During our Hilot Pahid workshop, we have defined Hilot healing modality as with the use of Halaman (herbs), Init (heat), Liwanag (light), Oras / Orasyon ( Time/ Prayer or therapeutic Communication) and Tubig (Water).

From these acronyms of the healing modality that hilot employed, one participant have asked what is the difference between heat and light since light produces heat.

This is a good question to answer though some may think that light produces heat, this two forms of energy has different vibration and affects two different senses. The light affects our sense of sight while the heat affects our sense of touch.

The light affects our eyes, liver, stomach, digestive system, urinary and reproductive organs; while the heat affects the integumentary system, lungs, heart and the nervous system.

The tradition of Hilot was known as no money involved until a superstition was created that when a manghihilot charge money for the services s/he redered his or her power of healing will get lost. So instead of money, manghihilot only recieves gifts or goods for the services s/he rendered. This thinking makes all manghihilot to become financially unstable.

But this is not true at all. The service of manghihilot has a fee. Monetary system arrived in the Philippines during the colonial rule of Spain and been improved by the Americans that we have now the monetary currency that we use today.

In ancient time we practice bartering or trading services or goods with another person when there is no money involved. It is a practice of exchange of a service or goods for other services and goods in return. Thus in modern times most healer prefer to call their professional service fee as an Energy Exchange.

As Manghihilot living in this modern world, we are also governed by the mundane needs like other people have in the society. We use money to buy food and drinks, pay our bills and rents, pay our fare when we travel and in sending our children to schools.

Yes our Knowledge in Hilot is a Divine Gift. A gift of life that we could use to live. A form of work to earn a living and not a means to add to us the burden of other people lives.

Our work in Hilot is to preserve and maintain life. And through our work we have improve the way you live by removing the obstacles and limitations on how you are living. And with that the cost of your comfort is worth paying for.

Another topic that i would like to share here with you is about Bentusa Fire Cupping Therapy.

Many times i’ve been asked if Bentusa is a Filipino Healing Modality. And during our forum, some people want to remove it because its not authentically Pinoy.

Chinese, Hindu, Arabs amd Greeks have bentusa as their healing modality so how come that it becomes Filipino.

Bentusa becomes part of Filipino Traditional Healing Modality because of the barter trade. Our fellow manghihilot ms. Kning Parungao have termed it as Panuot. In some provinces they use carabao horn to in suction. And there are also some practices in the Philippines that specialize in sucking venom that been bitten by poisonous snake or other animals that is called Mananandok or Mananawak which is far more traditional than the use of cup or bentusa glass.

Since time immemorial, China has a strong tie with the Philipines through barter trade so as India which had influence over the south east asia during the 300 to 600 AD.

When you bought something to other person, that object you have baught becomes yours and through bartering, bentusa becomes part of our Traditional and Natural Healing Arts.