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.
Imagine how do we live now if our Ancestors did not know how to care for themselves. Our History as Filipino People does not start from the coming of Spain in our Archipelago. When Ferdinand Magellan arrives, he was welcomed by Rajah Humabon on March 21, 1521. This only signifies that prior to the coming of Spain in our Archipelago, human beings (which is part of our ancestry) already existed in our land. So, imagine at that time, how do the Spanish Colonizer found our Ancestors, how do they look like? and how do they live before they came? Actually, they already have their Civilizations. People know how to wear clothes, they have jewelries and other accessories, they eat and drink. They also have mode of transportation and so as politics and government system. That is why we all know that there is also Lapu Lapu who killed Magellan. But that is different story to tell. What I want to point out here that our ancestors are already Civilized.
Though we may connect the lineage of Rajah Humabon to the 10 Bornean datu who fled and find refuge to our country during the 13th century. But even though these Bornean datu take refuge to our land, they are also welcomed by native inhabitant of our Archipelago which is an Aeta Chieftain named Datu Marikudo. And historically it is known that the Negrito Groups are the first inhabitants of our Archipelago which is now known as the Philippines which can be dated back 47,000 years ago.
And according to archeologist, the first human existed in our Archipelago besides from the Negrito group are the ones that can be found in Callao Cave in Cagayan. Their existence gives us idea on how they live 67,000 years ago. Of course, we do not look like them now, but their wisdom on survival still exists as of this day. And Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, credit our Hilot Healing Modality to them. As the way of Hilot is how to maintain life within our physical body and to keep us safe. Our Work as Manghihilot is not just to heal illnesses and ailments, but also to protect our Physical, Emotional, Mental, Social and Spiritual Body from harm.
And through this, aside from the Historical Evidence of our Ancestral Healing Arts and Science, the month of November has been declared as Traditional and Alternative Health Care Month by the virtue of Republic Act 8423 or the Philippine Traditional Alternative Medicine Act of 1997. and through this, Hilot Academy of Binabaylan will provide a month- long Free Webinar on the Fundamentals of Hilot Practice that will happen on the following dates and the topics to be discussed:
November 2, 2024 – Definition, History, Philosophies and Principles of Hlot
November 9, 2024- Hilot concept of Life, Health, Illness & Wellness
November 16, 2024- Faculties and Aspect of Man
November 23, 2024- Traditional Health Care Delivery and Hilot Treatment Methodologies
November 30, 2024- Laws, Policies, Standards and regulations on the Practice of Hilot & Hilot Code of Ethics
To those who are interested to attend, kindly fill out the form through the link below. We are going to issue Certificate of Attendance to those who will attend the online class which can be credited to our Alignment Program on becoming a Hilot Binabaylan.
Join us in this limited offer at 125 TOWN & COUNTRY DRIVE, DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA, USA
For a limited time, we will be offering 3 Hilot Training Program on August 2024 at Danville Yoga and Wellness Center at Danville, California, USA.
The trainings will be the following:
1. Hilot Daloy: This is a continuing Education Training Program for our Graduates who took the Non Contact Hilot Mind and Spirit Work during the Time of Pandemic on 2020-2022. This offering will provide opportunity to our Magaanito/Pangutanahan/Pangatauhan to earn their Full Hilot Binabaylan Status by enrolling in this 5 days Training Program at Danville Yoga and Wellness Center.
2. Hilot Tanglaw: Your growth as practicing Hilot Binabaylan is important that we create this continuing education program for all of our Practitioners who completed our Hilot Binabaylan Training Program. This program will certify you to be an accredited Mentor on selected Hilot Binabaylan Knowledge, Skills and Abilities or the Full Hilot Binabaylan Competencies. This will be a 10 days training.
3. Hilot Binabaylan: This is an entry level program that will ordain an Individual to administer Philippine Indigenous Traditional Health Care, either privately to your Family or Publicly to your community. This is an 8 days Training Program.
Siquijor is an Island Province in the Philippines that is located in the Central Visayas Region. It is found on the northern Part Siquijor can be found the Island of Cebu, West can be found the Island of Negros, in the North East is Bohol while in the south across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao. The Mystical Island of Siquijor was known as Isla del Fuego or Island of Fire that according to legend, there was a great storm engulfed the Visayan region, and a strong earthquake shook the earth and sea. Amidst the lightning and thunder arose an island from the depths of the ocean’s womb which came to be known as the island of Siquijor, hence the name Isla del Fuego, or “Island of Fire.” Oddly enough, in modern times, highland farmers have found giant shells underneath their farm plots, supporting the theory that Siquijor rose from the sea. Well, this Island was also known before as an Island of Witches but in 2010 through the hard work of Governor Orlando Fua Jr. the scary image of Siquijor as a Witch Island has been changed into a Healers Island due to the Healing Festival that they create every Holy Week.
