All I thought it was impossible to do it. In my mind I doubt of making it Happen to compress the following lessons in just 8 Hours from 9:00 am to 5:00 PM. And the lessons we took up are the following:
Definition, Origins and Hilot Treatment Methodologies; Basic Hilot Diagnostic that focus on Pulse Reading, Kapa and Salat; Discussion of Hilot Cleansing Rituals that focus on Suob; Dagdagay/Kulis Traditional Stick Foot Massage; Performing Tandok/Bentusa Fire Cupping; Pagsasala and Basic Hilot Touch Manipulation Techniques.
Selected Lessons on Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan Copyrighted 2016
Due to limited time of our Friend from London, She was able to spend 8 hours with us learning the some of the concepts of Hilot Binabaylan, and I wrote it down in her handout the work expectation of what a Hilot Binabaylan do.
As Hilot Binabaylan, one must be proficient in the following areas:
Diagnostic -performing Tawas Spiritual Diagnosis for the illness caused by the Spirits which affects the Mind and Emotion; Pulse Reading and Hilot Physical Assessment and Evaluation through Pagsasala/Panghihila, Pakapa and Pasalat.
Psycho/Emotional Counseling or Hilot Orasyon through Tawas Divination, Kilubansa Elemental Name Energetic Balance Analysis, and Siadtala Baybayin Mystic Oracle.
Physical Treatment through employment of different Hilot Treatment modalities such as Hilot Cleansing Rituals of Pagbababad, Pagpupunas, Paghihilod, Pagbabalot, Pagsusuob, Pagbabanlaw and Pagpapalina; Traditional Filipino Foot Stick Massage (Dagdagay/Kulis); Tandok/ Bentusa Fire Cupping; Pagpapahid (Wellness Massage).
Supplementation of Herbal Medicine such as in herbal tea, tablets, syrups, baths and so on.
And in between classes, we have a lot of chat that it seems we are redeeming each moment that we have together that we also forgot to have a toilet break. But at least we didn’t forget to have lunch. I am confident enough that she could pass all the knowledge I share as she establish Hilot Hands Academy in London. But this one day course is just an Introductory lessons as she will come back again to sharpen up her skills and not just theory as we have talked for 8 hours. Here are some of the activities that we had yesterday.
By the way, you could also ask for this one day training which is an Introductory Course on becoming a Hilot Binabaylan which we provide a Comprehensive overview of what is expected from you if you take the intensive course on Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan for 8 days or the Masidhi Hilot Training for 3 days.
We will be holding 2 sessions of the 8 days training the first one will happen on April 6 to 13 then next batch will be on April 16-23, 2023. We are going to conduct this on our new Training Center at Taguig City.
Time run so fast and we are already on the 6th of March 2023! Even though the time changes, it seems that my mind is stuck on the last activities that I made. Well in order for me to move forward, I will just leave the memories of yesterday here so that I may presently prepare for the future.
But do you experience the same? Sometimes your memories are stuck on the past event that had happened to you? Or you are having difficulty to move on in your life specially when it comes to break up in a relationship or death of a love one?
So this kind of situation is considered a mental/emotional illness that Hilot could help you with! So what do you think the kind of Hilot Treatment needed in order to relieve a person from this kind of illness? Which part of the Body that a manghihilot should focus on in treating this kind of situation? Well you are free to answer by making comment below specially if you are a graduate of the Academy, you may have an Idea how to treat this situation. But before I give my answer, let me post first our Day 2 Activities with Argo, Nawa and Lakay.
We may think that it is our memory is the issue on this situation that having hard time to move on and let go of the situation. That might be correct, but in traditional indigenous medicine of Hilot, we see it that it is the Small and Large Intestine has the problem here and most likely those who suffer from these issues might also be suffering from constipation. So in treating this problem let me post first our Day 3 activities on Masidhi Hilot Training.
