december-2011

5
Learn about the
Mangyan culture
Indigenous Filipino cultures,
such as the Mangyan tribe in Mindoro,
are in danger of vanishing. Thankfully,
we have the Mangyan Heritage Center
(MHC) — a library archive, research
and education center in Calapan City,
Mindoro that was made possible
through the efforts of Antoon Postma, a
missionary priest; Father Ewald Dinter,
SVD, head of the Mangyan Mission;
and Quint Fansler, a former Jesuit
volunteer assigned to Oriental Mindoro.
Although visits to the Mangyan
communities require their consent and
walk-in visits are not encouraged, MHC
still offers a wealth of information to
satisfy your desire for knowledge.
How to do it You can learn the
ambahan, or traditional poetry that is
usually written on bamboo in ancient
Surat Mangyan. They can teach you
how to write your name in Mangyan
as well.
MHC also has a photo and artifact
exhibit, The Mangyans of Mindoro:
Myth and Meaning, that travels around
the country. It features traditional cotton
spinning and weaving demos, as well
as beaded bracelet-making workshops
and writing exercises in the Hanunuo-
Mangyan script. Bishop Finnemann
Compound Calero, Calapan City,
Oriental Mindoro, www.mangyan.org
From Manila, drive or take a two-hour bus
ride to the Batangas port. Take a ferry to
Calapan (an hour by Fastcraft, two hours
by Roro vessel), and then a 10-minute
tricycle ride to the MHC offi ce.
6
Relax your body
with hilot
Hilot, an age-old healing
tradition that involves deep-tissue
R ECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS
massage and a heavy dose of intuition,
is believed to be as old as the island’s
earliest inhabitants. “It varies depending
on the region and clan, but it is usually
a part of traditional folk medicine
practiced in rural areas where economic
constraints are palpable,” says Richell
Grace Sañez, lead trainer and spa
operations manager of Mandala Spa
and Villas in Boracay.
In hilot, the diagnosis of a disease
and the healing process are highly
spiritual. “Common to healers is the
fervent religiosity that guides them
in their practice, which is profusely
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infused with prayers that are whispered
(bulong) or written (orasyon),” explains
Richell. “In spas, hilot is commonly
used to relax tired muscles and release
blockages from the energy pathways.”
How to do it You may need to seek out
a manghihilot in a rural town — or you
can fl y to Boracay for Mandala Spa’s
award-winning Hilot Trilogy (www.
mandalaspa.com).
Cebu Pacifi c fl ies to Caticlan from Cebu
and Manila, and to Kalibo from Manila.
www.cebupacifi cair.com
Traditional Mangyan
poetry is usually
written on bamboo
in ancient Surat
Mangyan script.