Forward March!

Time run so fast and we are already on the 6th of March 2023! Even though the time changes, it seems that my mind is stuck on the last activities that I made. Well in order for me to move forward, I will just leave the memories of yesterday here so that I may presently prepare for the future.

But do you experience the same? Sometimes your memories are stuck on the past event that had happened to you? Or you are having difficulty to move on in your life specially when it comes to break up in a relationship or death of a love one?

So this kind of situation is considered a mental/emotional illness that Hilot could help you with! So what do you think the kind of Hilot Treatment needed in order to relieve a person from this kind of illness? Which part of the Body that a manghihilot should focus on in treating this kind of situation? Well you are free to answer by making comment below specially if you are a graduate of the Academy, you may have an Idea how to treat this situation. But before I give my answer, let me post first our Day 2 Activities with Argo, Nawa and Lakay.

We may think that it is our memory is the issue on this situation that having hard time to move on and let go of the situation. That might be correct, but in traditional indigenous medicine of Hilot, we see it that it is the Small and Large Intestine has the problem here and most likely those who suffer from these issues might also be suffering from constipation. So in treating this problem let me post first our Day 3 activities on Masidhi Hilot Training.

Do not think that the work of Manghihilot is just limited on treating the Physical Illness of a person and that is the common perception of the public that the work of manghihilot is no different from a Massage Therapist. But in reality, we are more than that! Our Training program that we offer here at Hilot Academy on becoming a Certified Hilot Binabaylan goes beyond the limitation of Physical Illness, but through the treatment methods and techniques we provide could help an individual to deal also with their emotional and mental Dis Ease.

You will be surprised to know that each of our emotions has its corresponding body organs that we could stimulate with. Such as on this problem of difficulty to move on and let go, we can treat the intestine through a water treatment. So in using water in healing there are many ways but the water must come in first in order to flush out what have stocked inside us. Enema might be invasive but our ancestors have used it as well and we might benefit from using it. But aside from enema, can make a blend of smoothie made of carrots, ginger and coconut milk to drink and do suob. After 10 to 15 minutes we can do pagpapahid manipulation on the stomach area.

If you want to learn more on how Hilot could help you treat different situations like this aside from physical illness, I recommend you to enroll on our Hilot Binabaylan training program. So plan ahead make a schedule of your visit in the Philippines that we may have our Learning Journey together in preserving our Philippine Traditional and Indigenous Healing Arts here at Hilot Academy of Binabaylan.

ENROLL NOW!

THERE IS PAIN IN EVERY TOUCH

In the book of William Henry Scott titled: BARANGAY SIXTEENTH-CENTURY PHILIPPINE CUTURE AND SOCIETY

Massage was applied for injured or dislocated muscles, or pressure put on nerve centers
page 118

and the person who perform this was known as Hilot which is an expert on Physical Medicine. But as time goes by, this identity of Hilot has been diminished into just a Mamarokpok on which William Henry Scott have described as a Massuer who simply pummeled the back and spine and was usually a Datu’s husky slave.

And a Spanish Friar that was called Father Sanchez have described the work of Hilot in massaging women’s abdomen to cause miscarriage or abortion; as at that time, abortion were a common form of Family Planning.

Comparing the work of a Manghihilot and Mamarokpok, we can see that Hilot is medically inclined as it works deeper than what the Mamarokpok is doing. such as in comparing the Touch Manipulation of Massage and Hilot that both may manipulate either deep or superficial layer of the persons body. But the difference of Hilot to a Massage is that people may get pampering from a Massage, but those who have Injuries see a Manghihilot for a Serious Treatment. As the Goal of Hilot is to correct, restore the things that have been wronged with that person.

And naturally every touch of a Manghihilot towards the body of a patient, it will be painful. In massage therapy, the masseur has been taught to adjust their pressure by using body weight. This can be also applied in performing Hilot Massage, but Pressure weight does not matter if the Manghihilot can locate the point of origin of the pain, whether you only exerting light pressure the patient’s body, it will still be painful as the nature of pain is radiating.

For me as Manghihilot, my students may see me having pleasure to see them suffering pain when I demonstrate Hilot Massage to them, but what I am teaching you is that when you feel pain at the first time you received Hilot Massage, it means your body is responding to the treatment saying: “Yes! Do it because there is something wrong within me. Fix Me!”

In my experience in providing Hilot, Pain has been my friend and assistant. It helped me to know which area of the persons body I should work with fixing. It is also a good indicator to me that whenever I touched a person’s body and they responded to my touch as painful; this means that I have restored their senses that they feel pain and blood will flow again. As I continue to do the appropriate touch manipulation in helping the blood to circulate within the body, the more that I know that the patient that I am handling will get well.