Do not think that the work of Manghihilot is just limited on treating the Physical Illness of a person and that is the common perception of the public that the work of manghihilot is no different from a Massage Therapist. But in reality, we are more than that! Our Training program that we offer here at Hilot Academy on becoming a Certified Hilot Binabaylan goes beyond the limitation of Physical Illness, but through the treatment methods and techniques we provide could help an individual to deal also with their emotional and mental Dis Ease.
You will be surprised to know that each of our emotions has its corresponding body organs that we could stimulate with. Such as on this problem of difficulty to move on and let go, we can treat the intestine through a water treatment. So in using water in healing there are many ways but the water must come in first in order to flush out what have stocked inside us. Enema might be invasive but our ancestors have used it as well and we might benefit from using it. But aside from enema, can make a blend of smoothie made of carrots, ginger and coconut milk to drink and do suob. After 10 to 15 minutes we can do pagpapahid manipulation on the stomach area.
If you want to learn more on how Hilot could help you treat different situations like this aside from physical illness, I recommend you to enroll on our Hilot Binabaylan training program. So plan ahead make a schedule of your visit in the Philippines that we may have our Learning Journey together in preserving our Philippine Traditional and Indigenous Healing Arts here at Hilot Academy of Binabaylan.
In the book of William Henry Scott titled: BARANGAY SIXTEENTH-CENTURY PHILIPPINE CUTURE AND SOCIETY
Massage was applied for injured or dislocated muscles, or pressure put on nerve centers
page 118
and the person who perform this was known as Hilot which is an expert on Physical Medicine. But as time goes by, this identity of Hilot has been diminished into just a Mamarokpok on which William Henry Scott have described as a Massuer who simply pummeled the back and spine and was usually a Datu’s husky slave.
And a Spanish Friar that was called Father Sanchez have described the work of Hilot in massaging women’s abdomen to cause miscarriage or abortion; as at that time, abortion were a common form of Family Planning.
Comparing the work of a Manghihilot and Mamarokpok, we can see that Hilot is medically inclined as it works deeper than what the Mamarokpok is doing. such as in comparing the Touch Manipulation of Massage and Hilot that both may manipulate either deep or superficial layer of the persons body. But the difference of Hilot to a Massage is that people may get pampering from a Massage, but those who have Injuries see a Manghihilot for a Serious Treatment. As the Goal of Hilot is to correct, restore the things that have been wronged with that person.
And naturally every touch of a Manghihilot towards the body of a patient, it will be painful. In massage therapy, the masseur has been taught to adjust their pressure by using body weight. This can be also applied in performing Hilot Massage, but Pressure weight does not matter if the Manghihilot can locate the point of origin of the pain, whether you only exerting light pressure the patient’s body, it will still be painful as the nature of pain is radiating.
For me as Manghihilot, my students may see me having pleasure to see them suffering pain when I demonstrate Hilot Massage to them, but what I am teaching you is that when you feel pain at the first time you received Hilot Massage, it means your body is responding to the treatment saying: “Yes! Do it because there is something wrong within me. Fix Me!”
In my experience in providing Hilot, Pain has been my friend and assistant. It helped me to know which area of the persons body I should work with fixing. It is also a good indicator to me that whenever I touched a person’s body and they responded to my touch as painful; this means that I have restored their senses that they feel pain and blood will flow again. As I continue to do the appropriate touch manipulation in helping the blood to circulate within the body, the more that I know that the patient that I am handling will get well.
So in my personal life, I am grateful to experience pain even it hurts because it reminds me that I am still human and alive that I could still feel pain rather than being numb and paralyzed to the worst which is i could not feel anymore because life force have left already in my Physical Body.
We are so happy that our prayers have been answered!
Australia is just near our Archipelago, and its located south of our country passing through the equator and make them part of the Southern Hemisphere.
Almost all of our Graduates in Hilot Academy whether in person or online, we do not have personal relationship nor acquainted through a common friend, that’s why I believe that all of you are God given to us to embrace the calling of being a Hilot Binabaylan.
