Last August 12-19, 2023 I was in Chicago, Illinois and have been co-ritualist for the Fight for Freedom New Moon Ritual that was held at Mc Cormick Place Convention Center beside Lake Michigan. There were many people who attended the Ritual for the Parliament of World Religion. So I am thinking if in 2024, I will come back again in America and if I could have a Chance to visit the States where you are right now, will you be able to see me as I plan to conduct Hilot Binabaylan Training so as the Bansagan Tala Tanda Naming Ceremony in embracing our Indigenous Filipino Identity? Let me know so that we could plan it out. I know this will be also difficult for me, but since I had been given a Visa Entry to the US last August, I believe I could also get one by 2024.
You all have known that Hilot is the medicine of our pre colonized ancestors that we are preserving that it may reach you in this present generation. With that we are also preserving the Medicine of our Indigenous People which is still practiced by the Aeta, Dumagat and Mangyan Indigenous People. Most of their medicine are being adopted by Folk Catholics and Mystics that can be found in Mount Banahaw and Quiapo Church which is the Philippine Center of Mysticism and Filipino Magick. Many of these Folk Catholics and Mystics were descendants of Katalonans ( Babaylan of the Katagalugan),despite being converted into Roman Catolicism, still have preserved the practice of Anituhan syncretized in their current Catholic Faith. Though the use of herbs in our Magickal works will never be Christianized as the herbs that grows in our land are never been baptised. So the use of these magickal herbs in a bottle is recognized to be a precolonial Filipino Magick/Medicine.
Since April 6, 2023- Red Doorz CPG Estate Goldberg Hotel has been a learning partner with us as they become our official hotel accommodation for our Students who comes in Diaspora.
As you enroll with us to our 8 days Hilot Binabaylan Training, aside from getting reconnected to our Culture and Tradition, you will be able to experience the Hospitality of Red Doors Goldberg Hotel. As you can see they have clean and comfortable bed, airconditioned room, Cabled Smart TV, WIFI Connected, Hot Shower and Toilet, plus abundant supply of hot and cold drinking water. But your food will be on us 5 times a day during the duration of your Training with us, that means breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner will be on us as you enroll to our Training Program.
I recieved a message from our contact form that comes from Alexandra and she wrote:
Dear
I am interested in your Hilot course. However I have some questions. I am half Filipino and grew up outside of the Philippines (as it usually goes). I’ve always been interested in learning massage, but never took the step to take up a course until now. I thought it would be nice to seek back to my roots and try out Hilot instead of Thai for example. I always thought Hilot was just massage, as the massage salons usually are called Hilot in the Philippines. Now do I see that your course offers so much more than that, which seems super interesting to me, to also enjoy the benefits of truly understanding all the aspects of the “Hilot culture”. Now I was wondering how much of an emphasis there is on massage techniques in your course, or if it’s just a small segment. I was also wondering when/how you plan for workshops. Do they happen weekly or does it depend on how many enrollments there are? Salamat and hope you have a beautiful day! Alexandra
That was her email to me and when i respond to her my email returned to me as this:
I am sad that my message doesnt transmitted to her as she have a wonderful inquiry about our training program. So, just in case she will read this, I am posting here my response to her.
Hi Alexandra thanks for your email.
Hilot is much more than Massage and it is a complete healing arts and science that has its Diagnostic, preventive, promotive, therapeutic and rehabilitative health care methodologies. This was the system that our ancestors passed unto us which Hilot Academy aims to revive. Other Hilot Schools do only focus on the aspect of Massage and doing so breaks the principle of Hilot
As Hilot therapeutics require diagnostic first before implementing cure and not all illness can be cured by massage alone. That is why our best training program that we offer is the 8 days Hilot Binabaylan Training which will initiate you to the Hilot Healing Principles which are Diagnostic, Cleansing, Repair, Strengthening and maintaining the optimum health and wellness of an individual.
I understand that our 8 days training would be so pricy as it already included your food and hotel accomodation for 9 days plus the learning materials and certificate.
Let me know which training program you will take by looking at our course offerings.
I hope this message will reach her and to everyone who is going to make an inquiry. We usually do one-on-one in person training so that we could focus our energy in providing much learning to the individual who enrolls with us.
It is such a Great Honor for us at Hilot Academy of Binabaylan to become a Cultural Doula in rebirthing other countries Traditional Medicine and Indigenous Spiritual Beliefs and Practices such as for our new Hilot Binabaylan in Training Quynh Vy who is from Vietnam. For us in Luntiang Aghama, it was the Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca had help us to dig deeper on our History, Culture and Tradition which allow us to resurface back again our Indigenous Spirituality. And it is through Hilot where it becomes our Doorway to found again the medicine of our ancestors which is strongly connected to the Spiritual realms.
