The Language of Folk Healing Among Selected Ilocano Communities
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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 9, Issue 10, October-2018 756 ISSN 2229-5518 THE LANGUAGE OF FOLK HEALING AMONG SELECTED ILOCANO COMMUNITIES Luzviminda P. Relon University of Northern Philippines Vigan City [email protected] ABSTRACT Folk healing in the Philippines reflects the deep-seated cultural beliefs and practices of ruralites. Traditionally, both affluent and poor families sought the help of traditional healers that may be called mangngilot, albularyo, mangngagas, agsantigwar, agtawas among others but are rendering similar services to the people. This study looked into the practices of folk healing at the same time, made an analysis on the frequently used Iloko words and how these Iloko words used in healing have changed and understood in the passing of years. Moreover, this study aimed also to shed light on the multiple functions that traditional healers are doing in the society. This is qualitative in nature which utilized the phenomenological design. Data were gathered from five traditional folk healers through KIM or Key Informant Mangngagas and Special Informants Pasyente (SIPs). It came out that while folk healers are instrumental in enriching the rich cultural beliefs and practices of typical Iloko community, they also contribute in propagating the present-day Ilocano terms or words which are commonly encountered during the healing process. It was validated that these are now rarely used by the younger generation in this fast changing society where technology has invaded the lives of people from all walks of life. Keywords: Culture, Qualitative Research, Ilocano, Northern Luzon, Traditional Healing IJSER Introduction human psyche. Traditional Healers see the universe as an living intelligence that Traditional Healing is the oldest operates according to natural laws that form of structured medicine. It is a way of manifest according to specific rules and treating illnesses that include Chinese correspondences, and exercise their inner medicine, Graeco-Arabic medicine, and conviction that the purpose of life and the also modern Western medicine. Traditional nature of disease cannot be understood Healing was originally an integral part of without a knowledge of these laws and the semi-nomadic and agricultural tribal individual's relationship to the natural societies, and although archeological world. Thus, traditional healers share a evidence for its existence only dates back to profound knowledge and a deep around 14,000 B.C., its origins are believed understanding of how natural laws to date back before the Ice Age. influence living things. It is for this reason Unlike other traditional medicines, that Traditional Healing is often referred to traditional healing has no philosophical as "wisdom medicine" or "Wizard base, as its practice is totally founded on Medicine" (the word wizard means 'wise healing knowledge that has been man', not 'sorcerer') and Traditional Healers accumulated over thousands of years, and are often referred to as wise or "clever" upon the healer's personal experience, men or women or as persons of knowledge. which includes his/her awareness of, and It is this knowledge and experience base sense of unity with the natural world, as that provides the similarity between the well as his/her understanding of the core principles of Traditional Healing different levels of consciousness within the through the ages and in different parts of IJSER © 2018 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 9, Issue 10, October-2018 757 ISSN 2229-5518 the world. (Traditional Healers fellowship, fifteenth to eighteenth century, while the 2003) cosmopolitan elements are associated with Traditional healing is a part of Western allopathic medicine shared by the Philippine society and culture. The Americans in the late eighteenth century Philippine socio-cultural beliefs and until present times. As such, each Filipino practice is known to have developed from has his own context of experiences which both the Asian and European practices. All propel one to socially interact, as well as facets of the life of every Filipino has been instruct cultural practices to succeeding influenced by the groups of settlers and generations. colonizers including beliefs and practices Moreover, a study of alternative along illnesses and diseases, its acquisition medicine in the Philippines is, inevitably, a and treatment. Thus, the folk healers, study of the origins of its people and the known in various localities, especially in amalgam of cultures and influences: the rural areas across the country such as Centuries of Spanish colonial rule and the albularyo, hilot, mammaltot, mangngagas, indelible consequences of its religion, mangngilot, agtalado, mangtatawas, hundreds of years of trade with China and mangluluop,manghihila or faith healers. assimilation of its healing arts, tribal and Relatively, owing from various cultural provincial diversities with its profusion of orientation, intra-cultural diversity among folklore