Now, God has sent to us 2 wonderful soul from Australia that has pure Filipino Blood and working out in Decolonizing themselves by learning our very own Hilot. They are taking our Hilot Masidhi Kamagaral training program on Hilot Traditional Medicine. And these 2 wonderful soul are facilitators of Banka Healing Arts. Get to know them by clicking on the link and more information about their learning Progress will be posted here soon!
Another family came to receive authentic Hilot treatment though they only complain simple back pain but it ended up in opening of consciousness through the topics we have discussed during the treatment session.
Though having a small place to receive people, we still manage to welcome them and treat them individually.
Hilot usually does not require aesthetic space but utilize the area where the Spirits have provide us to do our sacred work of healing.
But I wish to have a formal aesthetic venue where the person who receives Hilot will not just be relieved from physical pain but also may be relieved from emotional and mental stress that they are receiving everyday in society where they live.
I also feel sorry for this family that they needed to travel far in order to receive authentic Hilot that will not only touch their Physical body but as well as in healing their souls . If only our Government could integrate Hilot into the Philippine Health Care Delivery System, people does not need anymore to go to far flung places in order to receive Authentic Hilot Treatment nor spend a lot of Money in Spa which commercialized Hilot but instead people will just drop by to their Local Health Centers which they can receive Hilot for Free that is part of our Healthcare delivery system.
Yesterday December 16, 2022-We had launch successfully the Hilot Philippines Development Center in Partnership with International School of Sustainable Tourism in the vicinity of International Institute of Rural Reconstruction in Barangay Biga 2, Municipality of Silang in the Province of Cavite. After 2 years of conception, we have finally given birth to the Brain Child of Dr. Mina Gabor (former Department of Tourism Secretary-now the Chairman of International School of Sustainable Tourism). Actually this is her second Child among the many concepts she already have manifested in the past, but at ISST Hilot will be the partner of Farm Tourism which Dr. Gabor have championed.
As Cultural Worker myself, it seems that Launching Hilot at Silang, Cavite is like giving birth again to a nearly forgotten Culture of the Filipino People. I just relate it to the work of Hilot on assisting delivery of a pregnant mother and Birthing a New Child, here we did not give birth to a Physical Child but we have given a new life to Hilot as a Holistic Healing Modality that we can be proud of.
It was during at the height of pandemic when we started collaborating our minds in order for this legacy project will come into manifestation. There were many people who are willing to share their talents such as Ice Infante, Kara Barientos and Marjoria Soria but due to Pro Bono status of our preliminary work they need leave for the meantime and sustain their lives. So it was Me, Nora and Lakay have patiently endure and workout so that this project may manifest. And of course Dr. Gabor is with us so as her staff such as ms. Merlita, ms. Ferlyn, sir Lito so as ate Bebang who always care for us in preparing snacks when we are in a brain storming activity.
It was on November 17, 2020 when we first convene at Dr. Mina Gabor’s office at Pasay City and from there we have brought out all the contents of our Heart and our Mind so that we could give life again to the deviated modality of Hilot and realigned it to its original custom as our ancestors employ it to healing arts.
But before launching our new center at Cavite, me and Lakay had a conversation. I am thinking in establishing this center if the general public will benefit from it. I specifically think of Hilot Practitioners such as when a student enroll for example in Bachelors degree in Secondary Education at the end of their program and successfully passed the licensure examination for teachers, those students who will pass the exam have potentials to be employed in an Educational Institution. And for our students who will take take course in our Hilot Training Program, they will not just have the knowledge skills and attitude of a Hilot Provider but We are making sure that they could use it to earn a living.
