Healing in Siquijor

Daniel J Fissell Music 699

Sound Healing

Research Paper Dr. Glenn Smith

November 28, 2008

In July and August of 2008 I had the unique opportunity to travel to the tiny island of Siquijor (See-key-HOR), located in the southern Visayas region of the Republic of Philippines. Its land area is 343.5km, with 102 kilometers of coastline. The island itself is about the size of Atlanta, GA. This mystical island is made up of beaches, jungles, mountains, forests, and dive sites. It is home to over eighty thousand Filipinos, hundreds of which are born into families that practice healing. This practice goes back several hundred years, even before the arrival of the colonizing Spaniards, who dubbed the island Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire) because of the glow generated by the island's massive firefly population.

The Filipino history is storied in oppression and occupation for the past 400 years. Upon the discovery of the archipelago by Ferdinand Magellan during the 16th century, the Filipinos were colonized by the Spanish under King Phillip II. During this time, an entrainment began that impressed superiority towards lighter-skinned human beings. As a result, those with darker skin tone were regarded as inferior. Those that had darker skin were considered substandard, and were treated with no respect. The Spanish, with their lighter skin, took hold of this belief and used it to their advantage by virtually enslaving the Filipinos. This lasted for over 300 years; the country later was taken over by the Americans in 1898 after its war with Spain.

During World War II the Americans were driven out and the Filipinos had their country occupied by Japan. They were finally liberated and gained their own independence, yet to this day they do not harbor any anger or resentment towards any of their oppressors. There are indeed some pockets of unrest in the country, primarily in Southeastern Mindanao that involves Muslim Extremism, but in general, the people of this country love peace above all. Their aggressions, anger, fear, and pain are all released by singing. They heal by singing. They love to sing publicly, and I have yet to meet a Filipino who had reservations against doing so. They cheer and support each other and it is considered bad form to heckle or negatively talk about another person's singing. They appear to be addicted to singing as much as our bodies are addicted to vibrations. These people have figured out, very simply, that vibrations lead to healing.

Like most areas in the Philippines, Siquijor is a laid-back place and the people here are a friendly lot. They are very community-based in their living environments and the healers are ordinary folks who live in the community like everyone else. They are not seen as magical beings that remain aloof from society, as sometimes depicted in motion pictures in order to add some colorful mystique; rather, they are young women raising families, elderly grandparents relaxing in their homes, hard-working farmers, motorbike drivers, and so on. They are ordinary people who do daily chores that happen to have had extraordinary training, discipline, and skill.

While most of the healers are men, there are several highly respected female healers that practice today. Unfortunately, I was told that there is an air of sexism regarding the choice of healers since most prefer men. However, one of the most sought after healers was indeed a woman called "Busya." She was known to have been visited by former first lady Imelda Marcos on several occasions.

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Of the several hundred healers, only a few of them practice privately within their own families. Most of them are available to the general public. These healers practice similar methods and trials in their healing, as well as similar activities to enhance their abilities. They fast, pray, and visit caves. In visiting caves, they are possibly surrounding themselves with the energetic elements found inside the caves. This energy gives them peace, strength, and balance. Moses and Jesus did the same activity, and faith is one of the biggest commonalities in the healers of Siquijor. Healing powers are passed down through the family, although new healers often have friends with healing powers who also pass on skills and materials to assist them.

Other trials include avoiding, at all costs, funerals and cemeteries. They do not wish to be around any element that potentially causes grief, for it is believed that grief lowers their ability to heal. They become weakened around negative energy and therefore do not attend any acts of bereavement. Healing includes the raising of vibrational and energetic levels in the body, and therefore healers surround themselves with love and avoid the opposite.

Another commonality among the healers is the belief of the spiritual activity that occurs around Holy Week, in which they amass the highest potential level of healing elements. Herbs and oils are created during this time. It is believed, throughout the island as well as the country that these two earthly elements contain the power to heal. Oils are created in a very strict process, for it is believed that a person that collapses from any illness can be healed through the herbal oils. The oils are created only during holy week, the most powerful of which are made on Good Friday. The oils are made from coconuts, which are collected from the easternmost branch of the tree. The easternmost branches of the coconut trees are the ones that receive the highest spectrum of sunlight, and can be considered as a symbol of awakening. The western branches of the coconut tree are avoided, possibly because they do not receive the full spectrum of light as the eastern branches. The sun setting in the west may be a sign of waning and dissipation, which could also be why those coconuts are avoided. Once the oil is made, it is mixed with hundreds of local herbs. The healers are schooled in Latin during Holy Week - a language they believe to both powerful and spiritual.

I received several testimonials from a variety of healers, all of which have yielded positive results in their healing practices. Several healers have practiced healing on patients that have been rejected from hospitals for numerous reasons which include financial problems, hospital understaffing, and medicinal misunderstanding. Some healers have worked with patients that are afraid of hospitals. According to those I interviewed, many patients are afraid to go to a hospital out of fear that they will be told that they will die soon, or that they their recovery is too expensive. Some hospitals have apparently rejected patients simply because they could not cure a patient's illness. As a result, patients decide to go to Siquijor. The healing elements of Siquijor, however, cannot be commercialized. To do so will weaken the effect. Siquijor is about faith-based healing rather than the mass production of curing, because it is believed that mass-producing a true healing element would weaken the effect.

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One principle that is applied to anyone in search of healing is that of faith and trust. There must be faith in the healer and trust in the patient. Another term that can be used here is intent. If it is of the healer's intent to rid ailments in a patient while it is the patient's intent to be healed, than healing can follow. In other words, no healer can be effective if a patient questions the healer's qualities, or if the healer questions his faith in healing. In questioning anything in healing can allow anxiety and worry to take over, and may thus create more problems in the body.

