Embracing Life and Death: A Manghihilot’s Perspective

In our Code of Ethics, we have mentioned that we are Healthcare providers whose goals consist of prevention of premature death and disability, maintenance or improvement of life, maximization of
personal growth and development, and preparation for a good death.

As a manghihilot, our role is not to promise a long life to our patients. Instead, we offer something deeper—we help them embrace life fully, with all its challenges and transitions. We guide them to find comfort, meaning, and joy in every moment, no matter how difficult.

We do not see death as an enemy to be fought. Rather, we recognize it as a gentle guide—one that reminds us to live with purpose, to cherish our relationships, and to find peace in the present. In our healing practice, death is not the end, but a companion that helps us appreciate the beauty of life.

“It has been taught to us as Manghihilot, our role in caring is from the time of conception to the moment of transition from this plane of existence to the next life.”

In our tradition as Manghihilot, healing is not just a profession—it is a sacred calling. We are taught that our responsibility begins at the very start of life, even before birth, and continues until the final breath. Our care spans the entire human journey, from conception to transition, from the womb to the world beyond.

More Than Healing the Body

Our work is not limited to treating physical ailments. We are called to listen deeply—to the body, the spirit, and the emotions. We understand that true healing involves the whole person, and that pain can come not only from the body, but also from the heart and mind.

Honoring Life and Death

As Manghihilot, we do not fear death. We do not see it as something to fight or avoid. Instead, we recognize it as a natural part of life’s sacred cycle. We walk with our patients through every stage of life, including the final one, offering comfort, peace, and dignity.

A Tradition That Evolves

Our practice is rooted in the wisdom of our ancestors, but it is not stuck in the past. We continue to learn, grow, and adapt—bringing Hilot into the modern world while staying true to its spiritual essence. We believe that healing is a lifelong journey, and our presence is a gift of love and service from beginning to end.

Recently, a graduate of the Hilot Academy asked me whether we have any documented cases involving palliative care or end-of-life care within the practice of Hilot. Regretfully, I had to respond that we do not. The graduate pointed out that other traditional healing modalities have such documentation, while Hilot appears to lack it.

This absence is not due to a lack of experience or wisdom among Manghihilot, but rather a reflection of how our tradition has been preserved. Most Manghihilot have not been formally educated in colleges or universities. Their knowledge is deeply rooted in oral tradition and lived experience. They act rather than write. Their learning is carried in the mind and heart, passed down through narration and demonstration, not through modules or modern training materials.

This way of transmission is sacred and powerful, but it also means that much of our healing work remains undocumented. As we move forward, perhaps it is time to begin bridging the gap—honoring our oral traditions while also finding ways to preserve them in written form, so that future generations may continue to learn, grow, and share the wisdom of Hilot.

**“In the sacred silence between life and death, the Manghihilot does not surrender—he pleads, he prays, and he offers his soul in service, asking for one more chance to heal.”**

For the sake of documentation, I want to share a personal experience on how I, as a Manghihilot, have cared for a dying patient.

First and foremost, it is never our intention for a patient to die under our care. If that were the case, why would we devote time, energy, and spirit to preserving life? Our role is rooted in the belief that life is sacred and worth fighting for—even in its most fragile moments.

When a patient is facing a serious illness, it may seem that death is near. But as Manghihilot, we do not simply accept this. Instead, we plead with death—asking it to grant the patient another chance to live. It is a spiritual negotiation, a bargaining of life with death.

And if death allows the patient to stay, a promise must be made and fulfilled. This promise is not just a ritual—it is a sacred commitment to honor the life that was spared. In this way, our healing practice becomes not only physical but deeply spiritual, rooted in reverence for both life and the mystery of death.

**“In the quiet moments before farewell, the Manghihilot becomes not just a healer—but a guide, preparing the soul for its sacred journey home.”**

I remember my 80-year-old neighbor, Tata Piyo, who was undergoing dialysis for a kidney condition. His daughter, Ate Belen, came to me one day and asked for help in caring for her father. Despite his age and fragile condition, we chose to fight for life. As a Manghihilot, I did everything I could to ease his suffering—applying hilot pahid to relieve his pain, performing suob and paligo, and even designing a special diet to support his condition.

