The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) plays a vital role in regulating and promoting traditional Filipino healing practices, including Hilot. For organizations and practitioners involved in Hilot, understanding the accreditation and certification process is essential for legal recognition, professional credibility, and ethical practice.
✅ Benefits of PITAHC Accreditation
1. Legal Authority to Operate
Accredited Hilot organizations are officially recognized by the Department of Health through PITAHC, granting them the legal right to conduct training and healing services.
2. Certification of Practitioners
Organizations can issue:
Certificates of Registration to formally trained Hilot practitioners.
Certificates of Recognition to community-recognized Manghihilot with at least 10 years of practice.
3. Accredited Training and Healing Centers
Accredited institutions may operate:
Hilot Training Centers for formal education.
Hilot Healing Centers in homes, clinics, spas, resorts, and hospitals.
4. Participation in National Health System
Accredited organizations help integrate Hilot into the national healthcare delivery system.
5. Representation and Advocacy
Organizations may nominate representatives to the National Certification Committee for Hilot (NCCH), influencing policy and ethical standards.
6. Protection Against Unregulated Practices
Only PITAHC-accredited entities are authorized to train and certify Hilot practitioners, ensuring safety and credibility.
🧪 Competency Assessment by NCCH
For Formally Trained Practitioners
Completion of training from a PITAHC-accredited center.
Submission of a portfolio with at least 100 patient cases.
Passing a competency assessment that includes practical demonstrations and ethical evaluations.
For Community-Recognized Manghihilot
Minimum of 10 years of practice.
Endorsement by community leaders.
Sponsorship by a PITAHC-recognized organization.
Submission of a portfolio and testimonials.
Committee Composition
The NCCH includes:
Manghihilot and Hilot practitioners.
Medical doctors practicing Hilot.
Trainers from accredited centers.
PITAHC officials.
💰 Fee Guidelines
The official fee for the competency assessment is ₱500.00. This is a one-time application fee mandated by PITAHC Circular No. 01, Series of 2016.
⚠️ Reporting Overcharging Violations
If an organization charges more than ₱500 for the assessment alone:
Request a Fee Breakdown to verify additional charges.
Report to PITAHC with documentation (receipts, advisories).
Contact NCCH for clarification and investigation.
Overcharging may lead to administrative sanctions and, if fraudulent, could result in criminal liability.
📞 Contact Information
To reach the National Certification Committee for Hilot:
When we start Hilot Academy of Binabaylan on 2016, I know from that time that our Hilot will be different from what the people know about it and even on how the Philippine Government promote it to the Public. I would say that our Hilot reflects the vision of my Teacher, Dr. Rueben M. Galang Jr., MD who is the founder of the School of Alternative Medicine at St. Francis Divine College in Novaliches, Queson City that he says:
The power of Health to the hands of the People and one manghihilot in every Filipino Home.
In the Philippines, we have approximately 116.79 million as our total population this 2025 and if the average household compose of 4 to 5 persons, then we will have approximately 28.5 million families. And aside from the Philippines Filipino can also be found in the United States of America, which according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 4.45 Million Filipinos living in USA especially in:
California that has 1,705,090 Filipinos
Hawaii that has 369,479 Filipinos
Texas that has 231,992 Filipinos
Washington that has 194,965 Filipinos
Nevada that has 184,225 Filipinos
Florida that has 178,012 Filipinos
Illinois that has 174,442 Filipinos
New York that has 160,566 Filipinos
New Jersey that has 152, 507 Filipinos
Virginia that has 119,497 Filipinos
Though this map only shows the number of Filipino that can be found in the United States of America, this will also serve as our road map in reaching out to our Kababayan in remembering our Indigenous Healing Arts and Science. Mostly Filipinos in United States of America are immigrants and either 2nd to 3rd Generation Filipino American.
