Working with Hilot out of Love

Last May 18, 2025- we have shared to our Hilot Binabaylan Alignment Trainee the Hilot Treatment which everyone knows as Bentusa Fire Cupping. Everyone had the opportunity to place bentusa cup on their own skin by sharing different methods on how to apply it. What I emphasize how to make vacuum using fire.

Coin and Paper Method

In this procedure, the manghihilot prepare an old coin and tissue paper. Then wrap the tissue paper along the old coin. The coin will serve as a stand and place it on the area you are to place the bentusa cup. then burn the paper and as it burn carefully place the bentusa cup in order to create vacuum to suck the skin.

2. Cotton and Ginger Method

In this procedure, you will need to slice a ginger which is wide enough to fit the mouth of our bentusa cup. Then soak a piece of cotton to 70% ethyl alcohol (which I prefer to recommend rather than Isopropyl alcohol). Then place the ginger slice on the area where you are going to place the bentusa cup and the soaked cotton. After that light it on fire and gently place the bentusa cup on the area to be treated.

DISADVANTAGE OF PAPER AND GINGER METHOD

Aside from safety concerns, the burnt paper or cotton placed over the area will produce smoke. That will be trapped inside the bentusa cup when it already created a vacuum or reverse pressure. It is said that burning tissue paper releases several chemicals including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which both contribute to air pollution. additionally, burning paper can produce dioxins, which are highly toxic and can have harmful effects on human health and the environment.

While burning soaked cotton on 70% Ethyl Alcohol have a health hazards such as:

Respiratory Issues – Inhaling the fumes can cause irritation to the lungs, leading to coughing, shortness of breath, or dizziness. Prolonged exposure may contribute to respiratory damage.
Skin and Eye Irritation – Ethyl alcohol and its combustion byproducts can cause skin irritation or eye discomfort, especially if direct contact occurs.
Toxic Exposure – Incomplete combustion can release carbon monoxide (CO), which is highly toxic and can lead to headaches, nausea, or even unconsciousness in high concentrations.
Carcinogenic Risk – Burning organic materials may produce aldehydes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some of which have been linked to long-term health risks
Neurological Effects – Exposure to high concentrations of ethanol vapors can cause dizziness, confusion, or impaired coordination

Health Hazards of Burning Tissue Paper.

Burning tissue paper can pose several health hazards, including:

Respiratory Issues – The smoke contains fine particles and harmful gases that can irritate the lungs, leading to coughing, shortness of breath, and asthma.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Incomplete combustion releases carbon monoxide (CO), which can cause dizziness, headaches, and even unconsciousness in high concentrations.
Toxic Chemical Exposure – Burning paper can release dioxins, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may contribute to long-term health risks.
Skin and Eye Irritation – The smoke and ash can cause eye discomfort and skin irritation, especially in enclosed spaces.
Carcinogenic Risk – Some chemicals released during burning, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), have been linked to cancer.

There are other methods which Manghihilot employ in order to place the Bentusa Cups over the body but the one that Hilot Academy recommend is the Torch Method. In this method you will need a forceps, cotton, 70 % Ethyl Alcohol, Kidney Basin, Lighter or lighted candle. Before you place the bentusa cup over the body, be sure to lubricate it with Lana healing oil. Then soak the cotton with 70 % Ethyl Alcohol clipped with a forceps then put it in fire then place it inside the bentusa cup which is positioned near the area to be treated and manually place the cup over the area to be treated.

Since the torch method also involve burning of cotton which has biochemical health hazards, let us explore other form of bentusa cupping.

Though using Plastic Bentusa cups does not burning paper or cotton, it still has health hazard because of the plastic meterials being used. So, here are its health hazards:

Chemical Leaching – Some plastics contain Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which can leach into the skin when exposed to heat, potentially disrupting hormones.
Microplastic Exposure – Over time, plastic cups may release microplastics, which can be absorbed by the body and may contribute to inflammation and toxicity.
Skin Irritation – Certain plastics may cause skin reactions, especially if they contain chemical additives that interact with heat or oils.
Reduced Effectiveness – Plastic cups may not create a strong vacuum compared to glass or silicone, leading to less effective therapy.
Environmental Impact – Disposable plastic cups contribute to plastic waste, which can harm ecosystems and increase exposure to pollutants.

So, if all of these have health hazards, what other material we can recommend using?