and mythologies, all redounding Filipinos with regard to health beliefs and into the Filipino's easy disposition for health practices is very evident. superstitions and the allure for the esoteric, Consequently, folk healing in the mystical, and fringe. Philippines is one way of treating illnesses For so many in the rural areas, in which people who acquired health and healing are consigned and unexplainable diseases are the main relegated to alternative forms of treatment: concern. The capability of the folk healers hand-me-down herbal concoctions or some may be acquired or inherited. form of rural alchemy; prayer-based In the rural areas, by tradition and folkloric therapies; a visit to the faith because of chronic economic constraints, healer; a consultation with the albularyo or the albularyos are the general practitioners, hilot with their bagful of indigenous the primary dispensers of health care. As modalities, dispensing treatments often with other healers, there is usually a history spiced with a bulong, orasyon or occasional of a healer in the IJSERfamily-line, their healing a doses of pharmacy-based therapies. continuum of a "calling," the power or But as time passes by, that kind of ability bestowed by a supernatural being, belief or practice is already slowly often, attributed to the Holy Spirit. Often diminishing. Brought by modernity, new lacking in formal education, his skills are inventions in medicine, many people rely based on and honed from hand-me-down more on professional medical practitioners practices and lore, with a long period of who use science or modern medicine to understudy or apprenticeship with a family cure diseases. Hitherto, despite the elder or a local healer. Years of patience extensiveness, power, and capacity of and study bring the healer into a familiarity modern medical science, large portion of with the lore, rituals and modalities of our human population can never avail its diagnosis and healing, the benefits, because of their impoverished prayers, bulong and orasyon, and the use of economic situation. At the turn of the herbal medicinal plants. Some acquire an century, traditional medicine is practiced expertise in the art of pulse taking and among the poor communities in rural diagnosis. (Apostol and Baet, 2007) villages. The healthcare needs of the Laurino (2016) shared that the Philippines is associated to power and popular understanding about health is capacity, because only the rich can avail to linked to natural environment and history. modern hospital facilities, while the poor is As a result, the Filipino culture has evolved part of an estimated 50%, who rely on the as a mixture of indigenous as well as use of folk healing. (Berdon et. al, 2016) imported and borrowed elements. There is a There is also another way, other combination of pre-colonial folk traditions than folk healing, that these traditional folk with Catholic religious concepts brought healers contribute in the community, during the Spanish colonization in the without even being noticed by them. They IJSER © 2018 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 9, Issue 10, October-2018 758 ISSN 2229-5518 constantly use words that at present may know and understood the commonly used not be used, or even be aware of, especially Iloko terms in folk healing. The Focused by the millenials. These Ilocano terms used Group Discussion (FGD) was utilized to in healing would reflect the richness of the gather data from them. All respondents Ilocano dialects that at present is gradually were purposively chosen. sprinkled with various words from different An interview guide was constructed sources especially the influenced of based on the foci of this study. The technology. The study aims to dig deeper respondents were divided into three, the and provide understand well how the folk folk healers, being the Key Informant healers treat illnesses or diseases in a way Mangngagas (KIMs), the 10 patients or the that is different from the doctor technique Special Informant Pasyentes (SIPs), and and skills. It also focuses on how they are five millennials from the selected able to cure diseases made by unknown or communities. mysterious creatures and to find out the experiences of the folk healers. On the Table 1. Matrix of the Interview and other hand, it also aims to gather Ilocano Focused Group Discussion terms used by them in folk healing and how MATRIX well these terms are used and understood a. KIMs- folk healing by the people in the community especially practices offered and the millenials or the children of the patronized by locals; Iloko computer generation. words commonly used in Statement of the Problem their healing; Issues and This study on language of concerns met in healing folk healing in selected Ilocano b. SIPs- services sought from communities aimed to answer the the folk healing; following questions: Understanding of the Iloko 1. What are the folk healing practices terms used in healing; offered and patronized by the Issues and concerns met people in the selected communities? during the healing session 2. What are the commonly used Iloko c.