One day, Tata Piyo was in great pain. Ate Belen rushed to my house, asking me to attend to him. When I entered his bedroom, he looked at me and said in Tagalog, “Ihatid mo na ako.” I responded in a light-hearted way, “Where do you want me to send you? Don’t worry, when you regain your strength, we’ll go to Jollibee.” He laughed, gathering all his remaining strength, and replied, “Hindi, ihatid mo na ako sa ating Ama sa langit.”

I wasn’t prepared for those words. But I kept my composure and gently asked Ate Belen to call the rest of the family. I told them that Tata Piyo was asking to rest, and that the decision must come from them—not from me.

Together, we discussed whether to continue fighting for his life or to let him go peacefully. The family, acknowledging his age, his weakened body, and their readiness to accept his passing, decided to let him go. They remained composed, not wanting Tata Piyo to see them cry.

Everyone began preparing his clothes—underwear, socks, pants, t-shirt, and barong. I clipped his fingernails and toenails and gave him his last bed bath, ensuring he was clean and dignified for his journey.

At exactly 6:00 PM, Tata Piyo took his final breath.

This experience reminded me that as Manghihilot, our care extends beyond healing—it reaches into the sacred space between life and death. We do not just treat the body; we honor the soul. And in moments like these, we become witnesses to the most profound transitions of life.

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.

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.

New Training Program to be offered this July 2024!

Good News to Everyone! Hilot Academy of Binabaylan which is an Educational Ministry of Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. (which is a Center for Philippine Traditional Spiritual Beliefs and Practices) is opening up it’s doors (specially to it’s graduates) for a Continuing Education Program. This program is ideal for those who have taken up the Non Contact Hilot Mind and Spirit work which usually specialize on Hilot Diagnostics Method. This mean that those who have taken the class may now can complete the remaining classes in order to become a full Hilot Binabaylan Practitioner. As we have designed that a Hilot Binabaylan should be able to perform the following competencies:

Hilot Diagnostics which compose of Tawas Spiritual Diagnostics, Kilubansa Elemental Name Energetic Balance Analysis, Pulse Reading Analysis. In our new Curriculum design, we added in this competency the Hilot Profiling method, Physical Assessment and Evaluation and Vital Sign Taking & monitoring, and Sibulan Adlaw Tala Baybayin Mystic Oracle.
Hilot Cleansing Methods which consist of Punas, Babad, Langgas, Mumog, Buhos, Hilod, Suob.
Hilot Treatment Methods which consist of Hilot Tapal or Herbal Poultice Application, Dagdagay/ Kulis Stick Foot Massage, Tawak/Tandok/ Bentusa Fire Cupping, Kayod or Scraping Therapy and Hilot Touch Manipulation Techniques.
Hilot Home Care Supplementation which consist of Herbal home remedies, Bio Energetics Techniques of Unat, KiGa and Indak Movements.

We also encourage all of our graduates from 2016 up to 2023 to have self-evaluation and retake the course or have an update to a class which they have not taken in the past. As all of the above-mentioned competencies are required so that you may upgrade your status on being a Hilot Binabaylan Practitioner to Hilot Binabaylan Mentor.

Mentorship Certification Program

When you take our class in the past, what you have received from us is just a Certificate as Hilot Binabaylan Practitioner. And your duties and responsibilities are only limited in providing Philippine Traditional and Indigenous Health Care into your Community. But through our Mentorship Certification Program, this will enable you to share your knowledge and expertise on the practice of Hilot Binabaylan that may initiate an Individual or group and be ordained as Hilot Binabaylan.

Requirements

Hilot Mentorship Certification is an upgrade opportunity for all of our Hilot Binabaylan Practitioners to earn extra income by becoming a Mentor & Assessor/ Evaluator. So, it is important requirement before you become a Certified Hilot Binabaylan Mentor & Assessor/ Evaluator is that you are a Hilot Binabaylan Practitioner for about 3 years. That means if you have taken the course on 2019, you are qualified to take this course. And it is important that you practice all the skills competencies prescribed in order to become a Hilot Binabaylan Practitioner or you can be a mentor of a specific skills. Such as in skills in the above-mentioned skills competencies.

