patients Illness are Pilay which can fall eitheir into Spiritual Nature or Physical Illness. That is why It is important that we conduct preliminary investigative procedure or Hilot Assesment and Evaluation before we end up on the treatment process. Such pilay can be categorized into the Following:

• Pilay Ipit ( Earth)
• Pilay Hangin (Air)
• Pilay Bali (Fire)
• Pilay Lamig (Water)
• Pilay Usog (Spirit)

V. PERFORM TRADITIONAL HILOT TECHNIQUES AND OTHER HILOT MODALITIES

In this case for Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, we may call this as Hilot Treatment modality as Hilot is not just a Massage but the entirety of Hilot Treatment must follows the Principle of Healing that is:

1. Diagnostic
2. Cleansing
3. Treatment
4. Supplementation

These procedure must go together in any Hilot Treatment procedures so that we could assure the effectivity of the treatment to our Client.

VI. PREPARE, RECOMMEND AND INSTRUCT CLIENT/PATIENT ON THE USE OF PHILIPPINE MEDICINAL PLANTS.

Such as this, It is important that our Manghihilot has Basic knowledge on Philippine Medicinal Plants and the General Public must be educated on the proper use of herbal Medicine as there is also an adverse affect to it when not used properly such as over dosage. Like in the use of Synthetic Drugs, over use of Herbal Medicine may also have a bad effect towards our health. And most of the time that using herbal medicine would compare its safetiness on just eating foods or vegetable. Remember there is an Impatso or over eating. So it is better that our Manghihilot also has a coordination with Philippine Nutrition Council and Food and Drugs Authority so as on Department of Agriculture specially on the Bureau of Plant Industry in terms of Cultivating Herbal Plants. I just want to mention here that the City Government of Taguig has a Farm-to- Table Project which is the Urban Gardening.

It would be nice of PITAHC would coordinate with DILG to provide local employment of our Manghihilot as Urban Gardner which may integrate our practice into Barangay Health Services.

VII. DOCUMENTED HILOT PRACTICE AND PATIENT PROGRESS

Like what I always tell the people that We are Manghihilot and not a Business person. But in our desire to upgrade our profession, we must comply to this skills requirement. This will also help us in seeing the progress of our work so as in the effectivity of the treatment we have applied. Acquiring Basic Office Management skills and House Keeping skills might be helpful and not bad addition to our skill level. Such as on the next 2 competencies.

X. CONTINUE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

On this Competency specially in the provision letter E about participating in local and international Traditional Medicine Conferences, PITAHC should be the one providing us an opportunity for that. But as Local Manghihilot, we could create event which all of us can learn from one another to the advancement of the Practice of Hilot in the Philippines. And as an Individual practitioner, I am seeking opportunity that our Hilot Practitioner will also have an International Recognition separate from Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractic and other Traditional Medicine modality. I know we could make this happen to make Hilot be known by #HEALTHEWORLDWITHHILOT!

In this short video, we have explained the governing principles in the practice of Hilot which is pakikipagkapwa and pagmamalasakit.

I uploaded a Slide so that You may read carefully its content. As many people seems to be interested on becoming a Manghihilot. May this material helps you understand clearly what hilot is all about. In this presentation I have used the Panitik 16 font which is a Baybayin Writing Script written by our Brother Kaka ApuLakan Siklab of Sulong Baybayin Abril 21 movement.

When I was at The Alternative Medicine School at St. Francis Divine College, it was the desire of my late Professor and Mentor Dr. Rueben M. Galang Jr. to have a Healer in Every Filipino Homes. And now we have Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, we envisioned that Wherever a Filipino is around the world, there is a Hilot Binabaylan to touch you. But what is the importance of having a Hilot Binabaylan in every Filipino Home? or even in the community of Filipino in Diaspora? Aside from patronizing our own culture and Tradition, we as Hilot Binabaylan teaches people to be responsible in their own Health and not relying it to other people outside their Family. By having a Hilot Binabaylan in every home, preventive and promotive Health Care will be implemented. The cost of buying synthetic medicine will be lessened, and every Filipino Homes will be empowered to live a Happy life, out of illness and even sudden death. This is the thoughts that came to me when I design the Hilot Family Care Training Program.

At first I only thought of Training unemployed single mother’s, but in my mind when the mother get sick who will care for her? So, I decided that I will provide a training program for the whole family to learn basic Hilot treatment techniques that in times of need everyone could give Hilot Treatment to one another. Like what I always teach in the Academy that every individual should be responsible with their own health such as an individual breathe, eat and drink for themselves so, much more they must be responsible in caring for their own health.