So in my personal life, I am grateful to experience pain even it hurts because it reminds me that I am still human and alive that I could still feel pain rather than being numb and paralyzed to the worst which is i could not feel anymore because life force have left already in my Physical Body.

A new Manghihilot was created for Australia

3 days is already over and we started it out with a Great Meal and on our table we only not share food but also the stories of our life. I am very happy that these people enjoys great food such as I am as we love to make our lessons like a festival as how many food has been placed on our Table so as the lessons they will learn from us here at Hilot Academy. Though we are just renting for our Training Venue but I pray that soon enough, we will be able to own a Place where you can stay and learn from us. Our first official lesson started with nature walk to introduce them to the Spirit of the place and also to greet this Big Tree that stands firm inside the compound of International Institute of Rural Reconstruction which is at Brgy. Biga 2, Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

Then I asked them to pick any herbs that seems they are attracted to and have called them.

Through this I showed them how our ancestors determine which plants to use in healing as the plants can talk to us. Indeed, it is amazing that our ancestors have these special abilities to communicate to almost everything aside from human beings that has the ability of speech. But if we attune ourselves that all the creations in this world are all equal and we learn how to respect them, the boundaries that separate us from them will be lifted and we will be able to know what they are saying unto us.

During this class, I have emphasized that Hilot is about Communication and us as Manghihilot are opening up ourselves to receive and understand the messages that is being communicated unto us either by nature or by our inner selves.

Tawas is a Hilot Technique that enable us to become a mediator of the person between their present life to their past life. It is an important tool in a form of Ritual so that we can ease up the situation of our patient in unloading all the burden they might be carrying all along. We have seen it through our Masidhing Manghihilot, all they thought that they are being afflicted by Mangkukulam, but when we release them from Tawas, they learned that it was just an emotional baggage that they are carrying for a long time.

I am very proud that after 3 days, we have able to create a New Manghihilot that will serve the people in Australia. One in Queensland and the other in Tazmania. Congratulations and Welcome to the Path of our Race!

Helping Recover from Stroke

I was swiping our front yard when I saw this man walking on his short legged cane and he stopped as if catching his breathe just in front of me. So I dropped my broom for a while and asked him: ” What happened to you? Why do you walk like that?? The man replied that he had stroke 5 years ago and his cane was broken that he just endure using it because he have no money to replace it. So I was moved and went inside the Shrine and get the walking cane that I made for my mother and supposedly use it when I got stroke but thankfully, I never had used it, so I give it to the man whose name is Goyong. I asked him if he wanted to be healed and told him that I am also a Stroke Recovery Patient and had it just a year ago. And he agree that I asked him to comeback on his Free Time.

I already saw Goyong always walking in the morning and notice how he walk and have prayed that one day, I could reach and help him out. It is not that I am bragging that I am better now, but what I realized that I am so blessed that I easily got recovered from my Stroke. Actually this becomes my declaration and mission, to help Stroke People to recover, as It was my mission to my Mother in helping her to be relieved from her condition. And last year, I myself have experienced it that I personally understand what it is to be in that condition. I still acknowledge that I am not expert on treating this condition, but I will do the same thing to the things that I do to my self that helps me to recover.

Kuya Goyong came back and I learned that he is 56 years old and when he had stroke his Wife left her alone. I ask him who is taking care of him while he have stroke? He said no one. He is just renting a small room where he could lie down and in the morning he walks 500 meters to ask for food from his friend and some relatives. As he is telling his story to us he cried a lot and was able to voice out the pain that he is carrying inside him and was relieved when he tell his story before he had stroke. He have a nice extravagant life, he have 3 sons of which only the eldest give time to support him on his financial needs such as bills for his rent, electricity and water. He was able to invest 2 cars on which after his wife left him brought it with her so as his 3 tricycle he sold it so that he could have money for his medication.

Though I understand the feeling of a Stroke Patient, I saw his determination of bringing his life back to normal when he walk in the morning. When I checked him, I see 90% of making him back normal. It was just delayed because of lack of money. But if we are going to make a Hilot program for his recovery, I’m sure that in 6 months there will be improvement to his mobility.

Kuya Goyong still has his sensation, memory and mobility. But I see he have limitation on making facial expression just like me at the start. His left fingers, arms, and shoulders were stocked as the nerves and blood vessels were frozen. So the Mission that I have for him is to bring back the Fire in his Life and that is the warmth so as the Light.