Next to the United States of America, there are also large Filipino Community that can be found in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia mostly Overseas Filipino Worker that works in Construction Firm, Health Care and House Hold Services. In general, there are 898,014 Filipinos in the entire kingdom that can be distributed on the following provinces:
Riyadh there are approximately 250,000-300,000 Filipinos
Jeddah there are approximately 150,000 – 200,000 Filipinos
Al Kobar and Dammam (Eastern Province) there are approximately 120,000- 150,000 Filipinos
Mecca and Medina there are approximately 50,000 – 70,000 Filipinos
Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia are increasingly diversified, with many now employed in private sector jobs, including healthcare, education, retail, and even small business ownership.
Next will be in Canada which many Filipinos have Migrated for permanent residency, work and Education. It is estimated that there are around 1 million Filipino migrated in Canada which is shown below:
Ontario: There are 363,655 Filipinos
British Columbia: There are 216,710 Filipinos
Alberta: There are 174,280 Filipinos
Manitoba: There are 94, 320 Filipinos
Saskatchewan: There are 43,760 Filipinos
Quebec: There are 44,880 Filipinos
Nova Scotia: There are 6,615 Filipinos
New Brunswick: There are 5,190 Filipinos
Newfoundland and Labrador: There are 2,265 Filipinos
Yukon: There are 1,945 Filipinos
Northwest Territories: There are 1,665 Filipinos
Prince Eduard Islands: There are 1,760 Filipinos
Nunavut: There are 310 Filipinos
Fourth in our list is the United Arab Emirates where there are significant numbers of Overseas Filipino Workers which approximately in 700,000 making up 6.8% of the country’s population.
In Dubai, there are already 450,000 Filipinos which roughly accounts to 21.3% of Dubai’s population. Filipinos here work in hospitality, healthcare, retail, construction, and other service industries.
Abu Dhabi: Estimated ~150,000 Many are employed in government services, oil and gas, and education.
Sharjah, Ajman, and other emirates: ~100,000 combined These areas host Filipinos working in manufacturing, logistics, and domestic services.
Next is in Japan, where Filipinos work in caregiving, entertainment and technical fields. There are many Filipino Japanese Families. Approximately there are 341,518 Filipinos Living in Japan.
As shown, the largest Filipino communities are in:
Tokyo (~72,000)
Aichi (~42,000)
Kanagawa (~39,000)
Osaka (~36,000)
Saitama (~31,000)
Nest to Japan is Australia which has a growing population of Filipino, especially in Sydney and Melbourne due to skilled migration and education. Approximately 361,860 Filipino-born people living in Australia, making them the fifth-largest migrant community in the country. This represents about 1.4% of Australia’s total population.
State/Territory
Filipino-born Population
New South Wales (NSW)
98,510
Victoria (VIC)
75,480
Queensland (QLD)
60,360
Western Australia (WA)
35,120
South Australia (SA)
18,740
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
4,880
Northern Territory (NT)
2,800
Tasmania (TAS)
1,700
After Australia we are also in the United Kingdom on which Filipinos work in healthcare, especially as nurses and caregivers. As of 2025, there are approximately 165,000 to 200,000 Filipinos living in the United Kingdom
Filipino citizens: Around 40,000 officially registered in municipal records
Filipino-born residents: Estimated 57,498
Spanish citizens of Filipino ancestry: Making up the rest of the estimated total
🇪🇸 Filipino Population by Region
Here’s a breakdown of Filipino citizens by region:
Region
Filipino Population
Community of Madrid
17,471 (43.39%)
Catalonia
12,239 (30.40%)
Andalusia
3,372 (8.37%)
Balearic Islands
2,357 (5.85%)
Canary Islands
1,782 (4.43%)
Valencian Community
1,011 (2.51%)
Filipinos in Spain are active in sectors such as domestic work, caregiving, hospitality, education, and healthcare, and many are long-term residents or descendants of earlier migrants due to historical ties between the Philippines and Spain.
Through these, we envision to reach out all Filipino in Diaspora and call them back to walk to the Path of our Race on which Hilot can be a doorway in reconnecting them back to their ancestral root by embracing our own heritage and culture.
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