“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” – Spanish proverb.    

 We’ve all been there before:

You wake up early in the morning feeling like your head is about to explode – this is usually coupled with the stuffiness of nasal congestion and that burning feeling in the back of your throat.

In western nations, the next step in this scenario would be to visit the GPs office. They will direct you towards the best way to treat your symptoms and how to nurture your body through the recovery process.

This is the modus operandi most of us follow. This is also a service which many of us – especially those living in the west –  seem to take for granted.

Modern medicine: Treatment of illness in the Philippines

In many Asian nations, the tradition of visiting a doctor is not as common as some may think. Deciding to see a doctor means making sacrifices in other areas of your life. This could mean families are having to go as far as sacrificing food to care for a sick family member.

Modern medicine in the Philippines – although widely available in major cities such as Manila and Cebu – has yet to take hold in many of the provinces. Despite this, strong demand for the services of medical practitioners still exists across the country.

This has lead to many citizens turning to the countries traditional medical practices, a form of folk medicine. With the rise of alternative medical treatment and interest in traditional medicine, has also come an increase in the popularity of folk medicine.

In early Filipino communities, the “Manghihilot” was the primary caregiver. These Hilot specialists (pronounced HEE-lot) were not formally trained. They were usually elderly members of the community who had received instruction and guidance from their relatives. They are then expected to pass the knowledge on to the next generation.

Now the practice of Hilot is deeply ingrained into the culture of the country. It was practised by Filipinos even long before the Spaniards occupied the land. Before doctors, there were albularyos and manghihilots, relied upon to treat broken bones, attending to childbirth, and preparing herbal concoctions to treat ailments present in their communities.

Hilot massage and the summoning of divine power

Hilot contains some interesting practices often not seen within conventional medicine. In modern times it is known for its use of massage as a form of diagnosis and treatment of patients. Before beginning treatment, the manghihilot will call upon the divine power within your surroundings to provide the energy needed for healing.

The manghihilot will then carry out the massage while frequently using various herbs, medicinal plants, and banana leaves to assist in identifying areas of energy imbalance. The goal of the treatment is to call into action the clients powers of self-healing as well as restoring harmony and balance to their body.

Here are a few interesting facts about hilot you probably did not know:

1. It is one of the oldest forms of healing in the Philippines

Before the introduction of modern medicine in the Philippines, hilot was the primary form of healing, and it served people for very many years. It then went dormant for a while as people turned to western medicine until its sudden resurgence.

Now, hundreds of spas and traditional healers are practicing the art even beyond the borders of Philippines. Its success is attributed to the holistic approach to the healing process where wellness of body, mind and spirit is ensured.

2. The practitioners (manghihilots) have no medical training

Yes, you read it right. These particular healers referred to as manghihilots have never attended medical school. These practitioners understand the body often through years of apprenticeship. Ailments that are often easily treatable using this particular form of treatment involve musculoskeletal disorders.

The manghihilots, therefore, employ their understanding of the human body to massage as well as employ chiropractic-like manoeuvres for body and mind healing.

Whether it is sprained muscles, broken bones or even dislocated joints, these doctor’ are famous for being top-notch healers. Mangihilots also understand the body so well they know energy points that hand the entire human being wellness beyond the natural experience.

3. It involves invoking the supernatural

It is often said, doctors treat, but God heals. This is the particular mindset that Mangihilots employ in their healing. First-hand accounts of hilot healing express a process that is deeply spiritual. At the beginning of the treatment, the diagnosis is often done with the help of divine entities as well as energy from the environment.

It is often vital for the patient to be a believer for the manghihilot to evoke self-healing energy from the patient. The combination of the divinities and the energy provided by nature as well as within the body enables both the client and the healer to understand and manage the particular condition at hand.

4. The art is hereditary

As mentioned earlier, being a manghihilot involves years of apprenticeship. Before being accepted as a healer, one has to undergo a lot of training from the preceding manghihilot.

The art is therefore passed through lineages and generations within a particular family. Once a child is identified as a prospective manghihilot, they are introduced to the art of healing at a tender age and live their entire lives around fellow healers.

When they are old enough and have gathered enough experience, they are allowed to start practising. Usually, one was regarded as ready to begin practising after advancing well in age

Modern-day manghihilots are however trained individuals who often work in spas and hospitals. They, therefore, don’t have to be old as they are medically trained in schools. This has however not reduced the demand for the manghihilots who have mastered the art the old school way.

5. Mangihilots often work with herbalists (albularyo)

More often than not, manghihilots involve other professional herbalists known as albularyo. The effectiveness of the healing process will only be enhanced by the herbal equivalents of modern-day medicine.

So as the manghihilots diagnosed and treated the ailments of their clients, the albularyo tagged along and handled the herbal aspect of the healing. It is vital to note that it is virtually impossible to be both a manghihilot and an albularyo. Both forms of art involve many years of apprenticeship and training. Their co-relation is often thus very vital to ensure that the client is fine in all aspects.

6. The healing process involves a lot of earth elements

This healing process is often so much more than just a massage. The whole process consists of a lot of natural attributes.

For starters, during the process leaves of different plants as well as special soil and other earthly elements are used. The mangihilots often attribute the entire process to nature. Therefore they involve a lot of natural products in the whole process. Banana leaves, dagdagay sticks (traced back hundreds of years) and volcanic soil is often used in the process for different reasons.

These elements were used many years ago but are still used even in modern day hilot treatment. Banana leaves, for instance, is often leased with coconut oil then run over the body to clear energy blockages. Also, it is a natural ionizer and has an antiseptic effect that treats maladies such as fevers.

Whether it is mild ailments such as fever, cold or even stress, or it is more severe ailments such as broken bones or dislocated joints, hilot is often a way of healing your body and mind.

With the proven therapy that involves wellness over a period of time, hilot is a form of treatment everyone should try once in a while. It will give you an experience of a lifetime and healing that might actually addict you.

It is a fact that healing does occur through hilot treatment. Many superstitions are tied to this particular form of healing. Some people think that it is just modern day medicine that was ahead of its time, others attribute this form of healing to the supernatural.

What do you personally think?

Some would gladly attend this form of healing but others are quite sceptical. But, the question of the year is – is hilot treatment a science or superstition?