How will it work?

Mentors candidate must fill up a self-evaluation form before application. It is necessary for mentors to be expert on the field that you are going to mentor or share. It is ideal for us that you should be expert in all field as Hilot Binabaylan so that you could also work as an Evaluator. In order for you to be a Certified Trainer, you have to share your knowledge of the skills you are to mentor during the regular class of Hilot Binabaylan Training and the Trainer (which is me, lakay and Mam Nora) will supervise you in co-training or mentoring. So, that means you have to attend the regular 9 days class and master each subject we teach from Hilot Diagnostics to Hilot Suplementation. Upon completion of training of the regular class of 9 days, additional days will be allotted to you for the trainer’s feedback as mentor and then the awarding of Certificate as Mentor. Upon awarding of Certificate, you are only allowed to mentor a skill which you are being certified depending on your performance if you qualify to become a trainer. If you are qualified on all skills level, you will become a certified trainer or if you only have few skills, you will just be a mentor.

If you want to be evaluated as mentor or trainer, you may bring a student to enroll on our 9 days and we will give you chance to share your knowledge and experience as Hilot Binabaylan by becoming a mentor, co trainer with supervision.

Family Care Hilot focusing on the new born

A neighbor drop by bringing his Cousins family asking for Hilot to their 1 year old Child. Being a Hilot Center along the road inside Francisco Homes 1 Subdivision, we are accessible to all people that may pass by our small home specially we offer our services on donation base. The young child always had fever every night and they do not have money for a medical doctor check up. Though I recommend them visiting the Barangay Health Center for more professional care but they have choose to have Hilot with us.

Baby Hilot

New born babies that is usually on their first year of life existence are more reliant on their mother specially when they are still on breast feeding. Aside from palpating the baby, we also need to investigate the breast feeding mom, as the nutrient intake that the mother’s eat will be passed along to the Babies nourishment. I usually allow the mother to hold their baby to avoid them crying so loud as crying might add up malady to the child such as the wind syndrome or Pilay Hangin. In this child case as I hold them, I felt coldness all throughout his body. The child is sweating cold just like a cold water that been poured out from a water bottle that came out from a freezer. I ask the mother if the baby do poop and pee, and the mother said the baby has problem on defecation so as peeing so little. With that we stimulate the kidney point at the lumbar area of the baby. So as we rub the chest and stomach of the baby to bring relief. We also give instruction to the mother to watch also her diet so as their behavior as Husband and Wife, as the Baby is sensitive to the emotions that they are feeling. And this emotions are becoming blockage to the child that might give them an emotional trauma that blocks the kidney and bladder.

After Treating the Baby, the Father also ask for Hilot as he always experience stomach cramps. And his condition was confirmed when I do Pulse Reading Analysis as his right pulse was very weak. The Father usually works in a Bakery and he woke up by 3:00 AM everyday, and usually he skips meal because of his work and financial constraint. Being a bakery assistant does not pay well but he works hard so that he could give supply to his mother and child as a new Family. He also have acid reflux and advice him to burn coconut shell and powder its charcoal to tame the acid. Lakay also gave them 1.5 Liter of probiotic Drink that his family could take to care for their Gut Health.

Knowing to care for the Health of the Family is very essential now-a-days as Medical Services are not affordable for the people like our client today. So, if you are not able to pay for your medical care, try our ancestral healthcare method on a donation base system. Or if you want to help these kind of People, you may want to pay for them by making donation to as through our Paypal Account.

Donate Here

or you may support us at

CPG Estate Goldsberg Hotel: Our Learning Partner

Since April 6, 2023- Red Doorz CPG Estate Goldberg Hotel has been a learning partner with us as they become our official hotel accommodation for our Students who comes in Diaspora.

As you enroll with us to our 8 days Hilot Binabaylan Training, aside from getting reconnected to our Culture and Tradition, you will be able to experience the Hospitality of Red Doors Goldberg Hotel. As you can see they have clean and comfortable bed, airconditioned room, Cabled Smart TV, WIFI Connected, Hot Shower and Toilet, plus abundant supply of hot and cold drinking water. But your food will be on us 5 times a day during the duration of your Training with us, that means breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner will be on us as you enroll to our Training Program.

