Siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after mid-day lunch meal. This tradition is mostly an influence from our Spanish Colonizers which the word is derived from Sixta Hora or the 6th Hour of the day. As early Filipino woke up most likely before the sunrise and lunch time which is the 6th hours from the rising of the sun. When growing up as Pinoy Kid, we have been told a story about Juan Tamad or Lazy Juan which our Spanish Colonizers depiction to a common Filipino. And aside from Nap Time, there are many make up stories, that our mother’s told us as a kid why we should take a nap after meal. Common mothers would encourage their children to take a nap after lunch meal so that children will not go out of their home to play on the Street. Nap time for Children allows mothers to continue doing their household chores also to give time for themselves to relax and care for themselves.
Out of this practice, a make story about an engkanto that is known as Taong Araw which is a very bright white complexion that sucks of life force from the persons they meet on the street during noon time, especially children. Other benefit of Siesta that is not scary is that it helps a Child to grow faster. But having Siesta in our Class is not that we teach laziness to our students, but instead we intend to immerse our students/participants to Filipino Culture and instill the value of rest as part of healing process.
1300 BC is part of the Iron Age in prehistory. Though we all know that the first recorded History of the Philippines was dated April 21 year 900 AD on the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. But when I searched the World Wide Web, I found in Wikipedia the name Amaron which is said to be a Legendary Supreme Ruler of the Philippines who ruled during 1300 BC.
Amaron
Of Course, If Amaron is a leader in 1300 BC that means he has constituents to lead on. And these constituents are composed of people who reside in the area where Amaron was supreme. And these people have a life to live. And living their life, they have a system in taking care of their health to maintain life force in their physical body.
So, Hilot does not start during the influence of the Sri Vijayan Empire, it even dates back far beyond the Birth of Jesus Christ.
And there is also another ruler named Gat Pangil, on which is believed where Pangil, Laguna has derived.
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.
We made Hilot Academy of Binabaylan listed on Google Business that it help us be found by People such as the one that have made an Inquiry this day and the Question was in Tagalog.
“Magandang Hapon po… Training Center po ba ito for Massage Course? “
Good Afternoon! Is this a training center for Massage Course? -John
I choose not to reveal the face of the person who ask the Question but just like this person, many people still think of Hilot as Philippine Massage and the reason for this is what people can search through Search Engine as the information they have shared about Hilot is Massage. Such as we ask Google about what is Hilot? and this is what we can see:
It is very tough challenge for us in Hilot Academy of Binabaylan to change the thoughts and mindset of people about Hilot and only few of us really understand what Hilot Means. So, in response to the Question that been asked to us.
Hi John! We teach Hilot and not Massage. There is a big difference between Hilot and Massage. in massage they help relieve body illnesses, while in Hilot we do not only provide relief on the Physical Illnesses but also in mental, emotional and soul illness as what we specialize that is why our school is called Hilot Academy of Binabaylan.
response of Apu Adman Aghama
The reason why he ask us because he want to set up a Spa as his business. Though I refer him to look for TESDA school that offers Massage Training so as inform him about the Policy of Philippine Department of Health towards the Practice of Massage in the Philippines. I also encourage him to set up a Hilot Center instead of a Spa. Just like in the practice of Hilot and Massage, there is a big difference between the two modalities of healing. But, in fact, massage is just one modality that is performed in Hilot. And for a wider view, Hilot is about caring and its practitioners are move to heal with compassion and not through compensation.
In order to provide a Hilot Treatment, a person must undergo a thorough Hilot Diagnostic Procedures. It means people who will have Hilot Treatment will not just come to have a Hilot and be relaxed just like in Spa, the Therapist will just provide what their customer want according to their menu. But in Hilot, we the provider will determine what is the right treatment the patient will receive upon determination of the Hilot Diagnostic Results.
This is why at Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, we are upgrading our curriculum so that we can move forward in professionalizing our Practice as Philippine Traditional Indigenous Medicine Practitioner. We are envisioning our Manghihilot in the future, just like the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner are called as a Doctor, so as the Ayurveda, Naturopath, Homeopath, Chiropractor and many others are called as Doctor, we too as Manghihilot will achieve the Recognition as Doctor of Philippine Traditional Indigenous Medicine.
But why Philippine Traditional Indigenous Medicine and not just Philippine Traditional Medicine?
We need to be precise on what we want to call our selves because as of this moment 2024 the Philippine Government has an Agency known as Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Medicine or most popularly known as PITAHC. And we could understand it that the Agency under Philippine Department of Health should promote Philippine Traditional Medicine (as we know before as Hilot), but what they are promoting instead of Hilot are other foreign Traditional Medicine that is present in the Philippines such as Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Homeopathy and Naturopathy. You can see it clearly in their social media account on which Traditional Medicine Practices they are promoting. Such as what they have posted in their facebook page on December 11, 2023:
CALABARZON or Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon Provinces Center for Health Development conducted Advance Acupuncture Training on selected Local Government Unit and Rural Health Unit personnel. And there is another one in Davao.
What we see in their actions is that they promote what they know well and work well with the one that could serve them well. But what is really happening now, Philippine Traditional Medicine which is Hilot has been set aside but instead focuses on foreign Traditional Medicine which they can market and give them earn a lot. So, we deemed Hilot to be our Philippine Traditional Indigenous Medicine which according to their Intro as:
The Philippines is probably has the cheapest Hilot services offered compared to other countries that i found where Hilot is being offered.
From YK Hilot Center in Tolyo, Japan
So 15,000 Japanese yen today is equivalent to Php 6, 119.16 in Philippine money and that is for 2 hours of Hilot Treatment.