I do not want to see our graduates to work in a Spa that has tendency to adulterate their Sacred Knowledge of Traditional Filipino Healing Arts and Science with Foreign healing Tradition but want to consecrate themselves in the Practice of Hilot. Such as to what happened in Thai Massage Centers here in the Philippines, it is just Thai Massage is popular but when you walk in and avail Thai Massage, the therapist within that Center would deceive their client by giving Swedish Massage and not Thai Massage.
I don’t want Hilot to suffer the same situation and this is what Hilot Philippines Development Center will provide to make sure that the treatment procedure we offer are based on the Philippine Ancestral Healing Tradition.
If our graduates will not work at Spa, where should they be employed?
Spa is categorized under the Hospitality Industry of the Department of Tourism. But I insist that Hilot should be under the Health Care Industry as we provide primary healthcare to the Public. Our History have identified the terminology of our Traditional Healing Center and it is known by our Ancestors as Pamulngagan and recently it has been confirmed by our Bicolano participant in the Webinar on Redefining Hilot as Burlungan. And aside from establishing Pamulngagan or Burlungan, our Graduates should have an opportunity to be employed in the Government Health Offices.
Since Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care is an attached agency from the Philippine Department of Health and receiving funds from the Government allocations through Senate Hearings on Budget allocations, the said institute must coordinate with DoH in establishing Hilot Centers attached to the Provincial, Municipal, City, and Barangay Health Centers and work there.
The issue of mandating to have a License or National Certificate of Manghihilot deserves a clear opportunity of employment to our graduates. This issue already had happened to the Massage Industry where they are mandated to obtain Certificate of Registration as Massage Therapist and upon renewing they are require to upgrade their knowledge but in terms of employment that will just work at the Spa or either as Freelancer without secured income opportunity by being employed as Health Worker. I see this practice as extortion by the certifying committee to the practitioner and not giving them chance to enjoy the earnings from their hard work.
In Hilot, we are going to raise our standards and make sure that our Modality will not be adulterated and become a milking cow of any committee. As I remember the Slogan of Department of Health that the Power of Health in the Hands of the Filipino People and this will become true now through Hilot Philippines Development Center.
It is already 25 years when the Philippine Traditional Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 has been passed into law, and with that Law- the Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care has been created and Established with the following goals or objectives as its Mandate.
In Republic Act 8423 or An act creating the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) to accelerate the development of Traditional and Alternative Healthcare in the Philippines, providing for a Traditional and Alternative Healthcare Development Plan and for other Purpose. In this law which was enacted by the 10th congress on December 9, 1997 stated clearly their objectives in Article 1 section 3 that they are:
1.To encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care systems that have direct impact on public health care;
2. To promote and advocate the use of traditional, alternative, preventive and curative health care modalities that have been proven safe, effective, cost effective and consistent with government standards on medical 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 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.
To plan and carry out research and development activities in the areas of traditional and alternative health care and its ultimate integration into the national health care delivery system;
To verify, package and transfer economically viable technologies in the field of traditional and alternative health care, giving emphasis on the social engineering aspects necessary for group endeavor;
To provide the database for policy formulation that will stimulate and sustain production, marketing and consumption of traditional and alternative health care products;
To organize and develop continuing training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other professional health workers and students, as well as scientists, research managers and extension workers in the field of traditional and alternative health care;
To formulate policies that would creat public awareness through educational activities, conventions, seminars, conferences, and the like by focusing on the promotion of healthy living for preventing disease, thereby uplifting the health care industry;
To acquire or obtain from any governmental authority whether national or local, foreign or domestic , or from any person, corporation, partnership, association or other entity, such charters, franchises, licenses, rights, privileges, assistance, financial or otherwise, and concessions as are conducive to and necessary or proper for the attainment of its purpose and objectives;
To receive and acquire from any person and/or government and private entities, whether foreign or domestic, grants, donations and contributions consisting of such properties, real or personal, including funds and valuable effects or things, as may useful, necessary or proper to carry out its purposes and objectives and administer the same in accordance with the terms of such grants, donations and contributions, consistent with its purposes and objectives;
To serve as the coordinating center of a national network of traditional and alternative health care stations located in the different regions of the country;
To formulate a code of ethics and standards for the practice of traditional and alternative health care modalities for approval and adoption by the appropriate professional and government agencies;
To formulate standards and guidelines for the manufacture, marketing and quality control of different traditional and alternative health care materials and products for approval and adoption by the Bureau of Food and Drugs;
To coordinate with other institutions and agencies involved in the research on herbal medicine;
To adopt and use a corporate seal;
To sue and bu sued in its corporate name;
To succeed by its corporate name;
To adopt its by laws and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary or proper to implement this ACT, and to amend or repel the same from time to time;
To enter, into, make and execute contracts and agreements of any kind or nature;
To borrow, raise or obtain funds, or to enter into any financial or credit arrangement in order to support or carry out in research programs, finance its capital and operating expenses, subject to pertinent laws governing public debts and expenditures;
Well, its power and function is stated as well in the Republic Act 8423 which we can find at Article 3 Section 6 of the said act.
