Traditional Healing in the Fish Farm

Traditional Healing in the Fish Farm

Two months ago, I felt sporadic pain at the lower back, radiating to the buttocks, thighs and legs. Sort of like pain in the nerve. Found it hard to walk, felt tired and just wanted to stop, sit down, and rest. Although it was not constant and just appeared suddenly, say while walking, the pain slowed me down. At the fish farm, the pain was on and off.

In addition, there was a feeling of numbness and prickling at the buttocks and thighs. Like pins and needles. As if something was pushing on my nerves at the back. Like nerves or veins that went out of whack or inflamed (“naipitan ng ugat” “maga na ugat” in Tagalog).

My farm overseer suggested that I go see a local “hilot” (touch/massage therapist) to have my back checked. So we went to Canaoalan, a nearby village in Binmaley where my assistant caretaker lives. They asked their long-time “hilot” from Carael, next village, to come over and have a look.

This was my first personal experience in folk healing while in the fish farm. This type of alternative treatment is a vital part of the culture and tradition of our village folks and their ancestors.

Hilot

"Hilot" usually refers to therapeutic/pressure massage using coconut oil (mixed with ginger and kerosene). My "manghihilot" (also called "hilot" for short)(touch/massage therapist) is a 57 years old lady who has been practicing her craft for 17 years and according to her, has treated thousands of patients using her "hilot" therapy. Included are those who can hardly walk, but were able to do so after several "hilot" sessions with her.

Ingredients of "hilot" oil - kerosene (top), coconut oil (right), diced ginger (bottom); left is the combined mix

A jar of "hilot" oil, consisting of coconut oil, ginger, kerosene

Her main diagnostic tool is feel or touch of her hands. She says she can determine if there is “pilay” (sprain or pinched nerve) or patient is merely suffering from “lamig” (coldness trapped in tissues and veins), like in my case. She says she knows if a patient is afflicted with arthritis. Luckily I don’t have it yet at my age, she told me.

Ka Virgie (the “hilot” for short) massaged my back using a coconut oil mix she concocted, as in above. She said she can feel the cold (“lamig”) on my back with her hands. Later she observed cold sweat being expelled from my back, saying they contain toxins and wastes.

Unexpelled, the toxins will accumulate and cause heavy feeling, lower back pain, numbness. The "lamig" will also cause the swelling of the veins (“madami kang hangin” “maga ang ugat mo”, “matataba ang ugat mo” in Tagalog) (“you have lots of air trapped in your body tissues”, “your veins are swollen”) she said.

Ka Virgie said the massage will relax and loosen up muscles and cold is absorbed by the oil. During the massage, the oil was quickly absorbed into my body and in turn cold sweat came out. I felt physical relief and relaxed after the "hilot" session.
 
Later, she told me not to take a bath until next day and not to go out in the open. Also to avoid directing a fan to my body, especially at the back. Put it in swivel mode, she said. Also, she advised me to change shirts as soon as they get wet. To put towel or newspaper underneath the back of shirt, while working.

Those who routinely experience “hilot” therapy (like my farm workers) say it gives them a feeling of relaxation, creates good circulation in the massaged portion like the back and lower back, reduces muscle pain, straightens nerves, muscles, tendons, veins; removes sweat from body that contains toxins and wastes.

After the "hilot" session, she also told me to drink hot liquid and not to take a bath or go out, as the coldness might reenter the body. For water, better to stick to tap water, avoid drinking cold water. Fruits are allowed but should be balanced by drinking hot tea. Hot soup (like cup noodles) was also suggested.

Meanwhile, my wife who is a nurse, suggested that I take Vitamin B-12 (to prevent nerve damage) and also Fish Oil capsule (to balance the cold energy in the body).

At Ka Virgie’s suggestion, I went through a more complete "hilot" treatment, two weeks later during my next trip. It took one whole week to complete the treatment. 

Actual hilot was scheduled every other day for three days. It involved massage of my head, arms, whole of back up to top of buttocks, thighs and legs. Pressure was applied on palms and soles of feet. Also along arteries in the arms, thighs and legs, which can be painful at first.

On the last day, Ka Virgie prepared a herbal bath in a plastic basin with the help of my farm overseer. The herbal bath used a mix of five leaves from around our farm house, such as "sampaloc" (tamarind tree), "lagundi" (five-leaved chaste tree), "kamias" (cucumber tree), "kalamansi" (Philippine lime tree), and "tsaang gubat" (wild tea plant). The herbal mix was boiled and poured into a plastic basin.

