Kim's Quest #42: Siquijor's Healing Festival at Mt. Bandilaan

Hello Hiveians!

I have been missing in action since last Friday, but I'm now back with a new travel post. I was planning to continue with my 30-Day Blogging Challenge, but maybe in the future. For now, that challenge had proved a lot of points about me and I'm happy with the outcome even if I was not able to finish it.

Let me continue with my Siquijor travel series. I made a promise that I will tell a story about the island in the previous parts of this series. Now's the time to tell some of them. Anyway, if you haven't checked out the previous parts of this series, you can check them out in the following links:

There are times when you visit the place not because of its natural wonders, but because of the people and their unique culture and practices. This was one of them. We visited Siquijor two years ago to witness their unique festival during Holy Week. It's time to relive that experience.

We woke up early on a Black Saturday to prepare for Mt. Bandilaan, the highest point of Siquijor Island and home of endemic plant species that are used in alternative medicine. We arrived in fairly forested area, but signs of human activities were present. Mt. Bandilaan is the venue of the famed Healing Festival. It's the main reason why a lot of tourists flock the island during Holy Week.

We arrived at around 9:30 AM and we were already late for the first batch of cooking of the concoction of leaves, bark, roots, and who-knows-what assortments. We were told that there's another batch of cooking before lunch so we decided to roam around to see the types of alternative medicine that are displayed for sale.

I was amazed by the number of items that are on display. Most are believed to have healing properties, but there are others that are to used for different purposes. Some are intended to allegedly bring good luck and prosperity to the owner. Some are said to be used to drive away evil and dark entities. Ointments, balms, oils, and dried leaves and barks are the most common. They even have their own "mystic" wine. I bought one, but I forgot and left it on the terminal on our way home.

The place was packed with people. Some are locals who intended to buy some traditional medicine, but majority are tourists like us who got curious of that kind of culture.

There are several possible reasons for this, but I think the most plausible one is that the mountain is home to a lot of endemic species of plants that are used in potions and ointments. Before it became a tourist attraction, the ancient practice of "Pangalap" is done by the island's "witches" and healers. Pangalap is a Bisaya term that means to gather ingredients for medicines and potions.

If we are to believe in a supernatural explanation, I think Mt. Bandilaan is believed by the healers to be a mystical mountain. If they will concoct on the mountain, the efficacy of their potion is believed to increase as it is imbued by the mountain's energy. I believe this is also the reason why they chose Holy Week: to increase the efficacy of their potions.

As part of their rebranding to change the image of the island, they created the Healing Festival. It's what made the island stand out from the rest of the islands in the Philippines. They decided to show how the healers would create their potions and they also created herbal gardens to show the types of plants used together with their medicinal properties. It worked. Sightseers, trekkers, tourists, and travellers would flock the island during Holy Week.

There are numerous healing practices in the island, but the most common is Bolo-bolo. As shown in the photo above, the healer would blow in a glass of water through a small bamboo tube. In the water is a small and shiny black rock that's believed to have mystical powers. While blowing, the healer would put the glass in a body part of the patient. When the water turns murky, it is said that the ailment of the patient is transferred to the water. Some claimed to have seen hair, shards of glass, and small rocks in the water after the session. If the water stays clear, it means that the person is healthy.

I can't believe that some foreigners tried to have Bolo-bolo session. I guess they're after the experience whether it's true or not. Some tourists tried to have a massage using the oils that are believed to be more effective than the normal oil. The oils are added with different plants and other ingredients to enhance its healing properties. They claimed that the oils can be used to almost any kinds of aches and ailments. I suggest to have it on topical applications only because we don't know the kinds of plants being added and some essences might be poisonous when ingested.

We were so into the tour that we forgot about the cooking of a new batch of concoction. We were told that it was near to end so we immediately went to the place where they chose to cook.

It was an sight to behold. A lot of spectators were patiently watching the main healer performed the cooking. Since we were late, we were not able to see the ingredients that were put into the cauldron. What was left was that black goo of almost carbonised remains of tree barks and roots. It smelled nice, almost like incense. That would be used as medicine to almost any types of ailments you can think of.

After that "cooking show", we went to the platform where you can see the whole coastline of the island. It was the highest point and looks like the center of the island. They say that Siquijor is like a pizza that's sliced into five parts or five municipalities and at the center is Mt. Bandilaan.

It was the Healing Festival at Mt. Bandilaan that spells Siquijor with magic. It's an island of allure and beauty. Blessed with natural wonders, from white sand beaches to springs and caves, what sets Siquijor apart is its unique culture and tradition.

I think that's all for this post. Next part of this series will be either Lazi or the remaining two attractions we visited. Let me just leave you this cute little spider that hopped on my arm while I was in Mt. Bandilaan.

Kim Ybañez

_{Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.}

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