But before we go further, bentusa has primary purpose of stimulating blood flow, relieving muscle tension and promote healing. Other health benefits of having bentusa are the following:

Muscle Pain Relief – Helps alleviate chronic muscle pain, stiffness, and tension.
Improved Blood Circulation – Enhances oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles, speeding up recovery.
Detoxification – Draws toxins to the skin’s surface, aiding in their removal through the lymphatic system.
Relaxation & Stress Relief – The gentle suction and warmth reduce stress and promote relaxation.
espiratory Benefits – Can help with asthma, colds, and respiratory infections by loosening tight muscles around the chest.
Skin Health – May improve skin conditions like acne and eczema by increasing circulation.
Headache & Migraine Relief – Helps relieve tension headaches and migraines.
Holistic Healing – Addresses emotional and energetic imbalances, promoting overall well-being

Thats how powerful bentusa can be specially paired with Hilot Pahid or Massage.

In the video above, we have seen that the material being used for cupping is Carabao horn. This kind of cupping treatment is known as Tandok,though it seems similar to Bentusa, it has different purpose which is to remove venom, rabies and tetanus from wound using animal horn, such as those from deer, goat or carabao.

It is said that Tandok has the following health benefits for the receiver of the treatment:

Detoxification – Practitioners believe it helps remove toxins from the body.
Pain Relief – Some claim it alleviates muscle pain, arthritis, and joint stiffness.
Improved Circulation – The suction effect may stimulate blood flow Removing blood may stimulate the production of new red blood cells, potentially improving circulation
Traditional Healing – Used in rural areas where modern medicine is less accessible.
Iron Regulation – Bloodletting can help reduce excess iron levels in the blood, which may be beneficial for individuals with hemochromatosis.
Lower Blood Pressure – Some studies suggest that donating blood regularly may help maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Detoxification – Traditional practitioners believe bloodletting helps remove toxins from the body.
Migraine Relief – Some historical accounts suggest bloodletting was used to alleviate headaches and migraines.

TAWAK

We could say that Tawak is the mother of all these treatment method that requires suction. This treatment involve direct suction by the mouth of a traditional medicine practitioner known as mananawak, to remove venoms, toxins or infections from wounds caused by animal bites. But these technique or treatment method also has been used by poor people who has no money to send their children to proper medical care facility to remove mucus from their infant child by directly sucking the mucus that obstruct the passage of air to provide relief.

Uses and Beliefs

Practitioners believe Tawak can help extract poison from snake bites, rabies from dog bites, and toxins from wounds.
It is often used as an alternative to modern medical treatments, especially in areas where access to hospitals and vaccines is limited.
Some communities still rely on Tawak due to cultural beliefs and the high cost of medical care

Concerns and Risks

Medical experts warn that Tawak is not scientifically proven to cure rabies or venomous bites.
Direct suction can expose both the healer and the patient to infections and diseases.
Delaying proper medical treatment can lead to serious health risks, including untreated rabies, which is fatal

The process of Repair

The Space where I stay already have existed for 24 years already, and through the time it has keep us safe and was able to do activities such as doing our community Hilot. And lately, it started to tear down and when it rains or if there is a strong typhoon, water droplets fall in our ceiling. It is very inconvenient.

So, this year, we raise fund so that we could do some house repair and renovate the whole space where we are staying. I decided to make a loft that will serve as our bedroom. So that the whole ground floor can be an activity area where I can accommodate people that seeks for Hilot.

Last September 30, 2024- we started to make renovations. The thinking of making our house look new again is very exciting but what I am thinking is the End Goal already. But when it already started, the construction workers started to remove old materials in my house and somewhat destroy old materials so that they could rebuild something new. Well, I am trusting these process that is happening now, as I know best result will Suprise me in the end.

Just like in Hilot, you come to be fixed because you know to yourself that there is something that is broken within you. During the treatment process, you feel pain rather than pleasure. Process of repair undergo 2 types of pain which is the destructive pain and the constructive pain.

But the destructive pain in Hilot is not like the pain that will totally harm you. I remember Ate Olivia Mir, once asked me during her Hilot Daloy Training in California if I am doing bone setting. Well, jokingly I said to her that I am doing bone breaking first, so that I could do Bone Setting. But that was a joke. What I really saying is that the process of repair. The person must be broken first before repair could be done. And that is what our Grandparents do, whenever they are sick, they come to Hilot for Repair. Unlike this present time, people have thought Hilot as Massage, they come for relaxation. But real Hilot is Painful on which it destroys old patterns and construct new patterns that will lead into optimum health and wellness.