Last December 4, 2022- i have presented a webinar on Redefining Hilot in modern time as our participation to the 25th year of mandating the Philippine Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997. And we have presented this webinar on 3 different time zones.
On the East Coast of United States of America, our webinar has been participated by Jamee Pineda and Daphne Domingo; then on the Pacific Coast, we have Camille Cruz and Dezire Smith; and in London, we Have Jutheanne Cruz, Heather Bajade and Junkim Nieva. Though not much people participated, but what important is that we were able to reach them out and delivered our message to them.
As we prepare in delivering this webinar, i conducted prior studies first and check first the Status of Hilot in World Health Organization and I found this Free Download which is the World Health Report 2019
In page 176 of the World Health Report 2019, we can read that the focus on regulation is in the manufacturing or herbal medicine so as regulating training centers and clinics, but unfortunately it has not shown any certified hilot in the report so as hilot training centers and clinic. I have shown this same status on the webinar and have shared my personal knowledge based on my studies what Hilot is. In the webinar, I have also mentioned the uprising problem in Colonizing Hilot such as there are Hilot Organization that been established incorporating Veganism as a mandatory practice for Manghihilot and claiming that this practice has been blessed by a certain Indigenous Tribe in the Country.
You may watch the video or listen to its audio form below.
Gerone and Jeremy receives their Certificate of Training in Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan and Sibulan Adlaw Tala Baybayin Mystic Oracle Attunement.
Last August 25, 2022- me and lakay had an opportunity to have a lunch date with our Hilot Academy Graduates from France and they are a couple name Jeremy Pascal who is an Engineer and a Fermentation Guro who shares to us Water Kerfir Grain that we ferment to become a Pro Biotic Drink and Gerone Pascal who is a Filipina Yoga Teacher. They have taken our Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan Class for 9 days face-to-face last September 2019. Gerone and Jeremy were our First Couple who have taken our Face-to-face Hilot Class before the Pandemic.
Lunch date with Gerone and Jeremy after 3 years. Before i used to cook for them now they have treated me with a Great Lunch!
From my experience of Face-to-Face teaching, supposedly as teachers-we are the one who is transferring our technology to our students but having an in person interaction, I as teacher is also learning from them. Of course during their 9 days of staying with us, it is not 24 hours of making Hilot but there are free time we used to relax and do other things. So meeting them again in person brings back the memories i had with them including the time between that day to now. Because, even that they have finished taking the course, our line of communication are very much open in supporting their practice of Hilot.
Dr. Chris Lipat DC of Hawaii meeting in person for the First Time
I feel like I have organically been in the process of becoming manghihilot as my combined chiropractic and energy work practice includes addressing emotional, nutritional and increasingly energetic/spiritual components. I’m excited to be able to finally learn my traditional medicine to expand on what I have been intuitively doing!
