Rise of traditional healers
With approximately 110 ethnolinguistic groups, the Philippines is no stranger to unique cultural identities, as each one varies from the other due to different influences. These distinctive qualities are what then molds the the fabric of traditional health and healing practices.
Traditional medicine, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), “is the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.”
Therefore, traditional healing is part of the Filipino culture that has continually been practiced especially by people in far-flung barrios and barangays, who have passed the practice down through many generations. Historically, the Babaylan, aside from their main role as a religious leader, also spearheaded healthcare operations to all members of a community, regardless of gender and social status. It was from the Babaylan that traditional healers now operate under various names: albularyo, manghihilot, magtatawas, and faith healers.
Although it had been subjected to several challenges, traditional healing practices survived the brutal repression of the Spanish colonizers. It was then introduced to the foreign medical system during the American occupation and to the present predicaments brought about by globalization. In fact, these historical experiences have made the existence of diverse blends of the native and foreign healing arts, superstitions, beliefs, and practices possible.
Currently, the country has emerged into different departments and compositions in the way of healing; general doctors, pediatricians, psychologists, surgeons, etc. But in this period, Filipinos can still associate with traditional folk doctors. For centuries, healing involved the act of touching the part of the body that is affected, an action popularly called as the ‘healing touch’ which was made popular by manghihilots.
“Hindi man lang ako hinawakan,” or “Ano ba ‘yun? Inhale-exhale lang ginawa tapos, tapos na!” This mentality is evident in the common complaint received by modern doctors; not about their lack of medical knowledge, but rather in their lack of concern for the patients.
Quacks versus recognized traditional medicine
Although traditional medicine is still practiced in the country particularly in rural areas, the healers have been replaced by the doctors as the face of health in the Philippines. However, despite the likes of albularyos and manghihilots being belittled today, it is best to remember that they are the ones who set the standards of healing in the country.
Normally, the duties of Filipino traditional healers are to maintain the balance of elements in the bodies through making herbal medicine that do not aggravate any organs or complex natural processes in the our bodies like acidity, alkalinity, cleansing, etc, there comes the rise of “quacks,”— people who perform healing procedures or prescribe remedies for illnesses even without formal education and licenses. Some of them sell their own products they exaggeratedly claim as very effective in treating ailments and diseases in order to scam the masses. Some claim to have secret formulas which cannot be obtained from drugstores while some utter vague prayers or incantations while treating their patients.
Luckily, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), one of the five sectoral councils of the Department of Science and Technology, is coming up with a set of guidelines that will introduce non-formal health practitioners into the mainstream medical practice. This will give legitimate traditional healers accreditation, help the government ensure an evidence-based healthcare practice in the country, and protect the public from falling into the hands of quacks.
Additionally, Republic Act No. 8423, or the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997, aims “to improve the quality and delivery of health care services to the Filipino people through the development of traditional and alternative health care and its integration into the national health care delivery system.”
This law also aims to “encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care systems that have direct impact on public health care, and promote and advocate the use of traditional, alternative, preventive, and curative health care modalities that have been proven safe, effective, cost-effective, and consistent with government standards of medical practice.”
With traditional healing being an integral part of human development, its evolution in the Philippines proves to be a rich practice founded on religion, mysticism, magic, superstition, and more. As modern healthcare evolves, the recognition of the relevance of different forms of medicine and healing rooted in culture and history continuously increase as well.
“The use of herbal remedies can provide a practical and inexpensive way of alleviating illness in countries like the Philippines that is rich in natural resources and has a fecund pool of indigenous healing practices,” the National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research 2006 by the PHCRD read.
According to WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan at the International Conference on Traditional Medicine for South-East Asian Countries in February 2013, “traditional medicines, of proven quality, safety, and efficacy, contribute to the goal of ensuring that all people have access to care. For many millions of people, herbal medicines, traditional treatments, and traditional practitioners are the main source of health care, and sometimes the only source of care.”
“This is care that is close to homes, accessible and affordable. It is also culturally acceptable and trusted by large numbers of people. The affordability of most traditional medicines makes them all the more attractive at a time of soaring health-care costs and nearly universal austerity. Traditional medicine also stands out as a way of coping with the relentless rise of chronic non-communicable diseases,” she added.
Although Western and modern medicine are widely accepted and highly regarded, Filipinos and their trust in the neighborhood manghihilot and albularyo remain strong, and for good reason. Traditional healing practices reflect the Filipino psyche that includes culture, development, and more. Undoubtedly, it deserves to be respected and protected, not to be mocked by quacks and disregarded by the modern healing system.
This article was originally published in The Benildean Vol. 4 No. 2: Preservation.