At least, after yesterday initial session his face brighten up and went home with new hope. I just asked him that we should recover first his health then afterwards we work on his Wealth. All that has been lost to him will be replaced with new and even greater one as long as we manage to bring back his optimum Health and Wellness.

Though what I need from him is to see his medical abstract that indicates the result of his CT Scan, so as the laboratory result of his blood chemistry. But knowing that he is financially uncapable, this might not be possible. I also want him to have medical care aside from what we can provide. I told him not to think on how much to pay for my services but rather think of recovering first and when he does and made him self financially stable, then he could pay us through service.

How I Wish that I have that enough Money that I could also help people who come to us to have Medical Care. But for now, It is only Prayer and the Hilot Medicine that I have what I could Share to these people.

Soul Healing Hilot

Another family came to receive authentic Hilot treatment though they only complain simple back pain but it ended up in opening of consciousness through the topics we have discussed during the treatment session.

Though having a small place to receive people, we still manage to welcome them and treat them individually.

Hilot usually does not require aesthetic space but utilize the area where the Spirits have provide us to do our sacred work of healing.

But I wish to have a formal aesthetic venue where the person who receives Hilot will not just be relieved from physical pain but also may be relieved from emotional and mental stress that they are receiving everyday in society where they live.

I also feel sorry for this family that they needed to travel far in order to receive authentic Hilot that will not only touch their Physical body but as well as in healing their souls . If only our Government could integrate Hilot into the Philippine Health Care Delivery System, people does not need anymore to go to far flung places in order to receive Authentic Hilot Treatment nor spend a lot of Money in Spa which commercialized Hilot but instead people will just drop by to their Local Health Centers which they can receive Hilot for Free that is part of our Healthcare delivery system.

Hilot Healing Principles

Doing the talk is the most challenging part of being a Hilot Binabaylan, especially now that we are in the world of Commercialism where the demand of the public is what we provide. During our Training we emphasize that Hilot is not a massage where we can provide relaxation as most Hilot School will align the modality so that the learning upon completion of the required studies of the competencies will be hired on Spa then become a Massage Therapist.

It is nice to know that Hilot has Touch Manipulation that is almost similar to massage and its method can be modified into relaxation techniques but when you do it, that technique lose its sense already and transformed its potency, instead, it become a Simple Massage.

All Hilot Treatments follows the Hilot Healing Principles that state:

Every Human Being has the ability to heal themselves; and as Manghihilot, we are just the facilitator of that healing as we assist the individual to brought out that healing ability for themselves.We are not the healer but the DIVINE CREATOR is, who gave life to everyone!
Apu Adman, Punong Binabaylan of Luntiang Aghama

And those who seek Hilot just for relaxation, it is better that you go to Spa and hire a massage therapist to provide you what you need. Hilot is for treatment of illnesses and our ancestors does not come to a manghihilot when they want pampering but instead, they come to manghihilot when they are sick.

Embrace the Land

In learning #Hilot we must not be just like plantito or plantita that enjoys to see their plant on a pot. Allow them to embrace the land and let them grow to be strong.

Being a #HilotBinabaylan is not just about connecting yourselves to the root but also allowing yourself grow by having a deeper connection to your motherland.

Being a Manghihilot

Yesterday-January 21, 2023 was our 6th day of Hilot Training at International Institute of Rural Reconstruction as a Venue and we did a Question and Answer Session regarding some health issues and discuss the possible Hilot Treatment procedures.

In starting the session, I gave each individual a 4a piece of paper and cut it into 8 pcs. So each participants will write 8 specific questions containing possible health issues that they may encounter in their practice of Hilot. As we finish writing our questions on the paper we fold it and place it inside a box. And will pick one and read it aloud to discuss the possible Hilot Treatment Plan we are going to employ,

We only have limited time as we do this from 9:00 am to 10:00 am so that we can perform other things. These activity trains the student to handle clients with different health issues by activating their critical thinking ability to analyze the situations and determining appropriate Hilot Treatment procedures that could help their client to have cure.

The application of Hilot Treatment may vary as Traditional Filipino Illness may manifest into the Physical, Emotional, Mental, Social and even Spiritual aspect of the person. So the Hilot Treatment procedures are not only limited in giving Massage but may also require the applications of other Hilot Treatment Techniques such as Pagtatawas as Diagnostic, Pagpag/ Pauli Ritual, Pagbababad/ Banyos, Paghihilod, Pagbabalot, Pagtatapal, Pagsusuob,Paligo-Banlaw, Palina, Dagdagay, Pagsasala, Bentusa/ Tandok, Pagpupunas, Pahid, Haplos, Himas, Pindot, Hagod, Pisil, Piga and other Hilot Touch Manipulations technique such as kamot, kurot, yugyog, tulak, hila, dagan and kayod.

