Most of the Training Program that we have created are designed for our Kababayan who lives in Diaspora that provides Room Accommodation and Food for 8 days aside from the Learning Activities we have set for them. Due to limited time of the students stay in the Philippines, the trainings were conducted on a consecutive straight days in order to fulfill the training requirements that been enrolled.
Now by May 2023, we are going to start offering Stay Out Classes that can be taken on a weekly basis. Depending upon availability of schedules of the student. These courses are ideal for people that are employed during monday’s through Friday’s and could only attend classes every Saturday or Sundays. Most of our newly designed Training Program are Short Classes either you can take it on 2 sessions and Maximum of 4 sessions. This means you can either take the course during Saturday and Sundays or once a week either on every saturdays or sundays, depending on the class you enroll.
Of course we highly recommend our Hilot Master Class such as the Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan which is an 8 consecutive days of intensive training but for those who have a tight Budget may take our Special Hilot Class. Just make plan of where you will stay if you are going to take the Training Program.
Our New Course offerings can be found by clicking the button below:
What I like with our New Offering is the Family Care Hilot on which we encourage that every Filipino Home may have One Manghihilot in the Family. As we have the conception that It is the mothers role to be in charge of Health Care for the Family. But if mother is sick, it is good if the Father knows also how to take care of the Families Health so as the Eldest Child in the Family.
Indeed having power over our Health is the responsibility of everyone of us. So it is good if everyone has the knowledge, Skills and Abilities to do Hilot.
Very interesting question, and to answer this: we don’t have. Even the fact that our myth tells that the First Man and Woman came out of Bamboo through the help of ibong Adarna We do not do Bamboo Massage, but we use Bamboo Sticks to scrape off the mud attached to the Feet in Dagdagay Kulis Foot Care Treatment so as Historically according to the Book of William Henry Scott in Barangay Sixteenth Century Culture and Society in Page 118 it says:
Abortions were common form of family planning, practiced by ranking ladies to limit their lineage and preserve their heritage, or by others because of poverty or poor prospects for their children. They were induced by massage, strong herbal medicines, or probe with a stick.
William Henry Scott Barangay Sixteenth Century Culture and Society page 118
Though it did not mention what kind of stick that was used but throughout History Bamboo can be beneficial or malevolent for us.
In my research on the practice of Hilot, I never have seen an old Manghihilot brought out Bamboo poles or stick in giving treatment unless they scrape the skin in making herbal tea. I remember my father cutting bamboo poles into strip and the sticks he made put it in a pot to support the Fish he is cooking called Sinaing. Aside from support it will make the food tastier which I really enjoy.
In our Hilot Healing System, we use either Bamboo, Guava or any sticks we polish to stimulate the nerve endings found at the feet. Originally it was the young Children of Ifugao used this technique in Scrapping off the mud that is attached to their father feet that comes from the rice field.
In our Hilot Healing System, we use either Bamboo, Guava or any sticks we polish to stimulate the nerve endings found at the feet. Originally it was the young Children of Ifugao used this technique in Scrapping off the mud that is attached to their father feet that comes from the rice field. And when I am in a Mission at Cervantes, Ilocos Sur on 2013 and we call their group as Mabangaran Hilot which we incorporate the principles of Reflexology that it may produce more beneficial result rather on just scraping dirt alone.
In our Pamulngagan or Hilot Heling Center, we have a Traditional Foot Care Treatment that will start on Foot Bath. Your feet will be soaked on Lemon Grass tea and poured with coconut milk, then we will scrub it with chopped banana peel mixed on grated coconut and peppermint and wrap it for 5-10 minutes so that the feet will absorb the healing properties of the herbs then will rinse it out and perform the stick foot massage and do the regular hilot.
To end up, Bamboo Massage is not of Filipino Origin, it is part of modern spa services that becomes popular in Europe even the fact that South East Asian Countries has plenty of Bamboo. Spa Experts credited it to the Traditional Chinese Medicine so as to the Native Americans. But what is funny about the history of Bamboo Massage they credited the technique when a massuer saw a monkey massaging each other with bamboo sticks while going home. This is how Nature tell us when we adopt it. But Bamboo Massage is not part of Hilot Healing Tradition.
As part of our Distance Learning and Continuing Education Program at Hilot Academy of Binabaylan. I am excited to announce the creation of Hilot Manggagamot Training to be offered soon.
Cover page of our new training program featuring Apu Adman’s Hilot Wellness Class in Brgy. Pasong Putik, Quezon City on 2009.
