As manghihilot we see first the solid ground where we stand and not the number of people we are going to heal and the amount of money we are going to earn for our treatment services. We heal the land first and cultivate it and allow the healing herbs to grow and be our tool in healing. We do not have the power of healing of our own but what we have is the power of life that animates us. And through the Life Force that flows within us, we share it first to the land and utilise the power of nature to provide life force in the land and later on we use the life force we can find in nature to provide cure to the illness of our fellow men. Indeed we should not be called as a Healer but instead we should be called as Care Taker of the Land. Because our tools in healing relies on the providence of the Divine that can be found in our Environment.

Healing it self does not come to the personal power of the healer. Our academic success, certificates, diploma, licenses does not make a person well and healed but through nature’s gift of life. As Manghihilot we must have more concern about the land where we live, the water we drink and the air we breathe. And we pray that the Sun and Moon to continue to provide us the light we need together with all the stars in the heavens above to guide us in our daily life while we are living in this world.

This is the reason why most of our ancestor manghihilot are not educated nor licensed professional because nature taught them the ways of healing. The evidence of their education can be measured through the number of Diploma, Certificate and Licenses we can earn but through the plants and herbs they grow and use to have a successful healing session with the person that is ill.

Hilot is part of the Filipino Culture that needs to revive and preserve. For Generations our Ancestors rely on it on the maintenance of their health and well being. As time passed by modern medicine has been introduced and slowly removing Hilot by giving its duties and responsibilities to the modern practitioners of Medicine. Our Manghihilot who was once a General Practitioner of Healthcare in our country has been demoted into a lesser degree and function. It is sad to say when you ask people about who are the Manghihilot they will only recall them as Massage Therapist. And this is also what the Philippine Government think about the Manghihilot when they created the Training Regulation of TESDA Hilot Wellness Massage NC2 Training Program.

And using their promulgated training regulation,  it is written in their Healing concepts the valuing process. In this concept of healing the manghihilot see each patient to be important and has purpose. Thus the manghihilot provide care to maintain the value of each person that they may continue to progress. Through the Life force that is within us, we continue to live and move to create and establish our life. But if we personified the Ancient Healing Arts and Science of the Filipino people, we can see it now as a person that is dying and loosing its purpose. As a healer we must bring back the purpose of Hilot in order to preserve it to last for another Generation or maintain it for ever.

This is the purpose of Hilot Academy of Binabaylan. We aim to preserve Hilot by promoting it and provide training and services so that people will still know and appreciate the beauty of what our ancestors have experience through Hilot. We are giving High Value to our non tangible cultural heritage which has been passed down to us by our ancestors. If we just set aside Hilot and allow people to think of it as a Massage, the true meaning of purpose of Hilot will die and will be buried into the land of those who are not remembered.

Thus in this present times ,despite of the presence of the Government Authorities promoting Hilot as Massage, we in the Academy are working hard to revive the folkloric aspect of hilot and bridge the gap of mysticism into a more acceptable scientific approach in Healthcare.

Training provider teach Hilot in acronym form specially in TESDA. Many have taught Hilot as an acronym for Halaman (Herbs), Init (Heat) , Lamig (Cold), Orasyon (Prayer) at Tubig (Water). But in Hilot Academy we teach Hilot as Halaman (Herbs), Init (Heat), Liwanag (Light), Orasyon (Timing and Prayer) and Tubig (Water). Since the first letter that we can find in Hilot is about Herbs, Hilot Academy teaches Herbal preparation for treatment. The usage of herbs may go externally which means that you apply the herbs to your skin for treatment or internally which you literally put the herbs inside your body through the mouth and digest it.

In taking herbs internally we usually take it as a tea or salad and the modern version is we take it in capsule or tablet form. Between the two i prefer to use the tablet as it work faster than in capsule form.

Learn more about Healing Herbs and its preparation to use as a medicine by enrolling with us to our Herbal Hilot Class.