There are over 65 different languages in the Philippines and several words translate into the term healer. These words include, but are not limited to, hilot, mangkukulam, mananambal, and monalig. Upon learning so many terms and methods in healing, I concluded that a vocabulary list was in order. Listed below are some definitions that can be referred to throughout this reading for better understanding.

Tige This is a term used for diagnosing a patient's problems. This is handled differently, depending on the healers. One healer uses tige by tying together several strands of string. He firsts asks himself a question regarding the patient, such as, "Is this patient suffering from a spirit possession?" He then randomly ties the strings together. If they end up tied into a circle, the answer to his question is affirmed. If the strings do not end up in a circle, a new question needs to be asked. Very few healers practice this method due to the time it takes to perform the diagnosis. Other healers employ tige simply by touching the patients pulses and pressure points.

Bulo-Bulo A method of faith healing used in patients with skin diseases and cists. Stones are placed in a glass which is filled with water. The healer uses a bamboo straw and blows bubbles into the water. While this is going on, the healer moves the glass around the infected area of the skin until outside particles appear in the glass. These foreign particles are believed to have come out of the infected area and manifested in the water. The stone, glass, and straw are cleaned and rinsed and the process begins again. This process is done several times per healing session. Other healers use Bulo-Bulo by stirring the stones in the glass with the straw rather than blow into it. While stirring, the healer also moves the glass around the infected are. Both methods have yielded healing results. The most important elemental factor is the water. Possibilities lie in the energetic components in the water, which could be used to pull anomalies from the body, resulting in healing.

Balangi This is the name of the stones used in Bulo-Bulo. Only balangi stones can be used when employing Bulo-Bulo due to the quality and efficiency of their frequency level. The healers are able to assess which stones are considered balangi and which are not. Similar to crystals, balangi stones vibrate at high frequencies. Crystals are used in western society in many ways, including the field of computers and technology. Balangi could have similar qualities as crystals.

Tawal A form of faith healing used when there is poison in a patient. Poisons that healers have dealt with include dog and snake bites, food poisoning, and even blood-

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borne pathogens. Any type of toxic chemicals in the body can be treated through tawal. It is done by the healer placing a small amount of his own saliva on the back of a patient's neck. By doing this, I see the healer as placing a part of himself - his body, his love, and healing intent - that is passed onto the patient's body. This action lends possibilities to an idea that the saliva could be an energetic component which contains a vibrational hologram into the patient. This action could also be the healer using his intent to physically remain on the patient's skin. This is often done while the healer is chanting, in which I speculate lends more of the healer's intent to the patient.

Oracion This is a form of non-verbal chanting done by the healer. It is also viewed as a set of prayers. Healers pray daily at 3pm and 6pm, the times of which are considered to be a very close moment to be with God. The term oracion is a Spanish term left in the Philippines along with other Spanish influences as relics of their occupation. Oracions are done at 6pm. This could be a method of meditation to focus the healer's intent. Meditation centers and balances the mind and body, often used with a mantra - a word or syllable which aids in centering. The oracion, be definition, appears to be quite similar to what I have done in meditation.

Panagang This is a material made from pearls that healers wear to ward off bad spirits and disease.

Tagnipas Some healers carve out small wooden crosses which are hollowed out and filled with healing medicine. Tagnipas is a special type of wood that is used for the crosses. The crosses are worn on the body to protect from evil spirits as well as accidents.

Tagnipas

Tawas These are crystals that are used for healing. These are used by both healers and common people alike. Tawas are used in healing people suffering from colds and fevers. The crystal is put on a piece of burning charcoal and the patients grab and cover their body with the smoke emissions. Interestingly enough, Tawas is also a deodorant - it is very affordable in the Philippines, but here in the US it is merchandized in fashion magazines with high prices.

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San Antonio One of many healing spirits that is believed to exist in Siquijor. Nearly every healer I encountered dropped his name at least once. He is prayed to often by healers and common people alike. One story I found interesting and common among Siquijorians is that it is said that if one wishes to bring their lover back to them after a fight or a breakup, it can happen via praying to San Antonio. One of the larger towns in Siquijor is named after this spirit.

Santo Nino Another healing spirit notable in Siquijor. It is possible that this name is merely a nickname for San Antonio. Santo Nino was mentioned a few times, but had the same characteristics and descriptions as San Antonio. They may either the same spirit or two very similar spirits.

Dwarves These are other spirits who have been seen in Siquijor. They appear to be white or black, representative as good and bad.

Incantos Another spirit figure, which is a Spanish term for small white forms of humans.

Agates These spirits appear to be giant-sized humans with dark skin, a loin cloth, and smoke tobacco.

Black Magic A term used by some people when referring to the practices in Siquijor. Many people, upon being rejected by hospitals, head to Siquijor for some 'black magic.' It is not a dismissive term; rather, it is used to describe the desire for healing, no matter the method. It is possible that the expression came from western influences, because it is a rather new term that is used.

Prior to my visit to Siquijor, I spent a few days in Manila, the capital and most industrialized city of the Philippines. During my stay I decided to ask a few people whom I knew in Manila about the island of healing. I wanted to know if they have ever been to the island and what their perspective was. While there were several opinions, all of the people I talked to believed in some of the power of Siquijor. A few people did disregard the island and dismissed the possibility of the power of faith healers; however, those same people were also emphatically against ever visiting Siquijor. It appeared to me that although they did not believe in faith healing, they undoubtedly believed in a definite aspect of the island, which they did not explain. Whatever it was, they certainly believe enough in the power of Siquijor to never venture there.