Indeed, that as we always say that Hilot is our Traditional Indigenous Medicine, which is part of the applied science, whereas, in Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, we do not only focus our study on how to treat Human Illness but we go beyond the Physical Body to understand more the wholeness of the individual who seeks healing from us. As we believe that the Physical Body is just a vessel of life force to dwell in, and when it left the physical body, it will become lifeless. The lifeless body will not be able to feel, move, speak nor think because the life force is already absent in the body. And this life force within us is what we recognize as our soul. If the soul is complete within our body, Life is present, and the individual may achieve Wellness or Illness. all of this are being taught in our Hilot Binabaylan Training.
If we better understand how our ancestors value life, how our parents care for us prior to the coming of modern Phamaceuticals and the conventional medicine, we will know our Traditional Indigenous Medicine, and aligned to our Traditional Indigenous Medicine is the Indigenous Spirituality of our Ancestors. As we believe that we could not separate the Body and the Spirits. But even in Death, how our ancestors deal with it, we will find their spiritual beliefs and practices.
Early this morning we have fetch Christine Quynh Vy at Naia Terminal 3 for her 8 days study of Hilot Binabaylan Training. I ask her who recommend her to study Hilot Binabaylan and I was so glad to hear that one of our Graduates from Hawaii which is Dayang Gulaon, a vessel and Hilot Binabaylan of Diwatang Gugurang and Diwatang Laon. Dayang Gulaon aka Julz Bolinayen of Lakapati’s Legacy we among the last student of who took the in person 8 days training of Hilot Binabaylan before the lock down of Pandemic of Covid 19. From January 2019 when she took the Class, Dayang Gulaon have taken pride to the Ancestral Wisdom of Filipino Healing Arts and Science that she offers it through Lakapati’s Legacy in Hawaii. She is a Hilot Binabaylan that specialize in Tattoo Ritual, Divination, Serenade, Energy Healing and Death Doula- Ship. And she is the beloved Medium of Kilubansa the Filipino Diwata of Healing which Hilot Academy enshrined as our Patron Guide.
Quynh Vy is a receives Kilubansa Reading from Dayang Gulaon that later on they became friends. And Quynh Vy learned about the Academy through her. We were glad to meet Quynh Vy in person, and we have learned that she is a Vietnamese- American. Though she came to us to learn Hilot so that she could acquire some tools in her quest to uncover Vietnamese Culture and Tradition.
In the past, I have received some advice to limit accepting students to only Filipino or those with Filipino Blood. But I reject that Idea as it will violate the Ethics of Hilot that states:
“…as Manghihilot we do not discriminate an Individual, we do not look at them of their nationality, their political and religious affiliation, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, Social Classification whether they are rich or poor, We do not look at their color whether they are white, black or brown; we do not see them if they are young or old; but rather we see them as Soul that is within their body that needs healing from us.”
Hilot Gamutan: A fundamental Guide on Hilot Treatment Methodology by Rev. Rolando Gomez Comon CP MH-SOLA
So as a Teacher of Hilot, we do not discriminate also on whom we are going to Teach Hilot as Hilot is not exclusive to a certain person only but it is always available for all who are in need of.
Had a conversation with Lakay about the services of what Hilot could provide. At one point, Lakay thought of Hilot should be convenient to the client to allow them to have Hilot Treatment even at night time just what Spa are providing and some are open for 24 hours just to be available for people.
But in that case, the practitioner will suffer on violating the Natural Laws such as of working by day and resting by night. Unless our Government see Hilot as Essential Health Care providers that work in a Hospital Setting, then Hilot Care can be provided anytime of the day as long as it is considered as an Emergency care. When a person see something wrong with them at night unless if it is Life risking situation, people go to the Emergency Room of any hospital which is open for 24 hours. Unless when there is child birth, that I know that Hilot is called upon even on Unholy hours of the night.
Hilot should be part of our Government Health Care Delivery System and not of the Tourism Hospitality Care provider. Another issue that I found here is that when an Employee becomes sick and consult to a Manghihilot, the company does not recognize Hilot Certification unless it is a medical certificate. Going to a Manghihilot is not a valid reason for an employee to be absent in their work nor at school. So the one who suffer here is the Manghihilot who should extend their working hours even at the unholy hours of the night. As Hilot we does not only treat the Physical Body when an individual get sick, but we also treat their emotions and intellect by teaching them discipline. Our working hours should follow the movement of the sun as it gives life while night time it allow us to recharge by having rest.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan has been in operation since 2016 that make us work for already 7 years as an Educational Ministry of Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. And during those years, I have thought twice of stopping to work and that is when my mother died on 2019 and when I had a stroke last year of February 2022. But every time I am thinking to stop, the Spirits of the Ancestors will come to me and tell me to Continue.