"Sampaloc" (tamarind) tree leaves

"Lagundi" (five-leaved chaste tree) leaves

 "Kamias" (cucumber tree) leaves

"Kalamansi" (Philippine lime) tree leaves

"Tsaang gubat" (wild tea) plant leaves

While I took a bath using the lukewarm herbal solution, Ka Virgie also attended to my wife, who went through a one-time “hilot” session.

After my herbal bath, Ka Virgie prepared the final treatment in the one-week regimen. This was a herbal steam session. The steam came from the same batch of boiled mix of leaves above. The newly boiled mix was poured into a plastic basin. A plastic stool was placed above the basin. I was asked to sit down on the stool with a blanket wrapped around my body and over my head and covering the entire basin, while the steam rose and was trapped inside the blanket.

Herbal steam bath from boiled leaves of the following: clockwise from top left - tsa, sampaloc, kalamansi, lagundi, kamias

I sweated profusely inside the blanket during the steam session. After that I was asked to stay indoors, wait for two hours, since sweating continued to a lesser degree. When sweating completely stopped, alcohol was rubbed throughout my body to close all the pores.

The “hilot” reminded me to stay indoors for the next 12 hours and not to use the fan. Also to avoid being exposed to wind coming from the north (i.e., sea breeze in our locality).

During the next days after my “hilot” treatment, I felt as good as new. But I had to follow all the instructions, to prevent the “lamig” (cold) from reentering my body.

Next time you get the symptoms I had, try going to a local “hilot”, instead of taking painkillers or other NSAID pills.

Tawas

In this day and age, quite a number of farm folks still believe in the local "diviners" (“magtatawas”) for diagnosing certain malady. They’ll say “I’ll take my daughter to the "magtatawas” (local diviner). “Ipapatawas ko ang anak ko” i.e., (I’ll have her diagnosed using folkloric ritual involving “tawas”).

"Tawas" is a diagnostic ritual popular among rural folks, including my farm overseer and her relatives, aimed at determining the nature of illness and probable cause. “Tawas” (alum in English) is an astringent and is one of the traditional materials used by local "diviners" to diagnose illness.

Under the usual practice, the "diviner" holds the “tawas”, makes the sign of the cross (Philippines is predominantly Catholic) over the forehead and other parts of the patient’s body, and mumbles prayers (“bumubulong”).

Afterwards, she burns the “tawas” in charcoal, then soaks it in water. Upon cooling, the “tawas” spreads and assumes a particular form or shape giving the "diviner" a hint as to what causes the illness. 

The patient, according to her, could have been "victimized" by earth dwellers, hexed, cast a spell by the devil, or bewitched by unseen spirits (“nanuno sa punso”, “nakulam”, “nademonyo”, “binati ng di nakikitang spirito” in Tagalog) . Water is then applied to the affected body and “tawas” thrown out.

Other variations adopted by "diviners" - use an egg instead of alum. The egg is held and sign of the cross made on the patient’s forehead. After saying a prayer, the egg is cracked and the egg white and yoke dropped in a glass filled with water. The figure that turns out is then interpreted.

My farm overseer regularly consults a "magtatawas" ("diviner") in Burgos, Binmaley who uses palay grain in the ritual. She removes the hull of nine grains, gets three pieces, makes the sign of the cross over a saucer filled with water, mumbles a prayer, then drops the three grains on the water.

She reportedly repeats the process two more times until all the nine grains are in the water. The nine grains take a particular form. The "diviner" interprets the form and tells what the patient’s illness is and the likely cause(s).

Usually she tells the mother that the baby has sprain or pinched nerve (“pilay” in Pangasinense) or (“naipit na ugat” in Tagalog). She then advises the mother to take the child to a “hilot”, like Ka Virgie, for treatment.

Other diagnoses are more folkloric: “nanuno sa punso”, “namatanda”, or “nalamang lupa” ("victimized" by earth dwellers who were disturbed or displeased).

In this case of “nuno sa punso”, the treatment requires one to take a blind leap of faith and keep a strong sense of belief in something intangible or unprovable. The magtatawas gives the patient’s mother some chewed betel nut mix (“nganga”) in a small bag. 

Her instructions: place the chewed mix in a house altar, light a candle over it, and say some common Catholic prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be).

To aid in diagnosing where the "hilot" is to be directed, a banana leaf is sometimes used to pass over the patient's back. The belief is that if the leaf sticks to a certain part of one’s back, that’s the area of malady or imbalance that needs treating. Otherwise the leaf should have passed over the back smoothly. (Note: my "hilot", Ka Virgie, didn't need to do this. She diagnoses using touch).

In addition to banana leaf, the leaves of the annatto (“atsuete” in Tagalog) dipped in coconut oil can also be used to pinpoint where the pain or area of malady is located.

For a complete list of Fish Pond Buddy blog posts on fish farm-related topics, please click the Index page.