Slug: Filipino healing arts
Date: April 8, 2002
By: Mel Orpilla
Like many cultures around the world, the Philippines also has its own ancient healing art. The Filipino healing art of Hilot has been practiced for centuries in the Philippines. Here in Vallejo, Edgar Abulencia practices this ancient art but combines his knowledge of Hilot with European massage practices. He is the modern embodiment of a line of ancient Filipino healers that goes back thousands of years.
Hilot is found throughout the Philippines, but because the art has been passed down through oral traditions, there is not much documentation about its origins. Hilot is often thought of as the healing art of our non-Christian past, but as a spiritual people, Filipinos have always believed that healing and religious beliefs go hand in hand. Even with the introduction of Christianity, Hilot has not been erased from the Filipino culture.
Like many manghihilot (a Hilot practitioner), Abulencia first learned how to use his hands to heal under the tutelage of a manghihilot who was his relative. He first availed of their services when he would sprain one of his ankles while playing basketball in the Philippines. “I realized I had the gift of helping people feel better through these techniques. Filipinos have a natural ability to heal through massage,” said Abulencia. “Just watch a Filipino mother massage the legs and arms of her newborn baby. It’s instinctual.”
There is also a “flipside” to Hilot and its healing methods. The same knowledge using nerve centers and pressure points to heal can also be used conversely to inflict pain. Filipinos practice their own forms of martial arts. Kali, escrima and arnis are just three of the most popular art forms. A Filipino martial artist uses the same principals to incapacitate his or her attackers. Some masters had the ability to cause unconsciousness, internal bleeding or even temporary paralysis. Thus the knowledge of Hilot can be used to either heal or destroy.
Abulencia has taken Hilot to another level. He studied at the National Holistic Institute and is a certified massage therapist. “The training at the National Holistic Institute is the longest and most rigorous of all the massage institutes,” said Abulencia. He has successfully combined the techniques of both to offer his diverse clientele.
“The one thing that I learned from my training was that the manghihilots in the Philippines had a working knowledge of anatomy and physiology, even without studying books or with any formal training,” said Abulencia. “Technically, they knew what they were doing.”
Today in the Philippines, manghihilots are still used for healing purposes.
Sometimes even medical doctors seek their advice or send their patients to them. In the provinces, where access to medical care is limited, manghihilots serve as doctors, midwives, chiropractors and spiritual healers. For those to poor to pay for a doctor’s services, the manghihilot is an alternative, because most manghihilots don’t accept money as payment.
Abulencia pointed out that there is another kind of manghihilot who uses more of a spiritual approach. Depending on the area of the Philippines, they are referred to by various names - albularyo, tambalan, babalyan, bailan, mangngagas or mananambal. They are sought out if the person’s ailment is thought to be more of a spiritual affliction rather than a physical one. Both types of manghihilots also employ a variety of herbal remedies on their patients.
My mother had her own herbal remedies when one of us got sick. Salabat ( a ginger, honey, and lemon tea) was given to us when we had a chest cold. Some of the other herbs and brews that may be used include: wines made from coconut or nipa palms which are used as a stomach medicine and for colds, as well as guava, noni, and garlic,” added Abulencia. According to the book, “Healing Hands of Hilot,” Filipinos also use their fermented food items such as bagoong (fermented fish paste), toyo (soy sauce), buring mangga (pickled green mango) and buro (a mixture of rice, fish, salt, water and century egg that has been aged). These fermented foods provide the user with beneficial microbes, acids, and vitamins known to inhibit cancer and aid in digestion. I just call it supper.
Even the Abu Sayaff, the band of Muslim rebels in the Southern Philippines, have called upon the powers of the manghihilots or abularyos. According to news reports from the Philippines, the Abu Sayaff were given amulets called “agimats” to protect them from the bullets of their enemies. The albularyos also blessed their weapons to give them more power. Maybe the American troops stationed there should do the same.
Back here in Vallejo, Abulencia’s clients mostly seek his services for sore backs and stress reduction. “I want to clarify that I do not heal people. I help them feel better,” said Abulencia. “My clients are both Filipinos and non-Filipinos. As far as I know, I am the only practicing manghihilot in Vallejo.” For anyone wanting to feel the touch of an ancient Filipino art, Abulencia is only a phone call away at 554 4806.
###
Mel Orpilla can be reached by email at .