In the Word Hilot, the last letter on it’s word does not mean Tolerate but instead it means to Teach. As Manghihilot, we teach people by reminding them the Law of Nature in every treatment that we provide to them. We do not teach them to be Reliant but instead we teach them to be Responsible. The pain a person experience during a Hilot Treatment does not mean to hurt them, but it is a reminder for an individual to Remember the Laws. Hilot is not a gateway to escape your individual problem by having a relief but instead Hilot will push you to confront the problem and deal it right away that you may be birthed into a new life.

People might think that the Treatment that Hilot Provide is Barbaric and Ancient for as it does not consider the pain that a person would suffer, but in the first place- the person that comes to us is already in pain and what we do is fix the thing that have been broken in their lives. This is why people shout, cry and even lamenting during our treatment as if each individual who receives hilot experience labor pain like a mother who is delivering birth. Through the pain they experience they will be reminded of the mistakes and wrong doings they have done either in this recent past or even extend it to their past life. Relieving pain does make it to be cured, like in tooth ache which is very painful, if we just take pain reliever it will just relieve us temporarily, we need to see a Dentist on how deep the infection affected us and if it already destroyed our tooth. When it does, it needed to extract so that we will be fully healed. And when we are done, we will be very careful now so that illness will not come back and make us suffer.

As Hilot Binabaylan, we never claim to be the one who heals, as many Traditional Filipino Healers would say that we are only instrument of God in providing Healing. In Alternative Medicine School, when I was in College, My Professor Dr. Rueben M. Galang Jr. have taught us that every human being has the ability to heal themselves, and this teaching is what I am carrying up to this day, and passing it forward to all my students or rather should I call as fellow Hilot Binabaylan.

So in our Hilot Binabaylan Training, I introduce to our learning fellow their Healing Companion and their Co Worker which is the herbs. Through this, it grinds our self Pride and boost Humility within us acknowledging to our self that we are not the Healer but being firm to our belief that we are only the Instrument. Because now-a-days, there are many prideful Healers that would say that you owe your life to them, which in turn becomes very ungodly.

In the teachings of Luntiang Aghama through Hilot Academy, we see Plant Medicine Spirits as our Elder Siblings. They were placed by the Creator among and around us to take care for us. But unfortunately with the progress of time and Greed of Humanity, these elder siblings of ours are being pulled out from the ground and cover the soil with concrete cement to become our road.

But we can see that the power of Nature still persist that she allow life to flourish even on a tiny Space. It seems that our Elder siblings are struggling to Co Exist among us that in this world, only Humans are allowed to exist, and no plants and animals should unless Human beings allows it. But in reality, It was the Plants and animals were the first in the order of creation, next to the mountain, valley, plains, river and seas. It was them that was referred to by the God of the Bible when He said: Let US Make Man according to OUR Image. It was the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water and all that was created before us that allow us to live and exist.

We know this at first but as Time progresses, we already forgot this reality and our mind was poisoned with Greed and illness struck our body that we become weak.

Before we see this as Garbage and usually weed it out like a pest. But now, people have learned its value that it has been sold in market place as medicine. If people only know how to talk to plants, they will know their value and how they can help us in times of need. Having knowledge on Plant Medicine Spirits will humble us as we will learn their role not only as food but as well as in repairing us when we are sick and broken.

With these, I want to invite you to study with us in our Journey in Becoming a Hilot Binabaylan. We already have open classes on May 2023 which will start on May 10-18, 2023 and we also welcome enrollee’s for June 2023. To register, kindly click on the Button below and fill up our Registration Form.

April came with a hectic schedule for me, as we conduct our 2nd and 3rd batch of Hilot Binabaylan Face-to-Face in person Training that our sister Lani Brown have kicked started last 16 of January which went successful as we have passed our knowledge to her. This has been followed by 3 days Masidhi Hilot Class which attended by Nawa and Argo on February 28- March 1; then on April 6-13 for Kai, Maria and Grace then lastly for Carolina on April 15-23.

I am very grateful for Red Doorz CPG Estate Goldbergs Hotel for becoming a temporary Home of our Students that is located at 11A General Espino St., Zone 6, Brgy. South Signal Village, Taguig City.

Since the construction of our Building for our Training Venue is not yet complete but have finished first our Learning Activity Area which still need improvement. I am sure that all students who came here notice that as they endure the summer heat in the Philippines but have successfully completed the required 8 days training in becoming a Hilot Binabaylan. But thanks to Red Doorz, the student has a comfortable place to rest at night that they may able to charge up and to face new challenges set every day.

During our Training, we have snack breaks and lunch. And every after lunch, we have Siesta, which is an after-lunch nap which comes beneficial for our students to gather strength as they beat up the noon time heat. I notice this has become a trend since our day 1 with Lani Brown then during the Training of Argo and Nawa, and this time with kai, maria, grace and carolina.