If you have taken our Non Contact Hilot: Mind and Spirit work and been certified as Magaanito/Magtatawas; this new training program will complement your previous certification and will gain the Hilot Manggagamot Certification.
Our Hilot Manggagamot Training program aims to enable our students to be competent in the following:
Determine client/patient’s nature of illness by conducting Hilot Profiling.
Initiate Therapeutic Communication in gathering client/patient information in determining the nature of illness.
Perform Hilot Physical Assessment to examine clients/patient body part that are affected by an illness.
Plan the method of Hilot treatment
Apply Hilot method technique.
Provide post/ after hilot treatment advice and home care supplementation as needed.
As you can see that there is also a physical method of tawas or determining the cause of illness; and this is what everyone should learn which is the Hilot Physical Assessment so as the Hilot Treatment Methodology which is not only limited in giving Hagod, Pindot as a form of massage.
We will run a test training if our program is feasible for online training and if not, we can arrange a face-to-face training soon hopefully by 2023.
Let me know if you are interested by making comment on this post.
When we hear the word Albularyo what the common Filipino see in their mind is Mang Kepweng. Check the video trailer below.
Mang Kepweng is an Albularyo or medicine man that he gained his power to heal through his Magic Bandana worn on his head. It was given to him as a reward for his good deeds. An Alburayo is an expert on medicinal herbs as well as use of words or orasyon to affect cure. In the movie Mang Kepweng, the healer is shown to have power over the spirit world on which he communicates with spiritual beings and entities that possibly attack humanity by inflicting illness.
Now-a-days, we are seeing some resolution being drafted to call the Albularyo as Herbolaryo which the original term was derived. In this post, I will share to you our stand about the resolution of changing of the name.
Indeed it was true that the term Albularyo derives from the word Herbolaryo which means to be a person who is knowledgeable in using herbs to affect cure. But during the pre colonial times this term was not known among the common people because the name Albularyo or Herbolario are a word that been used by Spaniards to describe the person who uses plants, roots, leaves and barks with medicinal properties to affect cure to a person who has illness. And our local people doesn’t call the practitioner as Albularyo but Mananambal instead.
What is the Difference between an Albularyo/ Herbularyo to a Mananambal?
Before we talk about the difference of both terms, I want to emphasize first its similarity. Both Albularyo and Mananambal works with Herbal Medicine. The Albularyo or Herbolaryo are the Herbalist who have studied herbs and their medicinal properties and the process on which they can apply herbs to affect cure on illness of a certain individual; whereas the Mananambal are herbalist too which they learn the medicinal and magical properties of the herbs taught to them by their elders, observation to nature, and guidance by the spirits.
We can see that the name Albularyo is a name given by the Spaniards. So technically the name albularyo is unknown to our ancestors prior to the colonization of Spain to our country. The name Mananambal is older than then name Albularyo and their knowledge on herbs are most sought by our ancestors because modern medicine arrived only when the Spaniards came. The first Hospital in the Philippines was in Cebu established by the Spaniards on 1565. At that time Hospitals were called as Pamulnganan which the locals knows as house of Medicine which is derived from the local word Bulung which originally means as Medicine.
We can see here that over time, the Pamulnganan term is now unknown to us in modern time as we already have been accustomed to the words we adopt to call the house of medicine as Ospital or Hospital. And the word Bulong has changed it’s meaning which originally means as medicine but now Bulong becomes a word to describe what in English is called as Whisper. This is why we also know that Albularyo is an expert in Bulong or now they call it as Orasyon as prayer or magic words that could provide cure. Our knowledge on the Ancestral Healing Arts became complicated as the changes that been implemented during the time of colonization intentionally erase our memories so that we could embrace what they are giving to us.
But Now, this is our Mission in Luntiang Aghama through Hilot Academy of Binabaylan- we will serve as a window to bring back the memories of the past in to the present not only through information but also we make that information to animate as we can experience it today and preserve it for the future generations to come.
To make it clear, Albularyo or Herbolaryo is a Spanish name that used to describe a person who uses herbs to affect cure. They are the Herbalist who took Herbology in studying the effects of medicinal herbs. It means that in studying plants they observe academic method in accordance to the modern standards and procedures implemented by an modern educational institute. Whereas the Mananambal are a traditional herbalist who learn herbs that been passed down to them by their elders, observing the behavior of plants in nature, communicates with them and as guidance by the spirits. Mananambal are not only a herbalist but they are also a spirit medium.
So in Hilot Binabaylan, we do not just treat the body of a person but we also treat the spirit. So in using herbs- we do not just use the herbs to treat the physical body of the person but also we communicate with the herbs in order to heal also the spirit of the person.