Dr. Chris Lipat in her response on Why do you want 8/5/2020
Dr. Chris Lipat were among the first who took our online class during the time of Pandemic. Though traditionally Hilot is learned by individual through apprenticeship and should be done face-to-face as healing with hilot requires personal touch that the patient may receive the healing of Hilot. But the Pandemic of Covid 19 have changed this belief that allows me to contemplate deeper on the modalities of Hilot. This why the NCH-MSW class has been born which we teach online how to do tawas. And with the line of expertise of Dr. Chris Lipat, she have manifested to me how energy works not only in face-to-face but also distantly. She also have mentioned yesterday, that usually meeting with other person for the first time has the feeling of being stranger, but since we had been in touch online for how many months, that feeling of being stranger is gone but you have developed trust to one another.
I am grateful for yesterday meeting that I was able to experience the Energy Medicine that Dr. Chris have brought along with her though before meeting i courageously ask Dr. Chris about it because i don’t usually ask that to my students but this time, i acknowledge my current limitations and have asked Dr. Chris Lipat to work on me. And the session that i have received is somewhat life changing experience as it does not only deal with my current health issues but also have opened up a portal that addressed my issues not only to my current past life but also beyond my current life existence. The Energy Medicine that Dr. Chris have developed was already written in her book that you can find through Amazon’s Kindle and the Book Title is Knowing: The Intuitive’s guide for Transformative Healing. Then as of writing this, Dr. Chris is already preparing to go back to Hawaii as she will have an in person workshop on September 10. For more details about her public offerings kindly visit her website at www.drchrislipat.com
At the start of this week, an old woman came to us asking us to help her treat her husband. I am tempted to reject her request as I my self have a condition which is I am still recovering from stroke. Supposedly mid June till the coming of July, I experience constant dizziness that I am not confident enough if I could handle a client/patient. But the calling to do Hilot is much greater than my stroke. The Ancestors have reminded me why I was allowed to suffer my condition, but I also pray, what if i used all my strength in extending the life of others, will there be life that will left to me? But the Spirit just tell me to go.
So me and lakay went with the woman riding in the tricycle and bring us to their house. As we arrived, this is what we see.
on their balcony, i see a man in his 50’s lying on a wooden sofa not moving.
Before entering their house, I picked a twig of leaves from an Indian Tree that is planted in their front yard and i used that to swipe the air as i enter their house and stamp my feet. We give our greetings and introduce our selves to the patient. As we talk to the man, we see that he is responding to us very well except that he could not make any movements from his body as it give him so much pain.
Then we start giving our treatment procedures. Lakay do Spiritual Tawas while Me i do Physical Assessment by palpating on his body. He is complaining about his joints in the hands, elbows, shoulder, hips, knees and feet and his whole back is aching because of constant lying ( and maybe because of the hard wood that serve as his bed).
The woman’s reason of calling us is that she wanted us to see first his husband before sending him to the Hospital. Though they have fear that his husband will be confined and aside from that they have financial issues as well that they seek help from us first for an temporary relief on Mr. Noel’s pain.
Thanks Goddess i am doing Home Visitation Hilot again for a bed ridden patient/client. I dont usually do home service to anyone except to life and death situation. if you need my service come to the Shrine.#FilipinoPaganPriest#HilotBinabaylan
At that time, i didn’t mind my own condition and I teared in joy because as I assess the man, i feel the life force in the man’s body and re assuring me that he will live. His body is very warm and the life force is present. The only thing that makes him like that is because of many blockages that build up on his vessels. So i give him Hilot pahid and do the healing touch manipulation. Though Lakay saw some little spiritual issues and have spoken it to him together with his wife and gave recommendation on how to deal with it. Same thing that I do, i advise them to see doctor but not recommend for confinement just go to the Out Patient Department and ask to manage the pain. I see many calcium deposit that build up in his fingers and joints. And he limits his movement because of the pain he is experiencing.