English is not spoken in Siquijor; Visayan is the main language of the island. So it would have been impossible to conduct any research or interviews without the assistance of a research assistant assigned to me by Silliman University, located in Negros Oriental, a nearby island. She was a recent graduate of SU who did some research assistance part-time.

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Elvie A. Salvo

Elvie is a very well-spoken and highly educated Sillimanian whose goals are lofty, beautiful, and needed in this world. Upon meeting her, she did not have much money to spare, let alone a full-time job. She will soon be going to Japan to work in the laundry service for 2 years to earn money for her family. Afterwards, she plans on volunteering for the United Nations Organization. As an American who grew up in a society focused on making money no matter how one achieves it or who gets hurt in the process, I was enchanted to meet such a wonderful person. Elvie does not have much in life in terms of money or possessions, but instead of pursuing a life of material gain she chooses to help people. Upon asking her in regard to why she chose such a lofty and poetic life choice, she responded, "I just want a life of service because I want to help others." In my opinion, Elvie represents so much of what is beautiful about this country. The healers, like Elvie, do not go into their practice for money, which lends value to the belief that healing can and does happen in Siquijor.

Andrew Anciano

Andrew is a 24-year-old man living in Cavite, a province south of Manila. He holds healers in high regard and has visited a female healer in Cavite on more than one occasion. In fact, he prefers a healer to a doctor. He uses the term hilot to identify a particular group of healers. Hilots are also known as bone settlers - a term in which the west can view as chiropractors. They also align unborn babies for easier delivery. They have also aided women in their desire to become pregnant, through kneading their ovaries while praying and chanting. They have employed similar practices in ending miscarriages in women as well.

When Andrew had a bad sprain, he opted for the local hilot rather than a medical doctor. In going to the hilot, Andrew was first relaxed with calming words and gentle conversation. This was done to take his mind away from the pain. While the hilot was talking to Andrew, she would kneed and pull at the affected area. Andrew describes this experience by stating, "She talked to me nicely to take my mind off it.. .if I thought about

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it I'd be in pain." Through Andrew's perception, he was beginning the healing process. Perception can control many facets of our life, and when our perception is altered, healing can follow.

It is simple and easy to understand that taking Andrew's focus away from the pain is one way of dealing with it, but perhaps the voice of the healer was more than just a diversion. Maybe it is possible that the vibrational tone of her voice was actually soothing and stimulating the body's healing process. While Andrew was explaining this, I thought, "Could it be that through using her voice she was actually using a vibrational medicine?" I believe it certainly takes more than simple conversation to take the pain away from a sprain. Through her conversing, the healer could have been focusing her intent on the pain. She was using her voice as a tool of love and intent, followed by the kneading and pulling. Western science and medicine may not be able to explain this experience, but 21st century research has shown that it is evident that what happened to Andrew is possible. In hearing Andrew explain this experience, I did believe that there was something more going on than a conversation just to take his mind off the pain.

Andrew is not a naive man nor is he ignorant in the obvious need for emergency aid. He does believe that if one was, for the sake of argument, in a car accident or some other event that resulted in severe bleeding, a medical doctor was the person to see. However, he shared with me that there was nobody better to assist with a sprained, dislocated, or even broken bones than a hilot. In Andrew's words, "You need a hilotV

My conversation with Andrew digressed from hilots to the love that Filipinos have in general towards singing. In many of the public establishments and homes I have visited in this country, a karaoke machine has been present. I have seen this not just in local taverns and restaurants, but in hotels and residences of all socio-economic classes. As stated earlier, the Filipinos pride themselves on their love of singing. According to Andrew, they sing all the time to both relax and calm the body. Specifically, he sings in order to express his feelings. Given the poignant history of the Filipino people, it makes sense to me that their desire to sing, no matter what their quandary may be, aids them in not only healing themselves but in giving healing intent to others.

Junel Tomaroy

Upon arriving in Siquijor via boat, I was motorcycled to my cabin, located on the coast. It was a very quiet and reflective place in which I could only hear the crashing of waves and feel the light breeze. It was there that I met Junel Tomaroy and had my first and most informative healing discussion. Junel comes from a long family line of healers, but he gave up the practice four years ago because he began to feel weak after healing sessions. He sensed that it was too burdensome on his body to continue healing practices. Healers put a great deal of themselves into healing, and sometimes the stress becomes too great. In addition, Junel experienced the financial hardship in being a healer, and saw the need to enter another vocation in order to survive. He is now a masseur for a several hotels on the island, yet still considers the idea of being a healer to be both a great gift and great sacrifice.

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Junel is hesitant to dialogue with westerners. From his past experience, westerners have dismissed him because of both their own belief system and dependence on scientific research. According to him, westerners are too dependent on science in regard to proving any natural activity.

Junel specializes in healing several physical ailments including gas and muscle pain, vomiting, and uric acid buildup. He also works with spiritual expulsion. When a patient is believed to have been possessed by an evil spirit or has had a hex or other voodoo element placed upon them, he has healed the sufferer. In his healing methods, Junel employs prayer, meditation, massage, and local herbs. The herbs are boiled, dried, and made into tea. He does not use crystals; however, he heavily relies on both faith and God. He believes that Siquijor has a deep-rooted faith in the supernatural, and in order to heal others, one must believe in supernatural elements.

Junel comes from a long family history of healers. Although he has not received any training that would be considered formal, he stated that most healers are part of a family of healers. His patients are often those people that have been rejected from hospitals who have come to Siquijor for what has been described earlier as black magic. Junel was actually thrown into the world of healing by a chance event. One day a woman came to him because her son had collapsed from stress. His father was suffering from a throat infection, and his son was having severe anxieties as a result. Junel, after first ensuring trust and faith, made herbal oil. Healing followed not only in the anxiety factor, but in the infection of the throat. According to Junel, faith was one of the highest factors in healing.