***)0(***
If you enjoy reading this post, consider donating to us so that we could continue our work in preserving our Traditional and Indigenous Wisdom on Healing Arts and Science as well as pre colonial Spirituality of the Philippines. Join us at Filipino Magick at BuyMeACoffee.Com or support us by donating a Dollar.
Today in our Hilot Online Training we have talked about signs and symbols in reading tawas. And as I look back to our memories posted at Facebook, here what i found.
Day is light; night for darkness; moon calls the tide; and clouds for the rain; smoke rise to signal a fire; and a flower bloom to signal a tree bearing fruit. Strong winds, thunder and lightning if there is a storm.
Mother nature provide us clear sign to know the time.
Years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds we have but still short for us to live.
Live life worthily in accordance to our purpose in order to enjoy wellness and doing not so will make us suffer to illness.
From the start of this Pandemic of Covid 19, all medical and even the para medical community are working as one in finding cure to stop the spread of covid 19 all over the world. And different countries have their own local version of preventive medicine so that they will not catch the infection of Covid 19. Here in the Philippines as early as March 2020, there is a local Filipino Traditional Medicine that becomes trending on Social Media that been practiced by Filipino to counter act and protect them from the effect of Covid 19 and that is Suob.
Last week I receive a call from the production research team of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho which is a TV show of GMA 7 asking me some information about the effectiveness of Suob. And the video that you will see below is the full segment that talks about the topic we are sharing now.
Though at the beginning of this video we can see a tragedy has been presented in performing suob as an infant has been accidentally burned by a boiling water in doing suob. Before we discuss here the efficacy and benefits of Suob as a Traditional Filipino Healing modality, i want to give you a heads up in practicing safety as well.
In this traditional method of affecting cure, we are invoking the element of fire to produce heat in our body. So like in how we treat fire, we should handle this element with care as it might burn us and be injured. When we work with Fire, we should observe safety distance to it as it may give benefit to us or the worst is that it can injure us. Fire produces light as well as heat. It can directly affect our sense of sight as well as our sense of touch. When it affect our sense of sight, it provides us light to see the colors and beauty of the world; and as it affect the sense of touch, we can feel its temperature and will give us also a clear sense of identifying what is rough, smooth, soft and hard as it can activates our nerve endings to determine those things.
In performing our Traditional Suob, i have to remind everyone that we have two types. The first one is the Dry Suob and the other one is the Wet Suob. These two types of Suob has its own prescription to it self. This mean that both type of suob has different healing effect depending on the illness that you have. This matter has been discussed when you take our Hilot ng Aghamang Binabaylan Training Course here at Hilot Academy.
So in doing suob, the safe distance that need to observe between the skin and the fire should be 1 meter or 3 feet away. Of course when i say Fire i don’t meant it to be a burning flame. What i only mean is just an ember flame such as putting a charcoal in fire but it is not flaming.
Wood Ember
Stone Ember
On using wood ember to create a fume or vapor, we put fresh pounded healing herbs on it. Putting dry leaves on the ember will create big fire as it fuels and this will be dangerous as it will burn you. The purpose of our Suob Palina is to employ the fume or vapor to do their job in healing and the burning coal and fire is only an agent so that we may extract the healing properties of herbs that we need in healing. It is not also advised to place on fire medicinal oil such as the one commercially produced as it use Mineral Oil which is highly flammable or even herbal healing oil that is made with natural organic nutritive oil. On stone ember, you sprinkle it with herbal infused water or tea to create vapor. Remember in doing this you have to observe 3 feet distance to the fire as it may burn you. The only thing that you need in this treatment is the vapor or fume and not the fire it self.
This is the same when you apply Wet suob. You boil water with incorporating healing herbs. Turn off the fire and place the cauldron of boiled herbs under the chair and sit down cover your self with a blanket as the vapor rise to your body and make you sweat. In doing steam inhalation, you place the basin of boiled healing herbs on a table, open an umbrella and place a blanket over it so that you may inhale safely the vapor. With this i will make a video on how to do this steam inhalation suob for proper guidance of the Public.
The City government of San Jose Del Monte have announced on May 29. 2020 that the Whole Province of Bulacan will under go from Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine to General Community Quarantine as per IATF- EID Resolution No. 40. This only means that still there will be no Face-to-face or in Person Classes for us here in Hilot Academy of Binabaylan.
For almost 3 months we have been affected by this Community Quarantine by staying at home and physical distancing, but the Good Thing with it is that we were able to find ways to make our Training Program more accessible for everyone. In our Old System, our Training Program requires the student to show up to receive in person guidance in performing task to accomplish the Hilot Procedures, but now You can stay-at-home and still learn some Hilot Modalities that does not require Physical Contact to the Patient.
