Since ancient times, the remote island of Siquijor in the Philippines has been known as a “center of magic”, a hub for folk healing, and a home to witches.
Siquijor Island is located in the Central Visayas region, attracting many tourists from the Philippines, including expatriates, who come to experience the local mystical healing practices, as well as activities such as potion-making, exorcism, and herbal steaming.
Siquijor is known as the “mystical island”. (Photo: Simon Urwin/BBC)
The various treatments available on this island are considered to possess supernatural powers that can cure ailments, no matter how severe. There are many reasons why people have great faith in these methods.
Local guide Luis Nathaniel Borongan shares: “The first reason is that many people believe there are multiple parallel worlds coexisting with ours. Spirits are always around us, in the forests, seas, and waterfalls. If humans invade their habitats, they can retaliate, causing illness and disease.”
Mr. Borongan explains that the second reason is that many believe that witchcraft can make us sick. There are many forms of harm, including haplit – using voodoo dolls to cast spells on someone and barang – using insects to harm people and crops.
The third reason is that many people believe that any illness, whether a simple sore throat or a curse caused by magic, can be cured by visiting a mananambal (folk healer). Therefore, many people who fall ill will come to the island to see a mananambal.
Scenery of Siquijor Island. (Photo: Simon Urwin/BBC).
Some people also place tremendous trust in the healing abilities of the healers on the island. This has made Siquijor a point of interest for tourists from all over the country and the expatriate community.
“Visitors to the island can simply ask at a travel office or taxi driver to find a mananambal. The healers believe that their abilities are a gift from God. Therefore, they will heal everyone,” says Mr. Borongan.
According to guide Borongan, many people often turn to mananambal instead of seeing doctors. Mananambal typically heal using herbal remedies made from nearly 300 medicinal plants that grow on the island. The abundance of healing flora may also explain why folk healing practices have been significant to life on the island for centuries.
Healer Pascal Ogoc using a “disease-catching” stick with the Tigi method. (Photo: BBC)
Two Spanish explorers – Juan Aguirre and Esteban Rodriguez – were the first Europeans to set foot on Siquijor in 1565. Upon discovering the island from a distance and thinking it was on fire, they named it Isla de Fuego (Island of Fire).
“In fact, the light the explorers saw was from fireflies dancing around the molave trees, a native species found on the island,” Mr. Borongan notes.
Using herbal remedies is very popular on the island. Tourists can easily buy them at roadside shops for around 100 pesos (approximately 45,000 VND). One of the most popular remedies is a love potion containing 20 natural ingredients, including pangamay, a branch shaped strangely like a hand.
Siquijor Island is located in the Central Visayas region. (Photo: BBC)
One of the ancient rituals still practiced on the island today and attracting tourists is “Black Saturday.” Sorcerers will use a potion made from over 200 herbs, which is black in color called sáp minasa, to burn in the to-ob ceremony. This ritual aims to break spells and ward off evil spirits. To make sáp minasa, the healers must visit sacred places on the island for seven consecutive Fridays during Lent to gather ingredients such as insects, flowers, herbs, forest honey, and candle wax from cemeteries. They will then cook these ingredients into wax on Black Saturday or Holy Saturday.
Notably, those who come to Siquijor for healing are not required to pay treatment fees. Instead, they are asked to make a small contribution.
Healer Juanita Torremacha says: “We heal not for profit. We live very simply.”
However, the number of healers on the island has significantly decreased today. (Photo: BBC).
To attract tourists to the island, officials have organized an annual Healing Festival during Holy Week since 2006 at Bandilaan National Park. Locals and tourists alike are welcome to participate.
Guide Borongan states: “Everyone can experience the rituals for themselves. We want to prove that this is not fanciful. Our healing ability is very powerful, and for many centuries, it has defined the uniqueness of Siquijor. We do not want to lose this magic.”