Many patients of Junel, after they have been healed, have returned to the island to give thanks. They not only give thanks to Junel but also give offerings to the spirits who may have aided in their healing. By doing this, they are showing gratitude and ensuring the purity of the healing intent. Through this action, both the healer and the patient realize that the healing was not about either of them; rather, it was about balancing their own self, so that healing could follow. A patient's return to Junel happens rather often, which was commiserated by other healers. According to them, if gratitude is not given, the spirit may fight the healer, and the healer may have to leave the area. In Siquijor, spirits are considered to be fallen angels who are everywhere. As Junel puts it, some healers have been known to actually see the particular spirits such as the dwarves, incantos, and agates that were described earlier.

During his healing career, Junel was often approached for healing when he was in other areas in the Philippines. He is known to have healed people who have had recurring nightmares, which have occurred on Fridays. Fridays are significant in the realm of healing in this country because there is a cultural belief that Jesus died on a Friday, which they take very seriously and devotedly. Junel also believes that Wednesdays are high healing days, the reason of which I was not told. Other healers believe that Tuesdays are best for healing, but the commonality between all the healers I met was that Friday was the best day for healing. Their reasoning for Friday was a collective reference to Jesus'

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death. The faith in the fact that Jesus was, above all else, a healer, is what binds these people to their faith. As Junel put it, "Jesus never said 'I heal you'.. .your faith heals you. Being a healer is just being an instrument."

Junel has an extremely high sense of faith in both nature and God. He believes that God sees everything and that nature is in everything. In the same vein of the phrase, Time is an illusion,' Junel stated that, ".. .one day of God is 10,000 days of man." While it can be challenging to fully understand the possibilities made by those terms, it is simple to understand the meanings. Time is a man-made instrument developed to organize ourselves. Science is a man-made invention used in order to describe ourselves. However, science cannot create a tree, a leaf, or a stone. Science has been used to control and recreate nature. This is only part of what Junel's beliefs are in terms of faith and nature, and he employs this philosophy in healing. For example, when confronted with an illness, a symptom, or otherwise, Junel believes it is best for a person to ".. .go back to basics, and go back to God."

Junel said that there was a common misconception in the phrase "Alternative Medicine". In western society many people believe that this discussion of healing, from meditation to healing stones, from using faith to using water bubbles, is an alternative approach to healing. Allopathic medicine, which is used to cure illnesses through pills and prescriptions, is considered more conventional. Conversely, I believe it all depends in the approach and perception. I do believe there is a difference between curing and healing. Curing is allopathic - it is what a medical doctor practices. If a patient has a pain, they are prescribed a medicine and are then "cured" of the pain. This is the Newtonian approach in the thought that all things are physical. Healing, however, is homeopathic -it is more about balancing the energy of the body beyond the physical. Furthering this discussion was Junel's proclamation, ".. .enough of the food and vitamin supplements!"

As Junel views it, many of us eat too many artificial foods with artificial seasonings along with fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with chemicals. We are potentially creating new problems in our bodies by eating so much processed food. In addition, prescription drugs often have several side-effects, some of which are not labeled on the bottle. Junel does not take any pills for any pain, and never has. He sees the pill as a poison. When a pill is labeled by a pharmaceutical company, it is then mass-produced and made readily available in drugstores. They are often abused by the user. They often do not work. To Junel, and he is not alone in this belief, the pill is the alternative medicine. The conventional, homeopathic, healing medicine comes from the Earth.

Junel later shared with me the health problems in his uncle. He had undergone a series of illnesses, followed by an ulcer which continued to bleed internally. He later suffered from kidney stones. Things came to a peak when he had bone marrow problems. Junel believes that all of this could have been avoided by taking natural medicine. For example, buko juice, made from baby coconuts, is commonly used in the Philippines to successfully combat kidney stones. Junel's uncle, who was perhaps influenced by western society, did not share Junel's belief. To further his message, Junel brought up

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the exceptionally long lives of Moses and Noah. Comparatively, we are not living nearly as long as we could.

When asked about pain beyond the physical, namely the emotional, Junel was rather candid. He said that".. .no faith healer can resolve pain brought on by dramatic or emotional events." He later explained, however, that in order to heal through that type of pain, one must have God and voice out everything. He does not believe it is good to bottle up emotions. This is another example of how sound and body can be used to heal. It is good to cry, for it is a true release of emotion. In crying, emotions are released vocally and there is often resolution afterwards.

I later inquired about addictions, and addictive behavior. According to Junel, addiction is merely an issue of discipline. The path to break addictions is to love yourself every day. He returned to the thought of going back to God and went further by bringing up the Ten Commandments, which have one common interest, which is to love.

My interview with Junel ended with a discussion of his current vocation. He talked about the types of massage he practices, which is not a typical massage in the western understanding. His method includes the pulling, squeezing, and spreading out of pressure points in the body which stimulated the glands and organs while at the same time relaxed the muscles.

After my meeting with Junel, I saw him out and thanked him for his time. Later, I retired to my cabin to prepare for the travel around the island, excited about whom I would meet next.

Juan Ponce

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Juan is a healer from the town of San Antonio, the first area I visited the day after I met Junel. Juan was born on June 24, 1910, and began the study and practice of healing at age 18. He is a 98 year-old man whose only handicap appears to be a slight hearing problem. He looks rather fit for a man his age and continues to heal others.

Juan has had no formal training in healing; he learned the practice through observing his parents, who were both healers. Many of his patients have been rejected because the medical staff could not help them, as previously discussed. Whatever the reasons, many patients have traveled over the past few decades to see Juan.

