Magandang Araw (or Magandang Hapon as I am writing in the afternoon) I have just joined the Forum because I am interested in learning more about Filipino culture. I love the food, listen to Kundiman music (I’m a middle aged guy with a nostalgic streak) and know a few phrases of Tagalog. Also I have just started reading a book about hilot massage by Hilot Master Bibiano Fajardo. I live in Southwest London, near the border with leafy Surrey and married my longterm partner a few years back; before that we had a Civil Partnership. I look forward to learning a lot more through this Forum over time.
There's another guy on here from Kingston, so also in the area.I notice you have an interest in manghihilots?
My sis used to live in Cheam, I used to go jogging in nonesuch Park. Yup, there's a couple that I am aware of, what sparked your interest in hilots?
I know Nonsuch Park well and often walk there. We also often go to Pizza Express Cheam. I’m interested in Hilots because I like the idea of a holistic system of treatment for old sports injuries plus general wear and tear that also has a spiritual dimension.
My kid is a newly graduated medical student, he remembers when we were in the Philippines and his lola took him to a neighbourhood hilot who spat on his forehead and charged 20 peso to cure his headache
Congratulations to your son. That’s a good story. I suppose there are hilots of varying quality; I have read that there are now attempts to regulate the profession and put it on a more formal footing.
Thanks for the congrats. They have no chance whatsoever to regulate hilots however, in a country as superstitious and fragmented as pinas its not going to happen, an old hilot who can't read nor write and lives a days trek into the boonies in mindanao will never hear of someone's pipedream in manila to regulate her. Oddly enough a lot of hilots blame every illness going on Engkantos
Thank you for that ! You write ‘her’, but some hilots are men. … I have just started reading a book (albeit a Kindle book) by a male hilot. All your points about regulation I understand.
I know, but the majority you meet in pinas are women, the same as in London, they are women. Men seem to gravitate more towards psychic surgery and suchlike.
I have some footage on my phone you would like, I just grabbed two stills from it, it's a hilot with a kids plastic machine gun, he massages then makes machine gun type noises to blast ailments away.
I had thought there were quite a lot of male practitioners. What is your view of psychic surgery? I find that it stretches credibility, but that is probably my Western perspective.
Interesting photos. It makes ‘blasting illness away’ look so easy. Clearly from the images it is a male Hilot. How much of an overlap is there between the Hilot and the Albularyo?
Different cheeks of the same puet, albularyo are also quack doctors, I spent considerable time years ago on siquijor, went up in the hills (they call them mountains) to San Antonio where hilots, albularyo, sorcerers and whatnot ply their trade, I have seen psychic surgeons,its what I consider pseudo medicines.If I had aches, pains or whatever I would prefer to see a fully accredited physical therapist rather than someone who has no formal training.
https://hilot-therapy.co.uk/ Google hilots in London,they advertise on Instagram and Facebook. I am in Canada for a while and there are quite a few here.
Psychic surgeons are total charlatans that find easy prey in a country as superstitious as the Philippines, if it did actually work we could disband the NHS and save a fortune, just get dodong from baguio in with his mystical healing hands.
… Except for an NHS physiotherapist. They are absolutely useless and so it is necessary to go private and unfortunate for those who can’t afford it.