Future Manghihilot of Australia

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!

2023 Time of coming out in Touching the World with Hilot

It’s already been 2 years that we are confining ourselves in solitude inside our Homes. Though we are healthy and Covid Free, our confinement have inflected our mind with Anxiety and Depression. Though it was just a mental and emotional frame set up, it can not be avoided that our Body will react to the World Wide Stimulus that have stirred up the people around the World.

Gratefully, I my self was not infected with the Virus but the Anxiety it brought have struck me to have a Transient Ischemic Attack or MiniStroke. This condition is just a brief interruption on the circulation of blood to my right frontal lobe of my brain that also affects my eyesight. I am grateful that We have Lakay with us that was very quick in responding to my Health Condition. I was rushed in the Hospital at that time and luckily I was not confined. So, I just secure medical prescription and integrate it with Hilot Treatment that Lakay is providing me. It was just a little time when I suffer the limitations that been brought by TIA, but after 3 months, I was able to perform again and do my Duties as Manghihilot.

I see here that confining our self in solitude may affect our Physical body either malevolently or benevolently. And keeping our emotions just to ourselves and stuck it up within ourselves may form a clusters of energy that when it grows up, it may explode and create another problem that will affect our Physical Body.

Voicing out the things that runs into our Mind so as in our Emotions are healthy. Whatever it may be, whether it is a rant or bad feelings we have from other people- we must let it out. But releasing the things that bothers our mind and emotions must be done carefully as it may create another problem. Such as stated in the Law of Actions that:

In every Action, there will be a Similar or Opposite Reaction!

And this is where a Manghihilot comes in which is to perform the Sacred Art of Releasing through the conduct of Healing Rituals. Sometimes, these clustered thoughts and emotions can be seen as tensions in the muscles, knots in the nerves and blood vessels, or lumping of the lymph nodes, etc.

Depending on the location of the blockages, the individual may suffer anxiety or depression that may affect their vitality so as peace and harmony among their relationships that might also affect their financial wellness. Giving an Individual a Hilot Ritual may relieve the person from that condition and obtain optimum health and wellness Holistically.

This year of 2023, Hilot Academy of Binabaylan will have a Collaboration with Hilot Philippines Development Center as we provide face-to-face training and in person treatment to all the people who will need Hilot. We will still offer here at Hilot Academy Online Webinars on Traditional Filipino Diagnostic which is Tawas and also soon we are going to announce our Online certification Course Offering.

We will still offer our Donation Based Hilot every Sunday at Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. And kindly make an appointment first by calling or texting me at 09952467040 a day or week ahead before coming to us.

Healthy Mind Set to become Pain Free

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.

@apuadman
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
♬ original sound – Apu Adman Aghama – Apu Adman Aghama

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.

With a smile

I know that you are familar with the title of our article today. And to remind you, it derives from the Eraserheads hit song With a Smile!

I was in HighSchool when this song becomes very popular and amazingly it is still a hit for me specially right now that i had stroke. I cant imagine myself having this illness to myself. All i thought only before is I want to understand Stroke so that i could handle it properly with patients. I know i could learn it by reading books or articles in the website but now i am learning and overcoming it through experience.

In relations to the title of this article, luckily my stroke does not affect so much of my actions. except on my first 3 weeks from February 14- it paralyze my left part of my body. my left legs could not move so as my arms and hands. The paralysis reached my left face that makes me to have slurred speech.

I was so down that time and my left part of the body is literally cold and at that time i considered it dead as if your right part of the body is alive and moving while the left part is dead. i want to move it but literally i could not move. i could not even picked my nose using my left finger or wash my butt when i poop. it has no strength to carry a tabo (dipper) or even a glass of water. But in my mind i refuse to be enslaved and be chained by stroke. literally stroke makes you a prisoner within your body that makes you not only limited but totally all your freedom are frozen.

Luckily, i have a companion here in the Shrine. Lakay helps me to be warmed up and battle the coldness that covers my body. With the help of the Diwata through a Hilot Orasyon and pagpapahid, the natural heat of my body has been restored that now i can walk and move my arms. But i am still working out my smile.