Sometime, people torment themselves in order to prevent them experiencing the pain. But their behavior only makes them experience more and suffer. Their non movement slow down the flow of life force that it build up to form blockages that makes them suffer more pain than relief.
And I believe, this healing session that I attended was not only for Mr. Noel but also for me. The more I Baby my illness, the more it will become worst. And going back to my routine of giving Hilot makes my body to have a sense of Purpose.
But I still have to be careful and not just waste my own lifeforce for a non sense.
Here what I learned is that, We want to Live a Pain Free Life, but in doing it we have to encounter some pain and problem that we might also build up our body to become resistant to pain or problem.
By the way, i still experience occasional dizziness and I notice i get dizzy when I change position like when I immediately turn my neck or standing from sitting or from lying down to standing up.
By next Monday i will check with my doctor, because i already have my CT scan that i made last monday.
Tomorrow, me and lakay will be at Silang, Cavite to inspect the venue for our new Hilot Healing Center.
Now-a-days, people who can afford to access the internet empowers to access information on which they will not exert more effort unlike before. As a student of the 90’s, if we need to learn some information, we used to go to the library and look for books that can provide the information we need to know. Or if there are no books about the subject, we conduct our own research by conducting interview or apply for apprenticeship. These is how i learn Hilot. At that time there is no book written about Hilot nor a school that teach Traditional Hilot as the Law on Philippine Traditional and Alternative Health Care was only enacted on 1997. Only at that time that Alternative Health Care was given attention and not Hilot. And on 2002, i formally receive my diploma in Alternative Medicine but not on Hilot.
Diploma in Alternative Medicine
I worked obtaining this diploma for only a Year, but mastering what I am right now takes a life time of research and practice. The diploma that i have lead me to focus on Philippine Traditional Medicine that makes me conduct research and clinical training by accepting clients that undergone certain condition which can be treated by Hilot. As i practice, I revolve around the principles of natural healing that says that:
Every Individual has the ability to heal them selves and as a healer, we are only an assistant in order for them to achieve their own healing.
It is the same claim that i always hear from traditional healers that the true healer is God our Creator and as Healer we are just an instrument of God like a bridge where God can channel the Blessings to the people.
Here by constantly dealing with people by hearing out their concerns in life either they have physical complaint about their health or just hearing out their emotions, there is a part within me that moved that tells me to take action and that action is called Hilot. The action that a Manghihilot do may vary depend on the situation presented, but the common action a manghihilot does whether it be on physical pain or emotional complaint is that a manghihilot will get his bottle of healing oil and apply it to the suffering person to provide relief.
Now at present time, relief from emotional trauma can be covered up by accessing social media. People can solicit sympathy and compassion by making statements or posting pictures of their situation. Even is they want to know something, people will just get their mobile phone connect it to the internet and type their questions to google and they will have the answers to what they are looking for.
And there are some people uses what they know out of Google and call them selves with Titles. Such as the title of being a Manghihilot or Babaylan. Since there is no definite law that forbids anyone to call them as such, so people could easily claim them as such unlike the Title of being a Doctor, if you are a Massage Therapist in the Philippines there is a specific law that forbids you to do as such unless you are a real doctor being conferred by the Professional Regulatory Commission.
As of this date, there is no Philippine regulatory body that regulates the practice of Hilot except for the Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care but there is no clear policy yet on penalizing anyone who will misuse the Title of Manghihilot or of the Babaylan.
In Hilot Academy we are working hard for 7 straight years now in bringing awareness to the Public about Hilot, but still many people, either Filipino or foreigners are still unaware of what Hilot is all about. Many people still think that Hilot is Filipino Massage because many website tell it so. But real information about Hilot is rare to find. Even Spa Businesses in the Philippines would think that Hilot is about massage where it is not.
I really pray that a Hilot Commission will be created that will really focus on the Development of Hilot as Philippine Traditional Medicine.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 
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