Juan's specialty in healing is using herbal oil to heal gas pains and body stress. He believes that Tuesday and Friday are the best days for healing, for those days, according to him, are the highest levels of spiritual activity. In diagnosing a patient, Juan employs tige by feeling their pressure points. He does not meditate or use oracion prior to healing, but he does pray before applying any technique. It has been argued that prayer is a form of meditation, and prayer is certainly a message of love. Either way, a focused intent of love is indeed sent.

Juan carries with him two crosses that he made out of wood. These crosses are hollowed out and filled with herbal oils. These crosses are the Tagnipas, and he keeps them in his pocket at all times to protect him from, in his own words, ".. .accidents and evil spirits." He makes a new cross every holy week, and some of his crosses are now on display at the Philippines Department of Tourism in Manila.

Juan is also known for making love spells. Since he works in the area of oil and herbs, he is wise in the use of pheromones. According to my translator Elvie, Juan has created herbal oils induced with the kind of love that makes people fall in love with each other. I immediately balked at this suggestion, for the sheer possibility of such an idea can be easily dismissed. I thought, "How can oil create love? Is this just an attempt to manipulate a naive person into buying a potion that can make someone love you?"

According to the beliefs of the Filipino people, the oil works. I was indeed skeptical because I am not naive enough to believe in a love potion just because someone says so. During this discussion, however, my driver said that he used it on the girl whom would later become his wife. Moreover, politicians from every corner of the Philippines have used Juan's oil. They have spread it on themselves before working the crowds in order to cast votes their way. They believe that the positive elements that are in the herbal oil can be used to sway votes. It could be that this oil works as a placebo, meaning that it works because they believe it works. Again, here is faith playing a major role. In creating the love potions, it may be possible that Juan is imprinting his own love and intent into the oils. In using the potion, it may be possible that the user is employing their faith in the potential effects that may result in a positive aspect.

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Telesporo Lumaktod

After visiting Juan we traveled to the town of San Antonio to meet Telesporo Lumaktod, who was celebrating his 57th birthday. He began to practice healing at 28 and inherited his gifts from his parents. Through direct observation he was able to learn how his parents healed others. People go to Telesporo from all areas of the Philippines, especially from Davao - located in Mindanao, Cebu - a heavily populated island in Visayas, and Bohol - also in Visayas. Telesporo also shared with me that he has had many foreigners come to him for healing. Patients go to Telesporo for the similar reasons as patients go to Juan Ponce and Junel.

In the same fashion of other healers, he collects and uses local herbs and oils for healing. He collects coconuts from the easternmost branch of trees and gathers all his healing herbs and oils around holy week. Specifically, he spends 3 weeks prior and 3 weeks after holy week collecting the healing tools which he will use throughout the year. Since it is believed that the highest level of spiritual activity occurs around holy week, the healers use that time to amass the highest potential level of healing elements.

In employing healing methods, Telesporo uses oracion, tawal, and chant. He does not use tige because he believes that it cannot answer the question as to what caused a particular patient's illness. He is afraid that using tige may present an incorrect diagnosis, and therefore healing will not take place. The method he uses most often prior to healing a patient is tawal, in the same manner as Junel.

In addition to his practices of healing, Telesporo shared with me that he also practices in an activity that I decided to call Anti-Healing. I preface the term Anti-Healing as the practice of doing the exact opposite of healing another individual, and others have sought him out for this purpose. While healing could be considered as a balancing of the body's energy, anti-healing may be described as the lowering or elimination of energies. Telesporo uses oil for these anti-healing practices, but from the westernmost branch of the coconut tree rather than the eastern branch. While specifics of this practice must remain confidential, he did say that he does the anti-healing practice in a forest far from

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his house, while he practices healing modalities in his home. It appears to me that it is both wise and desired to keep the two practices far away from each other as a way of maintaining the purity of healing. As stated earlier, Siquijor is believed to be a very spiritual island, having both good and bad spirits. In addition, allowing one practice to exist in the same place as another is considered taboo. To hear Telesporo explain it, Siquijor does indeed have its share of evil spirits.

As an addendum to this particular interview, I want to share that Elvie seemed ill at ease in dialoging with Telesporo. She stated that she smelled alcohol on him and appeared to be drunk. We arrived at his village around lunchtime, and after all, it was his birthday.

Eddie Barite

In the town of Enrique Villanueva, I came to the house of Eddie Barite. From the beginning of the interview, he was very apologetic to both Elvie and I, for he declined to discuss his healing practices. He said that we could not interview him because he was afraid that we may contract an illness if he discussed healing with us. This fear goes back to the idea that Siquijor is very spiritual, and any discussion regarding the supernatural may result in the stimulation or elimination of certain energies. Eddie did not want these elements manifesting in our physical bodies, for they could be of the anti-healing sort. However, he did share a couple of general thoughts. He has been practicing for 20 years, and believes that healing powers are a gift from God. He believes he received his gift from Santo Nino, a spirit that is popularly discussed on the island.

Julita Patay Balingit

After we departed the home of Eddie Barite, we had lunch at a local restaurant. It took a while longer than expected since a brownout occurred on the island and everyone lost

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power as a result. I mention this only because this country has more than its fair share of power failures and brownouts. We then drove the bike up to a mountain path, and headed up the path by foot. It was a very rocky terrain and therefore rather challenging to get to our next destination. At some points, the incline was so steep that I felt the need to lean forward and place my hand on the ground just to gain balance. When we reached our next healer's residence there was no answer at the door and I nearly collapsed from exhaustion. After waiting and walking around the property for about 20 minutes, I saw a small, elderly woman walking up the path we just completed, only she was walking erect, waving with a smile on her face, and showed no signs of fatigue. Obviously, this was a woman that was in great shape.