I also saw a Treatment center that offers Hilot in Madrid, Spain and the name of the Center is Xiao Ying.
And the cost of their 60 minutes Hilot is 60.00€ which is equivalent to Philippine Peso as 3, 412.69 and their 2 hours session cost 110€ equivalent to Philippine peso as 6,256.60.
Another center that I found offering Hilot is located in Canada.
Their 60 minutes Hilot Massage cost already $120 in US Dollars while their 2 hours session will cost $230.00, if $120.00 converted into Philippine peso as of writing this, it will cost around Php 6,766.80 for one hour treatment and for 120 minutes or 2 hours treatment session cost Php 12,969.70.
This is an Eyebrow rising cost that i knew. Well I understand why the price is too much comparing the price of Hilot being offered here in the Philippines.
I saw some day spa who offered hilot posted in their facebook page, and the price of their hilot is this:
60 minutes of Hilot in the Philippines is only USD 5.00 and USD 10.00 for 120 minutes
Well Filipino Hilot Providers who offers authentic Philippine Traditional Medicine are not compensated well, and this is the reason why some of them are holding tight to the edge of the blade or what we say as “kapit sa patalim”.
The Filipino Culture of colonial mentality have buried deeply our dignity almost already into oblivion. This is the reason why Hilot Academy and Luntiang Aghama is working hard to raise the standard of Hilot in the Philippines so that our dignity may be elevated again. Providing our Manghihilot proper education will enable them to perform Hilot in a more professional level that will allow them to work in Public Health Care centers of even in Private Health clinics or hospital.
There are so much Job opportunity as i see for our Hilot Practitioners. Not only in Spa. Let us leave the Spa to our Massage Therapist siblings. We can establish our own Hilot Healing Center where it can be a coordinating center with the Philippine Health department, social work and development, agriculture so as the Environment and Natural Resources. We are more than a Therapist, but we are also the Steward of Mother Earth.
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.
Our participation in creating a Standard Competency Standards for National Certification and Accreditation of Hilot Practitioners, Training Institution and Hilot Healing Center has one of its aim in preservation of the Philippine Ancestral Healing Arts and Science.
Throughout the History, the definition of Hilot have been evolved through Generations.
First during the precolonial times, Hilot has been known to be the only medicine for the common people. During those time, our ancestors have power over caring for their own health by employing thier own knowledge and skills so as their behavior towards our natural resources as a form of medicine.
During the Colonial Period, Hilot has become a liberating modality not only in terms of freeing an individual from physical ailments but also from emotional disturbance and mental disabilities.
Still on the Spanish rule that extends to the American Occupation, Hilot becomes a life changing modality that gives woman the power to exercise their power of choice. Hilot has been used for abortion thats free the woman from the responsibility of taking care a new life within their body. Though later on the act of abortion has been criminalized so as the Practice of Hilot on Pregnancy as well as on Maternal Healthcare.
Later on Hilot has become a modality of luxury, where people can avail its services on a Hotel so as in a High End Spa. Now that we are in the 21st century, we are redefining Hilot as we integrate it into our National Healthcare delivery system. And lastly, Hilot becomes our Windows in the past and we dont just see it like in the museum but we can experience it; thus hilot becomes our ancestral and cultural heritage.
Working on our Curriculum about Remedial Hilot as i work on it i am reminded to be grounded on the Healing Principles that all individual has the ability to heal our selves so the treatment procedure we provide as manghihilot does not intend to heal but to help the individual to heal themselves.
In order for us to assist them in their healing, we should also better understand the Filipino Concept of Illness which is Pilay.
On April 27 i have to present 10 common filipino illnesses but i have identified 13 and have to divide into four category of filipino illness which is pilay ipit, pilay bali, pilay hangin and pilay lamig.
The image you can see is the thumbnail of my last vlog that i made when i still can speak clearly. But if you will compare it to my previous vlog, you will notice my difficulty of speaking in this vlog.
As manghihilot, I am not only carrying the Healing knowledge from our Ancestors but also am a Culture Bearer.
In this video i teach our viewers our Traditional Divinatory method called Luknit which uses 4 crocodile tooth or 4 tusk of wild boar. Since we dont have that material we use 4 cowry shells instead.
My journey towards this advocacy in preserving our ancestral healing arts is now at risk of being halted due to my personal health problem.
I acknowledge that im not alone in pushing this advocacy on hilot, we still have manong Virgilio Apostol Mayor in San Diego, California who teach Traditional Ablon which is an Ilocano form of Hilot.
I understand that there is a Big expectation from healers like us in terms of handling our personal health. People might think that why you get sick? You are Hilot. Heal your self.
But in fact, we know how to care for ourself, but our compassion is greater than our selfcare, which we choose to set aside our self and give our care and attention to the need of others.
The most common mistake of our local manghihilot is the idea of Divine Service which means that you as manghihilot receive your Gifts of Healing from God so you must give your service to the public for free. And because of that many manghihilot are imprisoned in this idea of self sacrifice for the betterment of the public.
And with that attitude the personal health of a manghihilot is affected. Not only with their physical body but also in their mind and emotion.
Remember they are still humans that are bound with the limitations of the mundane world. Specially those who are still alive today lives in the modern world where money id needed.
So be kind to our manghihilot, they are our healers not only of our physical body but also of our soul. They are just shy to ask as they do not want you to be bothered by their situation.
I am sending my love to all of the living Hilot in this modern times. I can feel you and i am with you.
And thank you to all who send their love to me. I promise, i will work it out to be well as soon as possible.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 
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