These batch of learners were able to formulate new terminology for Hilot based on their learning experience. For batch 2 of 2023 which consist of Kai, Maria Malunggay and Grace, and they call their Hilot as Confrontational Healing which makes our Hilot Touch like a Key that open up the doors of the Past that made them deal with the trauma they have whether in their childhood day even of their past lives. Our Training method allow them first to experience Hilot Binabaylan Ritual Healing that starts from suob and the application of all Hilot Treatment techniques that invokes the help of the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit.

When I see myself doing it, I was like a Midwife who assist new mother to deliver a live child. The experience that i was able to give them is like a Birthing ritual which every one of them experiences labor pain that is not only physical in nature but as well as emotional, mental, social and Spiritual. I was able to deliver a new life to each one of them through our Hilot Binabaylan Healing Ritual.

The next terminology that been created by carolina which is from batch 3-2023 is what she calls as Karmic Hilot. According to her, she have been practicing as Holistic Healer for 20 years, and when she came to us, it was her first-time experience to receive healing to her own by another person. She has already witnessed how her client experience the pain as she gives healing, but this time she is the one who receives healing through Hilot. The treatment that she experiences is somewhat she calls as repairing pain, as it fixes part of her body that has been damage due to long time usage. The literal Wear and Tear effect in our life. In our life, we experience aging and that is inevitable fact that all of us will experience. But it is nice that we have Hilot healing that allow us to reset our body and feel become new person.

On my part as Hilot Binabaylan Teacher and Healer, It teach me not only in giving happiness and hope. But Hilot encourage me to be Humbler in Helping them face their own realities in life and in becoming more honest to what i assess that is going through in their life not only in their current physical health aspect but also in their emotional, intellectual, social and Spiritual Health.

With these, we are opening up again our doors for our Journey in becoming a Hilot Binabaylan Training that will happen this May 2023. So if you want to take this course, kindly fill up our enrollment form by clicking the button below.

Like i am telling you all the time that Hilot is not just massage but there are other modalities that an Authentic Manghihilot could provide as cure for an illness.

So How Malong could treat an illness? Well, I could share more ways how malong can be employed in Healing if you enroll on our training program in becoming a Hilot Binabaylan.

But basically, Malong is a form of clothing that mostly worn by thalassocrat people who lives in nearby sea. Which is common in southern Philippines and nearby neighboring countries. It is one of the earliest clothing of our ancestors aside from bahag and saplot at tapis. Though it was my long dream to meet and befriend a Fashion Designer that could revive or reinvent Saplot and Tapis to be worn in this modern times rather than Baro’t Saya for female and Barong for men which has its Spanish Influence and now been celebrated as our National Clothing. I have seen Malong being indigenous to Maranao and Maguindanaon People as they use it even in their daily modern lives and been inspired by them.

The first time I see malong that been worn by men was when I am in Saudi Arabia. I noticed that Saudian people always wear their national dress for men which is called thobe. And even muslims here in the Philippines do sometime wear thobe as Islam was a National Religion for Saudi Arabia. But aside from Saudians, I see Indians, Bangladeshi, Indonesians wear Malong as their skirt or lower garments that is why when I came back to the Philippines and establish Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, I started to wear Malong as my lower garments at home. Since Philippines is one of the Thalossocratic country, which is surrounded by sea, it is comfortable to wear Malong specially on hot and sunny days. Malong can be one of the cultural pride of our country aside from the Habi and Abel coming from different regions of our country. Besides from that I see Malong can be useful in doing Hilot as Malong is known to be cloth from Cradle to Grave. It has been known to use by our Maguindanaon Brothers and Sister to wrap their new born child in malong so as their dead before sending them to the Grave. I see its worth in giving warmth during Rainy and cold days, so as Shelter in Sunny days. For me instead of using umbrella under the sun, I use malong as a Shade even during rainy days.

It is important to know in our Journey in becoming a Hilot Binabaylan the kind of medicine we apply in treating our people who are sick. It was not us who practice Hilot does heal. And since time immemorial we never claim we could heal but it is the person themselves through God’s Grace. In our training, we share all the methods that we could use to facilitate activating the healing abilities of an individual. And many people have ignored or neglected to value of our Plant Medicine Allies.

As modern people of this time have been trapped to their knowledge that medicine should be prescribed only by a medical professional and need to buy at the pharmacy and have forgotten that our Great Healer have given us Caregiver through the plants that grow in our surroundings. People just take what they have been told and known but have built a wall of separation to other plants they do not know and consider them as poison.

Our ignorance towards Plant Medicine allies have limit us and enslaved us to patronize medicines that could be bought at pharmaceuticals. Our busy life made us choose fast relief that it is easy to buy rather than to cultivate our own medicine. This modern culture that we have now in this generation makes life easy that it easily comes and easily go. There are so much fear that been instilled and inculcated into our minds by this modern society where we belong now. But if we set aside those fear, and trust that everything God had made has a purpose and integrate our self to the ways of Nature, then like trees in the forest, we will grow and stay alive longer and enjoy the blessings that the world may give.