We were able to participate at the Healing Festival in Siquijor as a Healer on 2017 and its a great experience for us to be able to touch local or foreigners that attended that event. And I just recently learn that only local healers which means healers from Siquijor are only allowed to participate the Healing Festival. So tourist either local from other provinces or foreigners outside the Philippines may only be an spectators or client. And that is Great News for implementing that policy as it will help the local Siquijor Healers to earn a living. But Kuya Tata our resident Siquijor Tourist Guide has an alternative venue in Siquijor who are interested to participate in the Healing Festival and that is at Siquijor Sunset Glamping Village in San Juan, Siquijor instead at Mt. Bandilaan.
For those who plan to visit Siquijor to attend the Healing Festival on March 2024, you need to make reservation now for your Hotel Accommodation as early as January so that you may still have a room as tourist will come in a large number by that time comes. So if you are interested to visit siquijor anytime, you may contact kuya tata through their FB Page which is the Siquijor Tourist Guide.
You may contact Kuya Tata through Whats App at this number +639694217190.
Last October 26 & 27, 2023- our Hilot Training Team that compose of Me, Lakay and Mam Nora attended to the 3rd Regional Hilot Congress that been Hosted by Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care in collaboration with Hilot Philippines Development Center of International School of Sustainable Tourism at International Institute of Rural Reconstruction compound, Brgy. Biga 2, Silang, Cavite, Philippines. The said Congress was attended by Select Manghihilot of Region 4 A CaLaBaRZon or Cavite, Laguna, Batanggas, Rizal and Quezon Province and our Team represents the Cavite Province since we are representing the Municipality of Silang through Hilot Philippines Development Center. Though in reality, I am still at City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan; Lakay Magbaya represents City of Taguig, Metro Manila; and only Mam Nora Columna is originally from Cavite Province which is from General Trias City.
The 3rd Regional Hilot Congress has been welcomed by a message from Dr. Nonie John L. Dalisay on behalf of Governor Juanito “Junvic” C. Remulla, where he emphasizes Hilot as traditional health care practices in the past and its effectiveness in terms of health care. Then it was followed by a message from our Managing Director at Hilot Philippines Development Center and President of International School of Sustainable Tourism, the former Secretary of Department of Tourism, Dr. Mina T. Gabor.
In her welcoming message, Dr. Gabor have emphasized the goal of the 21st Century in taking care of one’s self as she pointed out to the commercial and advertisement shown in Televisions and even in Social Media as experts advised that all of us must look good and our Goal must be happy as it will help also our Economy. The HPDC president also reminisces here experience when she was the Tourism Secretary as she was asked to talk about Medical Tourism and Hilot was never been mentioned before but good thing Now, everyone is talking about Hilot and it is about time that all of us will go back to Hilot.
Right after the welcoming message of Former Tourism Secretary, the Director General of Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care Dr. Anabelle Pabiona De Gusman was called to give her Welcoming Message to the Participants of 3rd Regional Hilot Congress. In her message she takes pride about the work of PITAHC as she explain why Hilot Congress takes place. In her message She honors the founder of Philippine Traditional Alternative Medicine Act who is Dr. Juan Flavier former DoH Secretary and Philippine Senator. It is through Senator Juan Flavier that emphasizes that Health Center should be a Center for Wellness and not a Center of Illness. Then the Regional Director of Department of Tourism of Calabarzon in the person of Director Maritess Castro that exhort the role of Manghihilot in caring for the Health of the community employing Traditional & Alternative Health Care modalities. And through it, Department of Tourism have a continuous Collaboration with Pitahc in the promotion of Philippine Traditional Hilot through Wellness Tourism.
The Current Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa also give his message through a recorded Video. He said that: Hilot is deeply engraved in our History embodies Holistic approach in treating illnesses and promoting health and well being of our kababayan.
There are more speakers that speaks grately about Hilot and it is very overwhelming to know that these people recognizes our role in preserving our Indigenous practices of health care and it could be integrated into the Universal Health Care Delivery System. Aside from these prominent people, the practitioners were also able to voice out our sentiment and deliver it to Pitahc to be address it properly and in the End all the participants of the 3rd Regional Hilot Congress were able to create a Declaration where we all agree with as we have been lead by a Dumagat Chieftain and Community Health Worker in pronouncing the Declaration:
Declaration of Support to the Universal Health Care
Kami mga hilot at iba pang mga tradisyonal na pilipinong manggagamot, kasama ang mga community health worker at barangay health worker ay patuloy na nag-aalay ng aming paglilingkod sa aming mga nasasakupang komunidad upang higit na makamit ang mga hangarin ng universal health care. Nais naming pagtibayin ang patuloy naming pagtulong sa promosyon ng kalusugan at pag-iwas sa karamdaman, sa pagbibigay paunang lunas sa mga karaniwan at simpleng sakit sa pamamagitan ng mga ligtas, epektibo at abot-kayang panggagamot, at sa pag-refer ng mga malulubhang karamdaman sa kinauukulang health center at ospital.
