Page 300 - Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines

Traditional healers have always been present in Filipino society. In precolonial
times, the babaylan or baylan, many of whom were women, performed healing
rituals to heal the sick. Usually, this involved the sacrificing of animals such as
chicken or pigs. It is believed that by sacrificing the animals the life of the sick
person is spared. In the atang-atang ritual in Cagayan in northern Philippines that I
witnessed in 1987, offerings in the form of food and betel nut were given to the
gods as well. Placed in a very small raft, these offerings were set afloat in the river.
In many rural communities where doctors and hospitals are rare, people go to
the albolaryo or traditional healer. In most cases, the healer uses medicinal plants
believed to have healing properties. Among the medicinal plants known to those
living in many communities are guava leaves (for wounds); ginger (for sore throats;
also anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory); ampalaya or bitter melon (for diabetes);
atis or sugar apple fruit and leaves (for diarrhea).
At times, the arbolaryo attributes the sickness to the aswang or the
mangkukulam (“witches” [from a Western perspective]), with the latter having the
power to cast spells on his/her victims. Garlic is known to ward off these “witches.”

In recent times, packaged tea bags have been manufactured using the traditional
knowledge of medicinal plants. Among the most popular teas are sambong (for
kidney disorders and hypertension), banaba (used as a purgative and diuretic), and
lagundi (for coughs, asthma, and colic).

Pagbabasa

Read the following retelling of a popular story, and then answer the questions that

follow. This is a short version of the well-known metrical tale that became popular
during the Spanish colonial period. There were two kinds of metrical romances in
the Philippines, the awit and the corrido, both of which were derived from the
metrical romances of Spain. Written in narrative poetry form, these metrical
romances were set in the Europe in the Middle Ages and spoke of the adventures of
princes and princesses as well as the conflict between Christians and Moors. With
the exception of Francisco Baltazar’s Florante at Laura, these metrical romances
fueled the anti-Muslim sentiments of Christian Filipinos and thus were considered
detrimental to the goal of national unity.

Ibon Bird
Hari King
Dumi Manure

Bato Stone
Ermitanyo Hermit

Kutsilyo Knife