S I N - O

SIN-O

  As the sun brightened up the day and most of the people commemorate the EDSA Revolution, the group decided to visit a certain barangay at almost eight in the morning for an interview with a residing faith healer there who diagnoses patients from various Barangays of Bulan and sometimes, individuals from neighboring towns.

Lahong-bound.

  

She is known by many as “Sister Osay”. After arriving at their place, we felt a feeling of disappointment as she told us that she will not entertain interviews anymore. But we are very thankful because she changed her mind and we still had a privilege to cite some questions pertaining to herself and also about faith healing.

Morning freshness far from poblacion.


 The day just started but some already arrived early and patiently waiting for her.

  But before diagnosing the patient, it’s already a practice that they should offer a candle where the healing takes place.

 

One of them is Nanay Salvacion a 65-year old woman residing at Bical Bulan, Sorsogon who is said to be a victim of a “dwarf-like creature”.

  It is believed to live in an anthill or termite mound, hence its name, literally 'Ancestor/Grandparent living in the anthill'.

  According to her, it all happened three weeks ago when she went on a nearby stream to search for a good signal in order to clearly understand the conversation through cellular phone. 

  On the following day, she suddenly experienced a muscle pain on her shoulder and decided to treat herself with some herbal medicine like the leaves of lakad-bulan, oregano and anu-nang. This treatment did not change her state of not feeling well and because of that, she already decided to consult Sister Osay.

  When she’s being diagnosed, a sore was found out on her left shoulder. 

  At first, the faith healer tried to identify her sickness by means of using a cross called “PANGSIPIT”. This is a term used, for the process is done through the putting of the cross between the fingers and finger toes of the patient.

  Then the faith healer proceeded to the usage of an egg being placed to the different body parts of the patient also called as “himagat sa itlog”.   This is being used to transfer the sickness being felt by the patient directly to the egg, according to her.

After placing it on a various parts of the body, the egg stands on the healer’s palm signifying that the patient is a victim of “karaw” or “witchcraft”. 

  After “sipping out” all the patient’s sickness, the faith healer cracked the egg and put on a plate in order for her to identify the cause of Nanay Salvacion’s suffering.

  After this process, the faith healer finally identified the reason behind the patient’s sickness by means of “SANTIGWAR” or “PAGTATAWAS”. 

  She then advised the patient to conduct a “pag-alay” after giving the list of things needed in the said activity.

  Noon time arrived and we already ate the lunches that we packed. It rained at almost two in the afternoon but it didn’t stop Sis. Osay and together with the patients.

  Another patient, a 7-year old girl named Dionisa had experienced also the case of Nay Salvacion. But by this time, it is called “SIN-O sa KALAG” or “VISIT OF THE SOUL”.

  The reason behind the child’s sickness according to the faith healer is the visitation of her grandfather who already passed away.

  Instead of an egg, what the faith healer used by this time is a native chicken also placed on the different body parts of the patient in order to find out her sickness. Before dissecting the chicken which is said to believe has already the sickness of the patient, it will die. 

  Dissecting is done in order to see through the chicken’s organs what is happening to the patients body. On the field of quackery, the said activity is called as “X-tray”.   Just like what the Doctor figured out, Sis. Osay told that the child is experiencing from UTI. She has also a migraine and a parasite (worm) in her stomach.

  After that, she gave a “PANGONTRA” to the child as a defense from bad spirits.

  And as this task comes to an end, we just wanna say: “Thank God, we Survived! “ Haha!! From all the disappointments and hesitations on pursuing this unusual yet interesting topic, we’ve still standing after overcoming all the stumbling blocks every particular subtopic had offered to us. 

  

Thank you Ms. April Pauline F. Arevalo for pushing and letting us come out of our shells or comfort zones despite of our inadequate experience on blog industry. To our supportive families as well who are always on our side in every “ups” and “downs” of learning process. 

  This will really help us on becoming competitive educators of tomorrow’s innovative learning environment. TGBTG!

H I L O

HILO

  At exactly seven o’clock on a cloudy Wednesday morning, the team was on its way to cover the last subtopic of Taboo Practices, HILO. A practice wherein a certain “parahilo” executes the act by secretly transferring powder-like particles located underneath his nail to a food.



  Thus, causing a victim to experience unusual aching of not only stomach, but also of the various body parts. Thru the faith healer’s text message, we were able to include this blog the case of “Ate Nissa”.

The faith healer tried reading her palm to identify if she is really a victim of "Panghihilo". 

 A 35-year old patient all the way from Irosin, Sorsogon who is hoping to be cured by a resident albularyo of our town. A concerned neighbor gave her the idea to consult this albularyo. 

  She told us that a year had passed but she’s still complaining on her present condition. She feels constipated most of the time and her elbows also weaken. 

  When she visited a doctor, findings showed that it was a problem on excreting her wastes. But the idea didn’t fully convinced her for she knew in her self that she has a normal and regular movement. Suggested medication of some albularyos at their place is the usage of herbal leaves. But it’s still unable to change the situation. So she already decided to spend some time traveling and try how good the Bulaneños are in the field of faith healing.