We as Manghihilot and other Filipino Traditional Healer, Together with the Community Health Worker and Barangay Health Worker do continue to offer our services in our respective comminities in order to achievve our Goals towards Universal Health Care. We desire to strengthen our role in the continuing to help the promotion of Health and prevention from illness by giving primary cure to common and simple illness through safe, effective and affordable treatment, and by referring to appropriate professional and health center and hospital to cases of chronic illnesses.
Bilang mga certified o recognized na mga BHW, CHW, Hilot, at iba pang mga tradisyonal na pilipinong manggagamot, dalangin namin ang pormal na Pagkilala at pagbilang sa amin bilang bahagi ng rural health unit na sumasakop sa aming komunidad. Nilagdaan namin sa silang, cavite ngayong ika-27 ng oktubre, 2023 sa okasyon ng 3rd regional hilot congress at pista ng gamutang pilipino
As Certified and Recognized Barangay Health Worker, Community Health Worker, Manghihilot and other Traditional Medicine Practitioner, It is our Prayer that we will be formally recognize and include us as part of the Rural Health Unit in the community where we belong. Signed this 27th Day of October 2023 in Silang, Cavite on the 3rd Regional Hilot Congress and Pista ng Gamutang Pilipino.
All the time our body speaks to us but how do we recognize on which part of our Body speaks to us? In western medical studies, Human Anatomy and Physiology is being taught at School but in Hilot Academy, do we teach Human Anatomy and Physiology? The Answer is Yes. We may not be teaching the exact knowledge and information about the Human body but our ancestors have taught us on how to care and treat on the body parts that they think is Vital. It is the same thing how our organs and body parts have names in Filipino, because our ancestors remember the name of the organs or body parts that is relevant and at work all the time. It is just like in everyday of your life, you are dealing with a situation that always happen in a day, you will become a master on it, as you can deal the situation in every angle that it will come.
Now, in the body position, you will notice that the suffix -an is added at the end of the word such as Ulonan pertaining to the upper part or on the area of the head, Paanan pertaining to the lower part of the body belonging to the area of the feet, Tagiliran or side part, Harapan pertaining to the front and Likuran pertaining to the back. Other words that has a suffix -an that pertains to a region or place are Hilagaan (North), Silanganan (East), Katimugan (South), Kalunuran or Kanluran (West), Kaitaasan (Sky World), Kaibabawan (Surface or Middle World), Kailaliman (UNderworld), Kaluwalhatian (Place of Glory/Paradise/Heaven), Kalangitan (Sky world), Kasamaan ( Place of Evil and punishment for retribution).
Well the regions can also be found within our body and to understand better the healing methods of Hilot, we recommend everyone to study and enroll with us on our Hilot Binabaylan Training & Certification. Our ancestors may not have studied medical science at school, but they have their life experiences that have been passed unto us 50,001 years ago.
Early this morning we have fetch Christine Quynh Vy at Naia Terminal 3 for her 8 days study of Hilot Binabaylan Training. I ask her who recommend her to study Hilot Binabaylan and I was so glad to hear that one of our Graduates from Hawaii which is Dayang Gulaon, a vessel and Hilot Binabaylan of Diwatang Gugurang and Diwatang Laon. Dayang Gulaon aka Julz Bolinayen of Lakapati’s Legacy we among the last student of who took the in person 8 days training of Hilot Binabaylan before the lock down of Pandemic of Covid 19. From January 2019 when she took the Class, Dayang Gulaon have taken pride to the Ancestral Wisdom of Filipino Healing Arts and Science that she offers it through Lakapati’s Legacy in Hawaii. She is a Hilot Binabaylan that specialize in Tattoo Ritual, Divination, Serenade, Energy Healing and Death Doula- Ship. And she is the beloved Medium of Kilubansa the Filipino Diwata of Healing which Hilot Academy enshrined as our Patron Guide.
Quynh Vy is a receives Kilubansa Reading from Dayang Gulaon that later on they became friends. And Quynh Vy learned about the Academy through her. We were glad to meet Quynh Vy in person, and we have learned that she is a Vietnamese- American. Though she came to us to learn Hilot so that she could acquire some tools in her quest to uncover Vietnamese Culture and Tradition.
In the past, I have received some advice to limit accepting students to only Filipino or those with Filipino Blood. But I reject that Idea as it will violate the Ethics of Hilot that states:
“…as Manghihilot we do not discriminate an Individual, we do not look at them of their nationality, their political and religious affiliation, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, Social Classification whether they are rich or poor, We do not look at their color whether they are white, black or brown; we do not see them if they are young or old; but rather we see them as Soul that is within their body that needs healing from us.”
