PHILIPPINE HEALERS

Philippine Healers are famous for their unique and controversial ways in healing the sick.  Ancient and ethnic healing techniques are used until today but most of them are slowly fading out as modern methods are introduced. 

The medical society  does not endorse these forms of healing. Despite this fact,  local & foreign patients continue to seek help from healers. There are many reasons for this: the rising cost of medicine & medical procedures, curiosity, & the renewed hope that the healers can give them.

Filipino Healers are famous for PSYCHIC SURGERY.

 HEALING MODALITIES USED BY NATIVE FILIPINO HEALERS

1. Hilot
2. Tawas
3. Sapi
4. Dwarf Healing (Dwende or Duwende)
   
5. Herbal Healing
6. Iconic
7. Oracion
8. Faith Healing
   
9. Psychic Surgery
10. Divine Healing

NOTE:  This is for information gathering purposes only.  If you are ill, seek medical advice.

1.  What is HILOT?

This is a form of healing that involves manipulation of joints, massage. It's like a combination of massage & chiropractic but differs very much in the sense that it is a form of spiritual healing massage & chiro practice. It really depends on who is doing the hilot. Old women are mostly the ones who practice Hilot.It is really difficult to explain but once you've tried the hilot, you would just know why it's like massage & why it is not a massage. Confused? I know you are!  This makes our "Manghihilot" (hilot practitioners) very unique indeed.

2.  What is TAWAS?

Tawas is a sort of spiritual diagnostic procedure to determine the cause of the illness.  A burning candle is made to drip its tears (as we call it) onto a basin filled with water. The melted candle will eventually harden that transforming itself into another shape or form. This abstract shape  is then interpreted by the healer. If the cause is of natural origin, some herbal preparations are recommended or would be adviced to go to a medical doctor.  If the cause of illness is due to an entity that does not belong to our wordly dimension, then other recommendations are adviced to continue the treatment.  These so-called treatments can be found as you read on.

There are other forms of diagnosis.  Aside from the burning candle method, eggs are also used.  This is another story to tackle so we skip this for now.

3.   What is SAPI?

If you've seen the movie "The Exorcist", you would know what "sapi" means. But as clarification, Sapi should not be perceived as something negative  or evil in nature. They believe that good or white spirits are the ones summoned to do this task to help the sick. The spirits referred to here are believed to be the Holy Spirit, Patrons & Saints, & sometimes Jesus Christ himself (so they say). Recommendations are given by the said spirit and treatments are carried out if necessary.  

4.   What is Dwarf Healing?

This form of healing is common among people in the provinces surrounded by nature. This is a dying form of healing.  Dwarfs here are not the kind of dwarfs you read about in Snow White fairy tale.  Dwarfs here are spiritual beings or entities that live in another dimension but the same space where we are right now.  There are 2 kinds of dwarfs, the white ones and the black ones.  The White Dwarfs are the helpful ones.  For those with gifts of clairvoyancy, they can see the dwarfs. However, for those who can't, the dwarfs are believed to possess or take over the body of a willing individual for a certain number of minutes or hours.  The Human body becomes only instrumental but does not do the healing. The Healer here is believed to be the dwarf possessing the human body. The healer dwarfs are said to be Medical Doctors in their world & they only impart a bit of their knowledge and expertise the humans. At present, some Filipinos in the remote areas continue to believe in the existence of dwarfs & their power to influence human lives.

5.  What is HERBAL HEALING?

 This form of healing exist anywhere in the world.  It involves prescription of Herbs as medicine for the sick. The plant part could be the leaves, roots, bark, stem or branch, flower, sap, etc.  I guess this does not need a lot of explanation. Everybody knows about this.

6.  What is ICONIC FOR OF HEALING?

As the word implies, Icons are used during healing. Usually icons of Patrons or Saints, Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary and angelic beings. Other non-Christian icons relevant to the ethnic tribes of Philippines have long been a forgotten practice. You'll just find images of their gods in museums or art galleries.  

If the religious icon belongs to an individual, the household becomes open to the public. There is no entrance fee or any form of payment involved.  The generous ones usually give some donation.  Some offer personal services to help other patients to put order among the crowd.  In some instances, the icons travel from one city to another.  A host family takes care of the icon and offers regular prayers.

Church also houses a lot of believed to be miraculous images or statues.  The patients offer prayers, penitence and fall in long lines just to touch & kiss the image or statue.  People who do this have different sort of problems ranging from financial, love, lotto & of course to cure the sick.  The medical community do not approve of this practice because touching & kissing the icons could transfer the infection from one person to another.

7.  What is ORACION?

In some cases, oraciones are used to heal the sick.  Oracion is a special prayer.  Other times, healers used powerful words in latin that people do not understand.  These spoken or written words are said to very powerful. Just as long as nobody contradicts.  The oracion is not only aimed to heal the sick but to do other mystical acts as well.

8.  What is FAITH HEALING?

Wikipedia explained faith healing as the attempt to use religious or spiritual means such as prayer, mental practices, spiritual insights or other techniques to prevent illness, cure disease and improve health. Faith Healers say they can summon divine or supernatural intervention on behalf of the ill and say their practice may afford gradual relief or bring about sudden miracle cures. It has been criticized as not effective and on the grounds that those who use it may delay seeking conventional medical care.

Faith healing covers all the healing techniques mentioned here.

9.  What is PSYCHIC SURGERY?

This practice involves surgery using bare hands.  There are no instruments involved.  This is the most controversial form of Healing in the world and has made Philippines famous. 

This is a topic that must be dealt on its own.  You may read more information by clicking the link below.

Psychic Surgery Information

10.  What is DIVINE HEALING?

This is performed by priests & nuns.  Prayers and dovotion are used to help cure the sick.  These religious leaders are very smart and good with people.  They are the modern healers!!!