This year and it’s almost Mid Year of 2023, I would say that we have served 7 people coming from Diaspora in sharing the knowledge of Filipino Ancestral Healing Arts and Science. And at the same time, on this year, I have received proposal of establishing Hilot School in London, UK. It seems that I have gone far with Just 7 years. But on those years that I have done, I still feel unaccomplished.
Yes as a school, we have produced Graduates that carry their acquired knowledge, skills and abilities in the country where they are now in. But as Filipino living in the Philippines, I am still striving to mold the status of Manghihilot in the Country. I am not certain to what I feel about when someone have asked me a Question if I do know an Authentic Manghihilot who still practices at this generation. And to be honest about my feelings, I want to answer that do you think that what you have learned from us is not authentic Hilot? I am weighing if that question offend me or just confuse me to what I am doing. So upon completing the course of the last enrollee of May, I had time to think and reflect on the works that I do.
Am I doing Authentic Hilot? Is the Hilot that I provide to my student are not Hilot? But who knows what Authentic Hilot is? If I am not doing Authentic Hilot, so will that mean that the experience that I have as a Child is not valid and authentic. So as the work of my Lolo and other Elderly Manghihilot are not Authentic? I feel that I have been Gaslighted through that Question. But now, my mind have recovered from the poison of greed and arrogance that have been energetically thrown to me and holding to the truth of my reality that I have created for my self and to the world.
I have been an Alternative Medicine Practitioner since 2002 and as an Accredited and Certified Trainer/ Assessor of Hilot in the Philippines since 2008. And throughout those years, I know that I have done my role not only as a Trainer/ Assessor but also as a Practitioner. And when I established Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, I realized that I have created a Bridge, where 2nd and 3rd Generation of Filipino in Diaspora may walk back again to the Path of our Race where they will not only know but also experience the Medicine of our Ancestors that make possible to our Existence today.
What I am ensuring in my work is that to make people of the present time to experience Hilot as how our ancestors benefit from it. I am safeguarding the practice of Hilot not to be commercialized and be molested. As the practice becomes popular and almost all countries wanted to have Hilot in their land. But as they commercialized Hilot in foreign land, it is the people in that place will benefit from it. So the local Manghihilot in the Philippines will be buried down as Foreigners will not come any more in the Philippines to experience Hilot but instead go to the nearest Hilot Center where it has been established. But what if, You who was born and raised in foreign land and still living there and want to have Hilot Business in your area, why not invest on Hiring Filipino Manghihilot to work in your place that they may earn an income from you as you profit from their work. Employing a Manghihilot to work in your business center will not only help you in promoting Hilot in your land but also will help Filipino’s to practice what they love and at the same time they can help their Family here in the Philippines to sustain their living.
But that is the thing if I think of Hilot in foreign Land, it requires the practice to have license or registration in practicing Hilot. But the problem is that your local government still is not aware of this, and the recognition must start here in the Philippines. And the Philippines already have National Accreditation and Certification of Hilot and that is through Technical Education Skills Development Development Authority and their standard regulation was implemented since 2008 (and we are so blessed to belong to the pioneer group of being Nationally Accredited and Certified Practitioner, Trainer and Assessor of Hilot) and on 2012 Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care have implemented their own standards and regulation on the practice of Hilot that luckily we are sharing our expertise in developing it up to this present time.
But what do we really want to happen in the practice of Hilot?
I remember that our Parents would always tell their children so that when they finish and have their degree they would have a secured that that will give them secured income. And also if you graduated into a prominent schools such as in major Universities in the Philippines, you will not need to search for job but instead a companies will search for you. I don’t know if that system is still true up to this day. As far as I know that this work was now given to our local village official office or in our town city hall through City Employment Service Office, when an unemployed person will ask assistance to find employment.
And as a School of Hilot, aside from producing graduates, we also intend to find a secure job for our graduates. And the question is where they will work? Are we allowing our Manghihilot to work in Spa? For me, No! Specially if they are going to work here in the Philippines or in any places in the world. Why I do not want our graduates of Hilot to work in a Spa? Well, the Day Spa in the Philippines could hire anyone and train people who apply for a position on the skills they are going to perform. And usually, new hired employee is being trained by the experienced employee in performing the tasked required. And most likely these Spa’s have their signature treatment procedures that is different from the Quality that a School teaches their student. And most spa’s offer Combination Massage which amalgamate two types of massage which diminish the quality of each techniques. If there is a New Client who have no experience in any type of Treatment, they will not recognize the value of the two treatment techniques and will just recognize it just one.
Such as last week, I had a Spa and have seen a Combination of Hilot and Swedish Massage, as I experience it, I don’t feel the touch of Hilot but rather feel most of the session the touch of Swedish Massage. The practice of Combining Massage into one, as people thought it to be a Great Deal because they are paying just one Massage Session but having two techniques. But as for me, combining Massage shows the incompetence of the practitioner and dishonor the techniques. It is just a waste of money. Though we could not blame the therapist on that but it reflects also the competence of their trainer.