This is the main reason of the existence of Hilot Academy of Binabaylan which is to preserve the Authentic Hilot Tradition. Because there are many Hilot Schools right now, not only in the Philippines but also in foreign countries that teach Hilot as Relaxing Massage. But Hilot is Painful, and I remember Sassy who is a Mexican American friend in California says that is a good pain on which she remembers her grandmother healing her when she was a child.

Catching up with our people

Its been more than a month that I left my community in Phase A, Brgy. Francisco Homes Narra. I came back to the Shrine last Monday and had dinner with my siblings as a Home Coming.

Then yesterday, I had an online meeting with a company that invite us for a retreat on February 2025. And today, i thought was just an ordinary day but to my surprise as the sun setting down this had happened.

These people really missed me and have said that they always check on me if I will open up the Shrine as they need healing hands of Hilot.

Tolerating Emotional Pain

Pain is usually indicates the presence of an illness to a person. But be reminded that it is just only one of the many signs of illnesses that we need to verify. Usually, Heartache is also a sign of illness whether it comes from Physical illness or emotional illness. But most of Filipino do endure Physical and Emotional pain.

I remember my teacher at School of Alternative Medicine have taught us, Dr. Reuben M. Galang Jr., that anything that give us limitation is a sign of an illness. But that statement is very wide to understand. But in terms of the capacity of an individual to exercise life such as movement and actions of the Physical body, that is where we are directed to look out for limitations. That is why we are taught to assess Physical Body Range of Motion. But in my personal practice of Filipino Indigenous Traditional Medicine, the limitation in exercising and enjoying life does not only be seen in Physical Body but also in their mental and emotional body. Though, we observed that many Filipino have High Tolerance in Pain that they can endure the situations they have just to obtain what they want to achieve in their life. And that is enduring Physical Pain. They wont stop unless they will fall down and not able to stand up again.

Sometimes, in their life they will just ignore emotional and mental pain or illness. What matter’s to them is to have a means how to earn money to buy for their food and support their family. But what they did not realize is, this kind of tolerance of having emotional pain due to betrayal of ones partner affects how they interact with other people and how they work. Keeping the past painful memories like betrayal makes it a negative energies or as old pinoy would say as evil spirits that make them suffer by having usog, bati or even kulam. Even though, this person have claimed that he was healed before by a magtatawas, there is still residue of negative energies that make him bounded in a chain of past memories that inflict him that also affects the lives of his children.

Mental and Emotional Illness is hard to deal if the person is not willing to be freed from the chain of negative memories. This person needs to be cleansed not only in its physical aspect but also in his mental and emotional state that may improve his social aspects in life.

Pre Hilot treatment tips

Unlike spa, the client choose what kind of treatment they want to have. But in Hilot, we as specialist are the one who decide which treatment our client should have. But how do we determine which Hilot Treatment we should provide for our client? And that is through our Hilot Diagnostic Procedures.

As Manghihilot, we know that there are only 2 types of illness and that is the spiritual illness and the physical illness. So, how do we determine if the client has physical illness or a spiritual illness?

We can determine this through finger alignment method. If the finger is not aligned we know that there is a spiritual cause of an illness from there we will investigate which elemental spirits that affects the client then we perform tawas diagnosis.

After we perform the tawas ritual we will give our personal remarks or observation on the tawas then we will ask the client to give feedback so that we can make analysis. After we analyze we will give our recommendation and ask the client for consent for the treatment procedures we plan to perform for them.

If the illness is caused physically after finger alignment we will do pulse reading analysis and we will give our remarks and recommendation and ask consent if we could perform to the client the treatment plan we have to help them restore their well being.

The Magick of Nature in a Bottle

Bote Natura Wishing Bottle

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.

The Work of 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..

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New Affordable Stay Out/ Walk in Training Program to offer by May 2023

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:

COURSE OFFERINGS

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.

Is Bamboo Massage part of Hilot Healing Tradition?

A question has been posted to us asking:

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. 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.

New Online Training Program to offer soon!

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.

Thank You!