  After diagnosing and discovering that she was a victim of “hilo” through the process called “himagat sa itlog”, the faith healer let her drank some water mix with seven, pounded “tambalisa” (seed-like particles).

  She puts some paper sealed by an orasyon on her back and stomach, and another herbal leaf on her tummy.

 After that, she then thanked the faith healer for the medication that she had offered and used the remaining time to travel back home. That’s it. Another wonder from “superstitious community” explained.

H I L O T

      

HILOT

Tuesday’s cool, morning dew shows that the group needs to seize and make the most out of it. Next stop is at Zone-1 Bulan, Sorsogon. A barangay having the least number of residents. After exploring and discovering the mysteries of “kulam” and “sin-o”, the group consulted Mr. Felipe “Eping” Estopa.

Mr. Felipe "Eping" Estopa (Manghihilot)

A 54-year old citizen whose expertise is on the field of “PANGHIHILOT”.

HILOT (/hee-lot/) is an ancient Filipino art of healing, commonly used today to relax stressed muscles. Manghihilots (Hilot practitioners) as well as arbularyos are usually cheaper alternatives to medical doctors in the Philippines, especially in very deep rural areas. Hilot employ chiropractic manipulation and massage for the diagnosis and treatment of musculoligamentous and musculoskeletal ailments. 

They also have been known to reset dislocated and sprained joints such as the knee, ankle, fingers and metacarpal bones. Hilot tend to be chiropractors while arbularyos tend to be herbalists. Midwives are also called hilots.

He’s spending almost 36 years of practicing this kind of activity and he’s widely known on their barangay. While waiting for some patients, we further interviewed Tatay Eping.

His family are really practitioners of this act and the time in which his grandmother passed its abilities made him believe it. He already started at the age of 18.

What makes him different from the other manghihilot is the way he do the act by means of using a strip of banana leaf with an oil on it.

Another paraphernalia that he’s using is a small bottle with a wooden cross, oil and barks of trees inside. He’s the one who made it. And what really boggled our mind is the question, “How did he put the wooden cross in the bottle?”. That question is indeed worth asking for.

It is not just an ordinary oil for it undergo on a process called “orasyon”. 

  During the process, the leaf is being “glued” automatically on a body part signifying the location of the pilay. After identifying the body parts, it’s time for him to cure the patient.

  After two hours of conversation, Barangay San Vicente was the team’s next destination.

Brgy. San Vicente Bulan, Sorsogon where the house of another faith healer is found.

Where another manghihilot known by many as “Mean” resides. She’s a successor of her mother who’s also a popular faith healer in our town. According to her, she already tried practicing faith healing at a very young age of 9-years old and at present, she’s a mother of two pretty girls. 

two lovely daughters of Ate Mean

Heart-shaped birthmark found at the back of Ate Mean.

  She practices another way of “panghihilot” by means of using a piece of paper with an oil and “orasyon” written on it.

At first, she finds the body parts which has “pilay” and after that, she then puts the piece of paper in it believing that it will cure the patient. Simple as that.

Assessing all the faith healers that we interviewed and visited, all of them don’t give a certain price on the healing that they offer and give. Patients have the freedom  to voluntarily give money according to what their heart desires.

S A B R A G

SABRAG

We’re on our way to the fourth  taboo practice that could be found on the ever-growing town of Bulan. We explored the vastness of Barangay San Vicente once more just to further elaborate the case which they call “Sabrag”.

Such term is used because unseen or unusual creature makes the various body parts of the victim wounded by letting pimple-like particles appear that get worse as time passes.

It occurs when the victim 

disturbed a certain “taglugar”                    

even without the intention of doing so. Just like what had happened to 

“Ate Mariane”.

A 37- year old resident of Brgy. Calomagon who’s also a mother of four children. Sharing her experiences let us knew that it all started 5 years ago, after she stopped supplementing her body with contraceptive pills. At first she wasn’t bothered by a number of pimples that appeared on her face. Until she realized that as the time goes by, her case was getting worse.

A certain teacher at their place noticed her condition and advised the usage of facial wash plus a combination of an antibiotic. But it was unable to bring changes in her situation until it already become painful wounds. It a period of five years, the wounds were able to vanish but appears again on a certain period of time.

Analyzing this ambiguous and enigmatic situation will really make you think that such cases still exist despite of the society’s journey to the edge of modernization.

Ate Mariane’s agony on her condition made her consult and try Ate Mean’s expertise in the field of faith healing.

She already spent three sessions with the said faith healer and in fact, an oil sealed by an “orasyon” was recommended during her first visit at Ate Mean’s place. But it just added to the irritation that her face is experiencing.

They collect the dirt that causes wounds and after that, the leaves where mixed together with a “palaspas” (dried palm leaves) and “kamangyan” on a coconut shell with heated coals inside. The faith healer then let the smoke struck on Ate Mariane’s face as a part of the healing process.

  We’re already done on investigating Ate Mariane’s case but it didn’t stop the ongoing activity of Ate Mean.
  Finally! We’re somewhat one step closer to success and realization that this blog-making which is packed with tiring days and nights is really a serious matter.