Now-a-days, Spa offers Home or Hotel Services that people think are very convenient and so as for the sake of earnings for the Spa, they offer it. Hilot Academy condemns that practice and will not allow to the Practitioners to do so. The reason why a Hilot Healing Center must be accredited because PITAHC assess the venue if the Center complies to the agency’s standards and Regulation in providing Hilot. Client’s home nor a Hotel are not part of the Hilot Healing Center Accreditation and besides the house of client is not a Therapeutic Environment for the practitioner. Client may think that it is convenient if they will only order Hilot Practitioner to come in their homes, but what they are missing out is the Hilot Atmosphere that a Hilot Healing Center provides.
When Hilot Care is done at home, there will be a possibility of distraction and at the same time there will be a limitation in providing the treatment procedures. All of the manghihilot needs is established on the healing center, unless a person only requires Massage then they should Hire a Massage Therapist than a Manghihilot.
So what does we envision how our Hilot Healing Center should look like? We make an Upgrade to our Hilot Binabaylan Training which hopefully will release by 2024 and in that curriculum we include setting up of Hilot Healing Center which should have an area or space in conducting Traditional Diagnostic Procedures; Area for Hilot Cleansing Rituals such as Pagbabanyos, Suob and Paligo; Treatment room area where Hilot Treatment procedure is applied; then of course there should be a supply room where materials, equipment’s and tools used in Hilot is stored; and ideally there should be a Herbal Garden where we get our fresh herbs that we use in Hilot.
As I see most Hilot Schools focuses their training on Massage Aspects of Hilot, thus when they finish their schooling the end result will be that they are going to be employed as Massage Therapist at Spa. But the problem that I see on Spa is that for the sake of Earning an Income, they have neglected to follow the Therapeutic Hours which a Manghihilot should follow. The Knowledge that an individual learned from the Academy or Training Center has been erased or set aside when the Graduate has been employed in the Spa. The reason would be that school setting is different from the Industry Setting which is an actual life event. That is why I saw some Spa operates almost from 1:00 PM to 3:00 AM which is a 14 hours or even almost operates for 24 hours of service which hazardous to the health of the practitioner.
In Hilot Academy, we do not encourage that kind of work, as Manghihilot we are a Health Care Provider and we know that in Health Care we have to set a Therapeutic Environment as well as following the Therapeutic Hours.
What is Therapeutic Hours?
Therapeutic Hours are time within the day where Healing Energies are available in Nature which a Manghihilot could access to affect healing to the patient. And These hours are from Sunrise to Sunset. For me those times are healing time as light are available. Let us say, we start our Healing work by 7:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, these hours are intended for Promotive Health Care or for attracting positive energies to come into the persons life, where as from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM which the Sun is setting is intended for banishing or removing negative energies.
As soon as the Sun goes down and darkness covered the sky, it is intended for rest. It has also its healing property which commands our brain to slow down. Many people get sick because people resist this natural order. They do the work that supposedly be done during the light of the day and still work at night.
So the work of Manghihilot should not exceed the prescribed hours of the Day, in doing so, the Manghihilot also doing harm to themselves and not teaching discipline to their client by allowing them to violate the Therapeutic Hours set by Mother Nature her self.
So aside from doing physical touch manipulations and other Hilot Healing Methods to affect healing, the Manhihilot is also responsible in Cultivating their own Healing Medicine from Nature.
like what we always say that Hilot does not only focus on the massage aspect of healing but it also utilize Halaman (Herbs) Init (Heat) Liwanag (light) Orasyon (time/prayer) Tubig (water) in healing.
And the one I have shared to you above is the teaching about Hilot Orasyon which is about time and therapeutic hours.
If you like the article you just read above, please consider donating so that we may finish the construction of Bahay SiAdTala in Brgy. South Signal Village, Taguig City. This will be our new training venue for Hilot Academy of Binabaylan and Fellowship Center of Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc..
I am writing an Orasyon that aims to dedicate our Whole Body under the protection of the Great Power. So in this prayer, I am dedicating each body parts to the Great Power which I refer to my personal Diwata named May Ari. When I am about to pray for my Sikmura or Stomach area, i was stopped to my surprise to the realization that I have. Aside from what I have previously learned that it is the Seat of our Soul, Our Sikmura is also responsible in filtering and transforming bad energies into Good Energies.
It was our topic long ago that why a person need to wear protective talisman, as I think in terms of law of attraction, wearing talisman for protection might attract danger or accident in order for the talisman to show its effectivity. But I rather suggest instead of protection, one must create powerful filter that may absorb good energies and transmute negative energies into positive energies. And this is also my intention as If writing prayers are writing prescription as medicine for our soul.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 
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