Two weeks before my Eastern Samar trip I felt pain on my left knee whenever I go up stairs. Being the procrastinator, I did not have it checked here in Metro Manila. I had to suffer climbing up the flight of stairs to the airplane and many other circumstances.
Finally, after a text message from Jules that the caves of Samar are the best, I decided to cancel some plans to give way for a doctor to check my knee hoping that it would heal in time for a cave adventure.
The Orthopedic
My homebase in Eastern Samar was at Balangkayan. I asked my cousin where is the nearest hospital, he answered that it was in Borongan and it will take me a 40 minute to 1 hour multicab ride (30 minutes for private vehicles) to get there. What happens when someone is in a real critical medical condition do they have to bring him to Borongan? Yes!
I took a ride at a multicab going to Borongan (P30) and took a tricycle (P8) to Doctor’s Hospital. Which took me about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Went in and asked the nurse on what I should do to have a consultation. Filled up some forms and then waited for my name to be called. I noticed that there were only about 7 specializations in the list of doctors in the waiting area, plus the specialization to doctor ratio is 1:1. I grew up in Manila where there are many hospitals, on each hospitals there are many specializations, and for each specialization there are many doctors. No wonder many go to Manila just to see a doctor who can cure complicated sickness.
I then met the orthopedic and when he learned that I was a traveller he told me that I was lucky to be able to meet him the first time I went to the hospital. I asked why. He was the only orthopedic in the whole of Eastern Samar. I commend him for going to Eastern Samar.
I was then diagnosed with Jumper’s Knee and to heal I should take a rest for about 3 months and not do something like walk across San Juanico Bridge from end-to-end. Woops… Goodbye Samar cave expeditions!
Transportation cost: 76 Pesos – back and forth
Price of the checkup: 250 Pesos
Total: 326 Pesos – almost minimum wage in the province
The Manghihilot
When my cousins learned that I had an aching knee they recommended that I go to a Manghihilot. Remembering the last childhood memory I had with a manghihilot, he had a bowl of water, made hot candle wax drip to it and depending on the shape of the candle wax he would figure out what spirit or dwarf was making pains to me before he proceeded with the hilot. My cousins laughed when I told the story and said that maybe it was a mangkukulam.
Desperate. Interested on documenting the ways of the manghihilot we then went to the one they call Manong Oscar.
Manong Oscar is the famous manghihilot in the central region of Eastern Samar and is usually called to baranggays to make hilot to many people. My cousin said that he was good and often he is the first line of defense to any type of pain that the locals feel.
I asked Manong Oscar on how the hilot works. He said that he was just helping the circulation of blood by removing or applying pressure to the points where blood flow is restricted. Somehow, the manghihilot is much like a chiropractor.
Before we went to Manong Oscar, my cousins told me that he does not ask for a fee but he does accepts any amount of donations, even if it was just a small amount like 5 pesos. Same donation procedure with the manghihilot in my childhood memory. Curious on what he will do when I ask him how much I should pay, I looked him straight into the eye while having a conversation and then changed the topic by asking him frankly. He suddenly became silent, unsmiled and removed his gaze from mine. My cousin explained that I should put my donation on his bag because he will not reach out for the money nor ask for it. Unfortunately, this is the part where I was not able to ask him why they do it.
We went back to Balangkayan and Manong Oscar went to a baranggay where he was being summoned to make hilot to someone.
Transportation Cost: 16 Pesos
Donation: 50 Pesos both for me and my cousin
Total: 66 Pesos
As of writing, I am still suffering from the Jumper’s Knee and am happy that my condition is improving. If you think you can kick my ass, do not forget that I still have my right leg to kick yours.
Follow my Tacloban-Basey-Eastern Samar Series by checking the links below
Eastern Samar Destinations
- Hagnaya Beach in Salcedo (Awesome!)
- Divinubo Island Eco Tour Park
- Minasangay Island Marine Ecological Park & Resort
Guiuan, Eastern Samar Subseries
- Getting Around Guiuan (Guiuan Travel Guide)
- Bridge to Calicoan Island
- Beaches of Calicoan Island (Awesome!)
- Dumpao Beach Resort
- Airport Town of Guiuan
- Parish Church of the Immaculate Concepcion
- Guiuan Transport Terminal
Basey, Samar and Tacloban City, Leyte Destinations
Heya!!!!!!!!!!
I think i would’ve enjoyed the Hilot more, but only because i think it’s akin to a soothing massage. 😛
Ok i think i can’t kick your ass but i can still UFC you 😀
Yup! I definitely enjoyed the hilot more than the doctors checkup. Bring it on Lauren! 😀
lol. kala ko napagaling ng manghihilot problem mo sa knee. hehehe
Hi Josiah & Readers,
Hilot, I think as shown in picture is similar to the Japanese form of alternative medicine or therapy.
Google: Shiatsu.Wikipedia
It seems that the Filipinos learned
something good during the Japanese
occupation but do not know until now
that this is good and even the name. Ha! Ha! This is very popular in North America and Europe.
As to the “Manghihilot” not accepting
Fees, I asked somebody when my sister
visited a Manghihilot in Bagtong, Salcedo,E. Samar. They say that once
Fees are asked, he/she loses his
spiritual power to heal. I think
this is again the superstitious Belief or carried on from the middle
ages (Witchcraft) since Eastern Samar was occupied by some Europeans.
Take note of the Waray language, there are many Spanish words. I even
spoke some at a Market in Malaga, Spain. They understood some words. The Beliefs of earlier Filipinos believing in natural spirits (Anitos?), then the Middle Age Christian Beliefs of Witchcraft (time of (Joan of Arc?) plus Chinese/Japanese influences, are all
mixed up today. Some Roots are still
there.
In many cases of local treatment using medicinal plants, there are
more advantages than today’s modern
medicine. My grandparents died at the
age of over 80, without surgical operation at all. They still enjoyed
eating “lechon” and drank “Tuba” up
to their last days. We should ask the
old Folks about their practices before they are forgotten, then pass the good ones to the Youth. There are
many local plants growing around,they used to cure many Ailments, much
effective perhaps than what we buy
from the Drugstores.