She was Julita Patay Balingit - an 87-year-old healer. She started at the age of 60, taking over the reins of healing after her husband died. Like other healers, she had no formal training and uses herbs, oils, and faith in her healing practices. She has her own herbal garden which she grows and chops herself. Some of the local herbs she grows are called Bahauli, Scuba, Colinus, and Tabulhangin. Noel Torremocha, my driver and also a healing apprentice, supplies the herb seeds and saplings for her, which he gets from the forest. According to the two of them, elements in the forests in the mountains are a source powerful and positive source of healing.

Julita's patients are mostly neighbors and family, which comes to no surprise given her exotic and remote location. She aids in the healing of fever, stomachache, scabs, and infection. One serious illness she has often healed, which raised my interest, was sinusitis. This is a serious medical condition which has affected me several times over the years. She has healed patients afflicted with this condition through using herbal oils, prayer, and chant. In healing sinusitis, Julita employs a rather simple but effective methodology. She says a prayer to herself and then places oil over the sinus area while chanting. Patients in her geographic area, according to Julita, have had no problems after sessions with her. She also uses the love potion in the ways of Juan Ponce. The love potion was given to her by Noel. Part of his healing practice is to search for particular herbs, in which he has been rather successful. I realized at this point that I needed to interview Noel, but I wanted to finish my dialogue with Julita.

For her own protection, Julita wears a heart-shaped coconut charm around her neck. She wears it because it came from one particularly specific coconut. Similar to potatoes, coconuts have pits on the skin. The particularity she found about this one coconut is that did not have any pits. She put her faith, which we can now also call healing intent, into the charm. As a possible result, she is not only able to heal others, but she is able to climb mountains as a rather healthy octogenarian. Julita appeared to be a very genuine, loving, and peaceful person. She is currently training her granddaughter, Thelma, to be a healer. In Julita's words towards healing, she employs faith and nature. She is a strong believer in both, saying that, "Without God, there is no nature.. .if there is no faith, there is no healing."

In hearing Julita's words, I was reminded of the healing lessons of several authors and lecturers, (Dwyer, Chopra, Braden, Smith, to name a few.) To have faith is to completely

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remove your "self' and place your entire self into something else. Some may call it the supernatural, the Holy Spirit, the energy fields, or even the forgiveness factor. Whichever it is called, it is to put one's self into a true state of grace. By doing so, unconditional love to is spread to everyone and every thing. It may be at times difficult to put one's self in such a position but when one is able to do so, healing results.

It was in Julita's house that I was able to witness a healing modality called Bulo-Bulo. Elvie had some acne spots on her face, and asked the granddaughter Thelma for healing.

Thelma performed the healing event in the same manner as described earlier in the glossary, using the stirring technique rather than blowing. I inspected both the straw, stone, and the jar before it was used, just to make sure there was no trick in this event, which I wanted to take seriously. While Thelma stirred the water, both she and Elvie were silent. They allowed me to record the event on camera, and all that was heard was a passing conversation between Noel and Julita in the background. While the stirring took place, both Elvie and Thelma seemed quietly focused in the event. They were not meditating, but there was definitely a noticeable calmness between them. After a minute or two of stirring, Thelma would look inside the jar to find any tangible elements that were not there prior to the stirring. There were indeed some black particles that manifested in the water, which was captured on film. When we saw this, she poured out the water, filled up the jar with clean water and started stirring again. This activity occurred several times, and black particles continued to appear in the jar.

Thelma using Bulo-Bulo on Elvie

It was told to me by Thelma that these particles were the actual imperfections and blemishes in Elvie's skin manifesting into the water. Julita and Noel corroborated this belief. I found this challenging to accept this belief at first, and I was trying to be objective the entire time. Later, I started to think about what was possible. Perhaps the negativity that Elvie felt towards the spots on her face is what was released into the jar. Perhaps it was the negative energy that was pulled from Elvie and manifested in the jar.

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Whatever it was, I decided to wait out my conclusion on this event. I chose to wait because I wanted to watch for any changes in Elvie's condition. This was the last event of the day. I went to bed pondering all that had been introduced to me so far.

Jenelou Magsalay with her grandmother

The next day, we traveled to the village of Larena to visit the home of a pregnant woman named Jenelou Magsalay, age 22. She began her healing practices during her sophomore year of high school when her grandfather, Juan, started to become severely fatigued due to his healing work. Juan was a very well-known and highly respected healer, famous for introducing Bulo-Bulo to Siquijor. Sadly, her grandfather has passed on, but Jenelou continues the Bulo-Bulo practice of healing.

Jenelou's grandmother, Aria Magsalay, told us about the origin of Bulo-Bulo, which has only been around the island since 1981. During that year, Aria said she once found a particular stone on her farm which she chose to keep. She said that the form and shape of the stone somehow connected with her. She later put it in on an altar in her home. Later in the year, her cousin, who was encountering severe neck pain, came to visit her. She used the stone on her cousin, which yielded healing results. How she used it was not fully explained. She then gave the stone to her husband who was by then a known healer. He started to use it, word started to spread, and thus Bulo-Bulo was bom. Juan became the best-known healer who employed Bulo-Bulo, and there are several photos of him using Bulo-Bulo on both foreign and Filipino patients in their home.

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Jenelou's patients are mostly from Siquijor, although she has healed patients from Manila, Mindanao, and Cebu. The symptoms of her patients largely consist of problems with boils, scabs, and other skin disorders. She prays before healing, but not in the style of oracion and does not employ the Latin language.

I felt very comfortable in speaking with Jenelou. I decided to ask her if she had ever encountered any fake or manipulative healers as well as if she knew of her own rate of healing. I was interested to know if her actual practices of healing truly had affected those who came to her. She said that she has not encountered any fake healers, and that her rate of healing is very high. However, she does not think about her healing as a percentage of who is healed and who is not; moreover, she has asked patients to return to her on a Wednesday or Friday for extra help if it is needed. She also stated that if the patient has suffered a severe illness after her healing session, she has felt weakened as a result.