Hilot Gamutan: A fundamental Guide on Hilot Treatment Methodology by Rev. Rolando Gomez Comon CP MH-SOLA
So as a Teacher of Hilot, we do not discriminate also on whom we are going to Teach Hilot as Hilot is not exclusive to a certain person only but it is always available for all who are in need of.
As I see most Hilot Schools focuses their training on Massage Aspects of Hilot, thus when they finish their schooling the end result will be that they are going to be employed as Massage Therapist at Spa. But the problem that I see on Spa is that for the sake of Earning an Income, they have neglected to follow the Therapeutic Hours which a Manghihilot should follow. The Knowledge that an individual learned from the Academy or Training Center has been erased or set aside when the Graduate has been employed in the Spa. The reason would be that school setting is different from the Industry Setting which is an actual life event. That is why I saw some Spa operates almost from 1:00 PM to 3:00 AM which is a 14 hours or even almost operates for 24 hours of service which hazardous to the health of the practitioner.
In Hilot Academy, we do not encourage that kind of work, as Manghihilot we are a Health Care Provider and we know that in Health Care we have to set a Therapeutic Environment as well as following the Therapeutic Hours.
What is Therapeutic Hours?
Therapeutic Hours are time within the day where Healing Energies are available in Nature which a Manghihilot could access to affect healing to the patient. And These hours are from Sunrise to Sunset. For me those times are healing time as light are available. Let us say, we start our Healing work by 7:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, these hours are intended for Promotive Health Care or for attracting positive energies to come into the persons life, where as from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM which the Sun is setting is intended for banishing or removing negative energies.
As soon as the Sun goes down and darkness covered the sky, it is intended for rest. It has also its healing property which commands our brain to slow down. Many people get sick because people resist this natural order. They do the work that supposedly be done during the light of the day and still work at night.
So the work of Manghihilot should not exceed the prescribed hours of the Day, in doing so, the Manghihilot also doing harm to themselves and not teaching discipline to their client by allowing them to violate the Therapeutic Hours set by Mother Nature her self.
So aside from doing physical touch manipulations and other Hilot Healing Methods to affect healing, the Manhihilot is also responsible in Cultivating their own Healing Medicine from Nature.
like what we always say that Hilot does not only focus on the massage aspect of healing but it also utilize Halaman (Herbs) Init (Heat) Liwanag (light) Orasyon (time/prayer) Tubig (water) in healing.
And the one I have shared to you above is the teaching about Hilot Orasyon which is about time and therapeutic hours.
If you like the article you just read above, please consider donating so that we may finish the construction of Bahay SiAdTala in Brgy. South Signal Village, Taguig City. This will be our new training venue for Hilot Academy of Binabaylan and Fellowship Center of Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc..
As feedback from our recent training last April and May 2023, though we made it successfully that we have able to transfer our knowledge and enhance their skills in practicing Hilot through our 8 days training but it is very compressed that we have not able to do more exercises and return demonstration, we have decided to make it longer that will focus on practice and return demonstration. We also added up some new topics to discuss specially on Setting Up Hilot Healing Center as compliance to PITAHC Standards and Regulation in the Practice of Hilot. The following will be the upgraded curriculum that we may implement for 2024.
Our New Training Program on Hilot Binabaylan aims to meet the following Goals for our Students.
To enable our students to embody in this present generation the concept and principles of the Philippine Traditional Indigenous Medicine by becoming an Authentic Manghihilot which is Hilot Binabaylan.
To initiate our Students on our Filipino Ancestral Valuing system of Life and to the practice of Traditional Indigenous Health Care.
To train our students in Developing Analytic Mind through our Tawas Diagnosis Method that we also call as Traditional Alternative Wellness Analytic System and integrate it to the modern method of health assessment and evaluation.
To provide an opportunity to our students to learn and practice different Hilot Treatment Modalities that is integrated to the modern healthcare delivery
To empower our students which are our potential Hilot Binabaylan in providing Home Care Supplementation of Herbal Remedies by introducing them to Plant Medicine.
To Integrate the Practice of Hilot Binabaylan in the National Health Care Delivery System.
Though our 8 days training will still be available, but there are some locals who are interested to learn from us but can not afford the fee that we provide. So, we plan to provide it on a weekly basis either Saturday or Sunday Afternoon from 1PM -6:00 PM. The reason why our program becomes expensive for 8 days is that it include the Hotel Accommodation, Food (breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner), rental for our training venue, so as for the learning materials consumables. Hilot Academy of Binabaylan is an Educational Ministry of Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. which is a Private Institution that is not Supported by any Government Agency that we could offer Scholarship program. Though we want to offer our program in a lower fee but as an organization, we also are paying fees aside from the students food and accommodation, we are also renting our venue so as the utilities and other bills.
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