We Define our Worth
To be honest with everyone, we struggle a lot for the past 2 months with Anxiety and depression as we undergo the Community Quarantine. As Manghihilot, we communicate our mind to Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care that we could help the Essential Health Workers in serving the community to prevent and relieve the symptoms of Covid 19 while the experts are working to find cure and vaccine to end the spread of this deadly virus.
Though we stay at home and physical contact are forbidden, as Manghihilot we employ our non physical contact modality in providing our service to the community. As Human Being, our existence does not limit to our Physical Body alone as we also have our emotional, mental, social and spiritual body.
Our body may not touch one another as we are advised to maintain 2 meters distance apart when we are in public places, but our love and concern from one another will not be separated by this virus as it is more powerful enough than the virus it self.
Instead of protesting as the Government define the worth of Traditional Medicine practitioners such us, we continue to mold up our selves to be the Primary Health Care provider at home.
Yes! Our Home is the most sacred site in our life that we need to defend from the Enemy. We defend and protect our Home by making sure that Life Force will continually flow within and not spill out by having illness among members of our household.
We do that by constant communication, observing proper hygiene, modified diet and supplemental nutrition to boost our immunity and physical activity/ exercise.
Simple Cough, Cold and Fever can be relieved by Hilot. And these can be experienced by our Family members at home. And through the Knowledge of the Healing Arts and Sciences of our Ancestors, we can prevent it to be worst and with that the number of patients that our medical front liners are treating in the hospital will be lessened because we already have treated their conditions at home.
I start to cultivate Makabuhay Vine way back 2013 as i need it to make a charm to improve health and long life. Though this herb was commonly known to have an abortive properties, I still hold on to the meaning of it’s name which is makabuhay or the one that promotes life. As Manghihilot or Traditional Healer, we do not just work on manipulating the Physical Body of the person to treat them but we also make medicine that could restore and maintain good health. A person Health for us as we see it does not limit to the Physical Movement of the person but we see also his/her emotional, mental, social and spiritual health as a basis for Holistic Wellness. And the medicine we provide is not also limited on Physical Manipulation of the Body but also we do preparation of Medicine for internal consumption, topical application or to carry it in their person such as in the use of Amulets, Talismans or Charms.
On my personal practice and use of Makabuhay, i mix the dried herbs and vines to alcoholic drink such as rum in a tincture and add few drops to a glass of water before i sleep. The vines can also be added to make a docoction of coconut oil to be applied on the part of the body that is affected by rheumatism and arthritis.
Studies suggest that Makabuhay has cardiotonic, antioxidant, antidiarheal, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiproliferative, hypolipidemic, antimalarial, and antinociceptive properties. According to Medical Health Guide, the list are the Traditional Medicinal Uses of Makabuhay vine:
Makabuhay roots, stems and leaves are used as herbal treatment for fevers, malaria. Makabuhay leaves and roots are pounded then dissolved in cold water. Applied with a soft cloth over the nape, forehead, underarms and other body parts to bring down the body temperature.
Makabuhay poultice is used to treat gout, arthritis, and rheumatism by reducing pain and edema.
Makabuhay is used to treat skin diseases (athlete’s foot, scabies, etc.), promotes wound healing and alleviate skin itching. Makabuhay tonic is believed to promote overall good health and longevity, improves memory, improves skin tone and texture, and provides energy.
Makabuhay tonic is also used to treat fever and malaria. Makabuhay tonic is used to treat gastrointestinal and digestive problems, which includes diarrhea, hyperacidity, abdominal pains, gas pains (kabag), vomiting, dyspepsia, dysentery, colitis, constipation, loss of appetite and even worm infestation.
Makabuhay is also used in the treatment of diabetes, heart problems, hepatitis, anemia, impotence, tuberculosis, jaundice,
Aloe Vera or Sabila is my very first herb that i like most. It actually is my favorite and for me i called this as my personal sacred Plant. I grew it as a child and even filled the wall of our fence with it. I thought it was just an ornamental plant but when i grow up I learn it has a powerful medicine within it. I also have seen its flower. Yes! Through time it gives flower and it smells sweet. Though i rarely see it blooming in pots and i don’t know when it will give flower once again. I’m so sad that i was not able to capture it flowers through film because that time i don’t have camera nor mobile phone that has camera. Yeah! I’m very old school that only knows soil and its healing herbs.