We also have talked about dissecting each Hilot Treatment methodologies and their origins. And as we look at each treatment methodologies employed in Hilot Treatment, we could say that all of it maybe an adoption of our ancestors from foreigners who come into our land out of the trade relations of the Philippines towards other countries that came to us such as the application of Bentusa which may come from the Greeks or Persia; Dagdagay as it employs reflexology; the Pagpapahid as it looks similar to Abyangha, and so on.

There was a point in time that I remember that Filipino were known before as imitators as whatever saw from the west that is trending, we mimic it and imitate. But this was not the case, as Human needs are the same specially in terms of maintain health and wellness. As I embrace harder the Art and Science of Hilot, what I learned is that the Healing Principles of Hilot does not comes from the Technique that we use, but through the Behavior that we observe in performing these modality.

Hilot is about the Quality of Care that we provide and not about the technique we employ; it is also through the emotions we share and not about being patriotic but it is about our connection to the land and it’s nature.

Being a Manhihilot in Diaspora does not mean that you have to grow all the plants that is endemic in the Philippines. That you as Manghihilot living in the United States or wherever country you are in the world needs to import all the Healing Herbs that you can find in the Philippines; but being a Manghihilot in Diaspora is about connecting with the plant medicine that grows in your own yard, in your neighborhood, in the country where you live right now.

It is a good idea that you being a person living in diaspora could support our local manghihilot by importing our products that will give us revenue. And that is only good for us, but it maybe harmful to our land as we tend to over harvest because of the international demands. And over harvesting is not Hilot, it is already about commerce and capitalism. Our Hilot is not about earning a lot of money, though we also need to earn, as we ourselves are in this world that is governed by money. We still have our bills that we need to pay, and this is what the energy exhange is for. You are paying us for the service you get from us to be a better person, and the money you give make us to be able to pay for the responsibilities we have on the technical services we obtain from electric company, water company, internet providers and so on.

For me, I dont have Children to send to schools. But we have charities to help in sending people to school. So this is the reason also that we exert effort in doing this work. As hilot is not only in making people feel better about their physical body but also in their lives.

Feverish 7 years Old Child

Again, a mother and child have visited us in the Shrine. She asked me to do Tawas for her 7 years old daughter who was vomiting and had a Fever. As she suspects that the child has been played by unseen entity as she was playing with her elder sister. It is believed that these unseen entities were fond of playing, story time as well as merry making. It is the same with the souls of our dead loved ones who will manifest their presence every time that a member of the family will tell stories about them. These unseen entities or spirits easily victimize young Children as the souls of these kids were not yet complete. This is the reason why Children can be easily affected by Usog as the souls serve as our shield from these forces. The mother also has told us that the young girl was playing Hide and Seek with her Ate (Elder Sister) and when the Ate found her she was surprised and get nervous. And aside from this situation, the Child already have a Medical History of Broncho Pneumonia. She is about to bring her child to the Hospital, but a neighbor have told her to consult first with a Hilot.

I have no intention of intervening to the work of a medical professional, since they come first to us, I have no reason to drive them off and not provide the help that I could do. As I saw the child, i did not sense any presence of a playing Spirit or Maligno (which is a kind of Engkanto that always plays trick on mankind) but I sense that the child spirit is naturally weak due to the cold season as well as the mother confirms that she already had a medical condition. I still do Tawas, but this time it’s not Tawas sa Papel but rather I use Pagsasala Method using Avocado leaf. As I start passing the leaf to the flame of the candle, I see the body parts which I need to focus in Pagpapahid. The Tawas have shown me the back of the Body up to the Buttocks. I asked the mother if the child has excretion problem, and she confirms that the child is having a loose bowel movement and has no appetite. That is also one of her worries that she wants to resolve that she plans to see a doctor but was convinced to see me first.

As I do the pagsasala, I notice that the skin of the child is very dry and scaly that the kidney, bladder and spleen is weak. So as i notice that the child is lack of nutrition that I advised her to go to barangay health center and ask if they have free vitamins supplement for her daughter. I am glad that our Barangay Health Center are providing these for the indigent residents of our Barangay and I wish that Hilot can be Integrated within the Barangay Health Center and I believe that in order for this to happen PITAHC which is an attached agency of the Philippine Department of Health will issue a Memorandum Circular or an Administrative Order that Hilot can be integrated into our Health Care Delivery System. As a Practitioner of Hilot, we do not have the power to do this as Barangay Health Worker has different qualification to Hilot. So hopingly, our government will see our value as primary healthcare provider as well.

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.