Ever since I was a kid, I always get a Hilot remedy everytime I get sick. This is something that I grow up in my life and this is Filipinos comfort of easing pain and sickness. This practice have been passed from generation to generation. This is also the practice done by our ancestors in the ancient times and until now it is still relevant to the Filipino life.

The word "Hilot" means rubbing or massaging the muscles and joints. The people who are doing Hilot are called as "manghihilot." You do not need a license in order to practice this. Some elderlies will teach their young family members on how to perform the practice. This is opposite to the Science because Hilot is a traditional way of healing.

When you visit a manghihilot, they will often pay attention to your muscles and joints. A manghihilot will not use any equipment but only a herbal ointment. It works by doing accupressure massage to relieve muscle pain and alleviate pain from the nerves.

Before a manghihilot starts the Hilot, they will chant some words that only them can hear. Most of the manghihilot believes in the divine healing and natural powers. Sometimes a manghihilot will spit saliva on the head of the person who is undergoing a Hilot session. This might look like a disgusting and insulting act but the people who are in the Hilot session doesn't complain. Sometimes a Manghihilot will pull the hair of the person just to calm down the ache.

Is the Hilot in Philippines really effective?

Most of Filipinos who grow up in Hilot swear that this is more effective rather than visiting doctors in the hospital. After they went for a Hilot, they literally feel better on the other day. It is also a low-cost healing alternative. This kind of practice starts during the pre-colonial times when the Filipino ancestry practices shamanic traditions.

What are the risk in Hilot?

Mostly, I always hear and read that when you have a Hilot treatment, you shouldn't bathe on the other day as it will only make things worse. There is also a belief that when you offer free Hilot to everyone, you will start to lose your teeth. Manghihilot people doesn't only practice accupressure treatment, they also practice incantations where they have a booklet for the words they will speak everytime they do a Hilot. Losing a teeth means they have sacrificed a portion of themselves to the person they have healed.

While Hilot might seem like the best traditional healing without spending too much money, there is also danger and risk. Sometimes traditional Hilot can cause more harm than good. Sometimes it will caused a fractured bones and there are rare cases where the Hilot patient died after the Hilot treatment. To tell you, Hilot is effective and a good way to ease the pain but this is not for everyone especially when the person has a high fever, it is not advisable to consult them to the manghihilot alone.

As a person who grow up in Hilot, I am glad that it made my fever disappear after a few days. Most people chose to have a Hilot in order to reduce fatigue. One of the principles in Hilot treatment is to restore the body's balance. The practice holds a strong belief that the reason for illnesses are due to the imbalance inside our body. This has similar beliefs to the Chinese acupuncture where they insert thin needles into the body to focused balance by cleansing the body and releasing excesses when necessary.

It is still a question as to how Hilot totally works. It is one of the oldest healing practices in Philippines and this is also why Filipinos can't let go of this traditional healing because it delivers good results to every person. They said the people who can perform Hilot are given an ability by some spirits and elements to heal.

September 03, 2022

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