I found no reason in not believing Jenelou's claims, and was very moved by her words. She, like other healers mentioned in this research, was very sincere in their practice. I saw a similarity in their application - they put all of themselves in healing. For example, if there is a healing event considered to be a light session, there is no effect on Jenelou. However, if it is a heavy session, such as healing scabs or large areas of the skin, Jenelou will weaken, especially from the waist down.

Elvie also spoke with Jenelou in regard to her acne spots. Jenelou then performed Bulo-Bulo on Elvie by using the straw and blowing bubbles into the jar of water rather than stirring. The bubbles could have yielded several possibilities. It is possible that the blowing of the bubbles could have been the transference of Chi - an energy field popular in the Asian world. It is possible that the popping of the bubbles is an energetic transfer that is carried over from one person to another. Water has been proven to be a powerful source of both energy and health. The crystalline substances which make up water could have played a major role in this healing event.

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Jenelou applying Bulo-Bulo to Elvie The jar after the first session. Note the black particle at the left side of the jar.

Finalizing both our conversation and healing event, Jenelou stated that after a session with a patient she recommends the use of bankal herbs. She puts these herbs in hot water for 15 minutes and then pours and rubs them on the patient's skin. In all of her healing practices, she employs the Bulo-Bulo method more than any other.

Noel Torremocha, Healing Apprentice

As stated earlier, I came to learn throughout this journey that my motorbike driver, Noel, had also been trained in healing. He has worked in healing for the past 10 years, and has both observed and collaborated with several of the previously mentioned healers. Most of his training comes from finding different kinds of herbs from the forest, memorizing their names, and practice using them. It is a challenging task to differentiate between so many plants that look, smell, and taste alike yet have different healing effects on various symptoms in the body. He has also learned some healing modalities through watching his friends practice healing. After he memorized the types of herbs and their qualities of healing, he received some healing methods from a friend of his and started to practice on others. He now employs coconut oil along with the herbs, just like the healers previously mentioned. Following in the footsteps of healers before him, he believes that Friday is the best day for healing.

Noel carries with him, at all times, a crystal stone and a seashell for general protection from evil. The crystal came from a friend of his who found it in a cave and believed it was from the healing spirit Santo Nino. The seashell was found near a beach on San Antonio Road, near Noel's home.

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Noel's seashell and crystal stone

This friend, whom Noel will not identify in order to protect him from anti-healing, has also inserted stones into Noel's body in order to ward off evil. The stones are located in his arms, near the biceps. The shapes of the stones are clearly visible, for they are placed above the muscle, but are completely covered by the skin. These stones could have been imprinted by Noel's friend with an intention which would counteract evil or anti-healing elements. Noel believes in the powerful qualities of the stones and holds high faith in them.

Noel's left and right arms. Note the raised skin where the protection stones are prevalent in the center of the muscle.

Noel has also learned several phrases of the Latin language in which he uses in prayers and oracion. As stated earlier, Latin is spoken often during healing events because it is considered to be a holy language. Latin is seen as holy not because of religious beliefs, but due to the belief that Latin connects with people on a deeper level. This may hold value since Latin is the foundation for many languages. One of Noel's healing oils is in a

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bottle that also has prayer of Latin text. The text is not wrapped around the bottle; rather, it is inside the oil. This is an example of how serious the Latin language is perceived. Latin is neither spoken regularly in any country today, nor was it spoken during Jesus' time, but it did spawn the romance languages. It is studied on a scholarly level and is used in prayer and healing without reservation. This lends value to the belief that the Latin language has qualities beyond mere communication.

Noel's healing oils. Take note of the small bottle at the right - the one that is in front of the paint can. This bottle has the Latin prayer inside of it. The wooden figures in front of the bottles are two tagnipas.

In the practice of healing Noel has healed people who have been affected by anti-healers who have applied hexes upon them. He has also used herbs and oils to heal cancer patients. In one particular event, a patient returned to Noel to give thanks and gratitude after he was healed from his skin cancer. In healing another patient suffering from bone cancer, Noel stated that he prescribed an herb for the patient to drink followed by an oil application. The patient felt, in Noel's words and Elvie's translation, that there were ".. .some improvements." There was a language problem in the translation between Noel's words and Elvie's delivery, so several of my questions went unanswered. Apparently, the dialect that Noel speaks in Siquijor is vastly different than the language that Elvie uses. Overall, I was able to understand the general idea that Noel was

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conveying. He may be a novice healer, but he has had extraordinary results in this volunteer and non-lucrative occupation.

Noel truly believes in the healing elements that are found in Siquijor. When asked about fake healers, he responded by saying that there was no such thing, for there was no money, and therefore no cause, in faking a healing activity. He believes that God is in everything in the sense of an energetic force, akin to the Asian concept of Chi.

Are there true healers in Siquijor? Is it an island where spirits dwell and alter the conditions of the human body? Do certain people have special qualities to heal bones, skin disorders, and intestinal problems that cannot be explained through 20th-century science?

My belief lies with the thousands of men and women, Filipinos and foreigners alike, who flock to Siquijor for the sole purpose of healing. Realizing the commonalities in so many aspects of these people's lives speaks volumes towards the legitimacy of Siquijor and its healers. The stories I collected from patients and healers alike were all very consistent with one another, as were the similarities of the methodologies the healers employ. The manner of collecting herbs and oils, singing, chanting, and meditating during healing events were all quite similar amongst the healers. There is a collective credence in the power of combining the herbal oils with faith and chant. Their deep-rooted belief system in faith is unyielding, despite their differences in religion. No matter what their religion, be it Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise, there is a great faith in God, the power of belief, and the power of healing.