Aloe Vera or Aloe Barbadensis Miller has been known for its medicinal and cosmetic purposes. I have read that this plant was used to embalm ancient Pharaohs of Egypt as well as Jesus Christ. The word Aloe has an arabic origin which means Shinning Bitter substance while Vera is a Latin word meaning True. In my old notes on healing herbs, i found that this herb can endure extreme stress such as i test it hanging on the air without soil and water for about a year but still it is alive and didn’t dried up. It taught me spiritually to become patient, tolerant and humble. As i work on it, i found its power to be amazing. I apply it to open wounds, burns and even on skin infection. Our Elders have taught that this plant is a good hair grower and can heal all kinds of skin disease. And later on i found out that we can scrape of the white gel on it and eat it directly.
In making Herbal Healing Oil i add 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel in distilling coconut oil with mix herbs and when i put my finger in it while boiling i didn’t get burn.
It is found out that Aloe Vera has many active potential constituents such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugar, lignin, saponins, salicylic acid and amino acids.
Vitamins: It contains vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and E, which are antioxidants. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and choline. Antioxidant neutralizes free radicals.
Enzymes: It contains 8 enzymes: aliiase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, and peroxidase. Bradykinase helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically, while others help in the breakdown of sugars and fats.
Minerals: It provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc. They are essential for the proper functioning of various enzyme systems in different metabolic pathways and few are antioxidants.
Sugars: It provides monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and polysaccharides: (glucomannans/polymannose). These are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant and are known as mucopolysaccharides. The most prominent monosaccharide is mannose-6-phosphate, and the most common polysaccharides are called glucomannans [beta-(1,4)-acetylated mannan]. Acemannan, a prominent glucomannan has also been found. Recently, a glycoprotein with antiallergic properties, called alprogen and novel anti-inflammatory compound, C-glucosyl chromone, has been isolated from Aloe vera gel.
Anthraquinones: It provides 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. Aloin and emodin act as analgesics, antibacterials and antivirals.
Fatty acids: It provides 4 plant steroids; cholesterol, campesterol, β-sisosterol and lupeol. All these have anti-inflammatory action and lupeol also possesses antiseptic and analgesic properties.
Hormones: Auxins and gibberellins that help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.
Others: It provides 20 of the 22 human required amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids. It also contains salicylic acid that possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Lignin, an inert substance, when included in topical preparations, enhances penetrative effect of the other ingredients into the skin. Saponins that are the soapy substances form about 3% of the gel and have cleansing and antiseptic properties.
On basic uses of Aloe Vera, it is effective on wound or burn healing. I remember my nephew when he was 3 years old playing around my kitchen on our Canteen and he accidentally placed his whole hands on a boiling pot of soup. It was too hot because we boil it continually in low fire using fire wood for our Mami Soup and thankfully i have my aloe vera around and apply it directly, and amazingly no trace of burn can be found on my nephew.
Another testimony on the effectiveness of Aloe Vera is when my younger sister accidentally hammered her little finger. We brought her to the hospital and the doctor said she need to undergo surgery removal of her finger or stem cell treatment. We do not have enough money for the surgery so we just went back home and apply aloe vera on her finger. With patience and faith in God her finger was cured and no trace of being hammered can be seen.
Aloe Vera Gel can also be taken internally to treat stomach ulcer. It is also used to clean up our intestine and give us good bowel movement. It is said that Aloe Vera can also use to lower blood sugar and it has antioxidant to boost our immunity.
Plant aloe vera in your home it may be handy and helpful for you someday as it will heal you from your illness or it may be your living companion in your house that will listen to your prayers.
My Tita call this as Tahebo but when i conduct close study to this tree i learn that it is a Mulberry. I get this when it was still young at Cupang, Muntinlupa to the old place where Tita Edith lives. And now i see it bearing many berries.
I have utilized the leaves to make tea and have administered it to nanay to lower down her blood pressure as well as to relieve her constipation. Tatay made a joke that when nanay poop it will be like silk because Mulberry Leaf are used to feed the silk worm.
I use also the dried powdered leave of mulberry in making herbal tablet which i call as Amulaser.
Mulberry leaves are highly nutritious as it contains polyphenol anti oxidants, vitamins c, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
There are study that says that Mulberry leaves can help lower blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammation. These attributes are useful in fighting heart disease and diabetes.
I believe that this leaf can do more when it comes to our health. As member of Luntiang Aghama that advocates Philippine Traditional Medicine through Hilot Academy, Mulberry Leaf can help improve our healthcare delivery by making it affordable and within easy reach.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 
You must be logged in to post a comment.