Given the amount of healers in Siquijor and the quantity of patients which have visited the island; I find it impossible that the commonaliti es of their practices and stories were made up just to attract people. The methods and stories are similar because they have indeed healed people. For example, I have traveled from the mountaintops to the lowlands, from the beaches to the caves, and wherever I went there was a story of San Antonio, the spirit who inhabits the island. Wherever I visited, there was always a story of spirits, ways to view them, and how make contact with them. Singing and meditative prayer was almost always mentioned when it came to dealing and communicating with the Siquijor spirits. In other words, the consistencies amongst the healers' practices and experiences add value to the possibilities of healing.

Even those that dismiss Siquijor's healing practices surely believe in some type of supernatural elements; otherwise, they would not avoid visiting the island. It may due to the term black magic or the fear put upon them by western traditions, but there is no mistaking the fact that some people avoid this island in the same manner that others visit this island.

Lending value to my own conclusion is what I saw in Elvie. During the days after her Bulo-Bulo treatment, I watched the spots clear up on her face. That was not enough to convince me outright, but it certainly gave me pause. It was August, the beginning of the monsoon season, and we were already in a very humid and tropical climate. We spent

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over a week traveling the island via motorcycle on dirt roads, accumulating dust, bugs, and grit on our bodies throughout the day. We ate rice that had flies buzzing around it. We slept in rooms without air conditioning that had more mosquitoes than could be counted. This was not exactly the ideal situation for skin treatment. Therefore, I am confident when I mention that I did indeed observe a noticeable change in Elvie's skin, despite the tropical living and traveling conditions. Was her skin cleared as a direct result of Bulo-Bulo? Given where we were and what we went through, I do believe that it is possible.

In all my interviews, the patients and healers showed cohesion of faith, one of the strongest commonalities. This country is mostly Catholic, but has a high concentration of Protestant faiths in addition to small pockets of Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish faiths, in addition to several indigenous/local religions. Although I only came into contact with people of the Christian faith, the differences in religious beliefs did not come into play when it came to the discussion of healing. As one who has seriously questioned religion, I was rather impressed to witness how religion can be perceived as an element of healing instead of an element of judgment. It does not matter to these people what denomination you are from - what matters is that you have faith in God, and see God in everything. It may be a tall order to do so, but it was so refreshing to see people employing faith as tool for love and healing, without reservation or judgment. There is truly a religious commonality amongst these people, which is to believe, have faith, and love.

A place such as Siquijor exists in the Philippines possibly because there maybe a collective consciousness amongst its people. There is camaraderie in this country that can truly be described as a fellowship. Despite their plights, these people pride themselves on hospitality to both foreigners and each other. They have genuine love and care for each other to a degree in which I have not witnessed in any of the other countries I have visited, my own country included. To put it another way, I have never seen happier poor people. They have a phrase that is shared often that is called "Ba ha la na." Translated, it basically means, "Whatever happens happens." I view this as a significant release of biased judgment, allowing worry and anxiety to be released, which can yield to healing. They seem to accept whatever difficulty approaches them and move on. Perhaps they behave this way because they realize that they cannot control certain events in their lives any more than science can control nature while also realizing that in nature lies healing. We are products of nature, and I do believe that as a result of that product we are capable of healing other products of nature by using our body, voice, thought, and faith.

As stated earlier, faith is one of the biggest commonalities amongst the Filipinos. The other, I am sure of, is their singing. The healers chant, but more importantly, the patients sing. They are reared on singing - not just as a fun event, but as a major element of their lives. In truth, I have seen Filipinos start singing in the middle of a conversation -literally in mid-sentence. When I experienced such an event, others explained it to me by saying, "They must be very happy right now." The singing is done as a conveyance of joy. I have also seen this done as a way to deal with pain. I witnessed singing after a monsoon hit Manila. They sang as a way to incorporate their ba ha la na belief. I

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viewed it as a true singing from their heart. The Filipinos do not live in a society that is lucky enough to have such enterprises as youth choirs and private music like the Americans have; rather, they live in a society lucky enough to realize the healing power of music. They sing to express their feelings out loud rather than exercise anger. They sing to heal whatever plight they may be. They sing to raise or balance their energy levels.

Healers use the same methodology in their healing practices. The chanting, singing, and meditating are employed to also raise levels in the body in order to facilitate healing. I do believe the herbal oils and focused intent give way to healing, but it is not without the use of sound, and I do believe that prayer and meditation is a method of singing.

I believe the most significant factor is the possibility that we are able to realize the ability to heal with the acknowledgement that there is something more to us than we realize. When we become able to submit ourselves to the possibility of what sound and faith can accomplish, healing can follow. If we are able to release our worry and put faith in healing methods, we are able to release fears of fate. To quote Junel, "We have the power in our body to heal." If a healer has the ability to use their own energy to balance and normalize another's body, then we can utilize that faith to heal ourselves.

About the author

Daniel Fissell is an elementary public school orchestra director in Fairfax County, Virginia, as well as a private lesson teacher. He received his bachelor's degree in music education in 1997 from West Virginia University and conducted research for this paper in the summer of 2008 in completion of his master's degree at George Mason University. Mr. Fissell has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia, including trips to Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and Cambodia. In 2005 he created his own orchestra, made up of his former students, which held concerts in several areas in the Philippines. Throughout his travels to the Philippines the island of Siquijor has often been mentioned in discussions of both non-western and vibrational healing. He first took an interest in the healing properties of sound through his graduate work, and has been pursuing it ever since. He aims to continue this research and looks forward to the discovery of other healing modalities.

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