In this two part chapter, through the guidance of Jane J. Alfonso, we explore the breakdown of historical colonialism in the Philippines. She highlights how Colonial Theory’s (Fanon, 1995) four phrases of colonization were catastrophically implied in the Philippines:

1) forced entry of a foreign group into geographic territory with the intention of exploiting the native people’s natural resources,

From 1521, when the infamous Ferdinand Magellan claimed the islands for King Philip II, to the first Spanish settlements in 1565, and up to the infamous 1898 Treaty of Paris where the United States acquired the Philippines from Spain for 20 million dollars, ruled over for 50 years until “granted” independence in 1946 – it can be safe to say the Philippines and Filipinos across the diaspora have been through quite a lot! From fascinating terminologies that include but not limited to, Golden Legend (p. 134) to referencing the Thomasites (p. 136), Ate Jane, Ate Leny, and so many other researchers have paved the way with allowing us to think about how all of this colonization has affected the “diaspora consciousness” - framework to understand the Filipino/a/x American experience.

Ate Jane ends the chapter  vulnerably sharing her relative Filipina-American story and how it ties into this interesting concept of the babaylan representing the healing counterpart to Maria Clara – an often referenced archetype of the catholic church’s Virgin Mary. With Mary supposedly representing purity, chastity, and the tragic disembodiment of what it means to be an authentically self-embodied Filipina. Through her psycho-somatic therapeutic insights, we are able to consider how generations of colonization have manifested in our own bodies, and how decolonizing is the way to healing. Her research, reflection, and recommendation serves as inspiration for us to continue the conversation around what it could mean to connect back with our mothers, the great mother, and the babaylan.

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(approximate timings):

1.  INTRO @ 0.00

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Music by Dayana Capulong. (C) Dayana Capulong, 2022

This chapter was rich with information around the indigenous healers in the Panay Highlands of Western Visayas. Written by trained ethnomusicologist, Maria Christine Muyco, they bring us into a story collected by participant-observation learnings of these Panay Bukidnon (mountain people of Panay). Maria spent 2 years in 2003-2004 in the Panay Highlands specifically inquiring the process of this community’s types of healing rituals, always incorporating the Binanog, a dance practice that draws its inspiration from the local hawk-eagle called banog. The ideological aspects in Panay healing always aimed to achieve SIBOD - a mastery of structures and synchronizations that produces effectiveness, connectedness, and even transcendence. Through the Binanog dance, Maria first encountered the linkage between healing, movement, and spiritual interplay, and drew her attention to the synchronizations between healing and dancing and how each can realize a healer’s intention of bringing harmony to the body-spirit universe, otherwise known as kalibutan.

Through her work, Maria meets and speaks with several traditional healers, serruano, dalungdungan, the maarams, the babaylan. They included learning about how young healer Menchie Diaz-Caspillo stepped into her calling, Noning Lopez of Barangay Cabatangan in Lambunao (Iloilo), Violeta Damas from Barangay Taganhin, and an interview with Alfred Castor who knew a family with 7 adult babaylans. These interactions allowed Maria to discuss what defines a serruano , as they do not choose to be so at will, because powerful spirits or forces select them. Maria provides us with several vocabulary words utilized by the Panay Bukidnon to give insight of their perspectives of life from the origin of creation, to the understandings of various spirit beings that exist and can be seeing during times of the night, how the babaylan moved while she sat in ritual, why and how supplication of the spirits was essential, and overall prosing the theme of indigenous ways for bridging body-and-spiritual constituents that bring about healing for those who are in need.

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1. Grounding Prayer & @ 1:34

2. "90 second DECOLONIZING" Heart Check-in @ 5:16

3. BROWN GIRL CLIFF NOTES / Chapter Overview @ 13:03

4. Vocabulary Words @ 19:33

5. Quotes @ 39:22

6. Closing Prayer @ 1:00:10

We are talking about tattoos today! If you’ve been around the Filipinx diaspora decolonization online community, you may be familiar with Lane Wilcken, also known as Manong Lane.

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Per Lane’s website, Lane is an artisan of ancient technology and art. He is widely recognized by the Filipino-American community as a "mambabatok," a cultural tattoo practitioner only using ancient hand-tapped tattoo techniques. He makes all his own tools, many of which are now extinct in the Philippines. Lane's practice is spiritual and includes meditation and prayer before composing batok (tattoo) arrangements according to the designs and symbols of a person's specific ethnic group and their personal experience. The actual application of the batok is done as ritual, with chants, food offerings and prayers as part of the process.

***

In this chapter, Manong Lane discusses the details of pre-colonial Philippine tattoos and their symbolism, as well as the stigmas tattoos currently face in modern western society vs. the originally deeply rooted, spiritual meaning of our ancestral markings.

When the first Spanish explorers arrived in our islands with Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, they originally called the archipelago, “Las Islas de los Pintados” which means, “The Islands of the Painted Ones” because of the abundance of tattooing they saw. Manong Lane highlights that in the western world perspective, the individual is the one who decides when they will be tattooed and what is tattooed on them. In the ancient Austronesian cultures (which includes the islands of Indonesia, the Philippines, Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, Madagascar and Taiwan), the perspective towards tattooing was very different. Those choices are prerogative of the community and the tattoo practitioner, not the individual.

We further discuss our perspectives on the understandings that men and women received their tattoo markings with different reverence. For example, men had to “earn” their tattoos through requisite bravery, character and knowledge. In contrast, women were naturally "entitled" to receiving tattoos. In fact, women's tattoos displayed messages of the strength, procreative power, and spiritual receptivity she brought with her into the world. They also signified fertility and the bravery and strength needed to endure giving birth. It is also said that the more women had, the more beautiful she was!

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1. Grounding Prayer & @ 1min, 46sec

2. "90 second DECOLONIZING" Heart Check-in @ 3min, 46sec

3. BROWN GIRL CLIFF NOTES / Chapter Overview @ 11min, 36sec

4. Vocabulary Words @ 26min

5. Quotes @ 38min, 23sec

6. Closing Prayer @ 56min, 18sec

This chapter was juicy! We were truly guided by Michael Gonzalez’ words and 8 years of thesis research investigating the said debatable, 2 existing and paradoxical stories of the legendary Jose Rizal. Jose Rizal is formally known as a native reformist, physician, author of books-- a “renaissance man”, that was falsely implicated in an anti-colonial revolutionary plot and executed by the colonial Spanish authorities on December 30, 1896. Gonzalez’ work included understanding the national “official”, sometimes imaginary Jose Rizal; versus the perhaps “unofficial”/folklore (said to be told my peasants, laborers, and middle class Filipinos) version of Jose Rizal, deemed by the “Rizalistas”.

Rizalistas, a conglomeration of various groups (or sects) scattered all over the Philippines that see Rizal and the events surrounding his life as distinctly spiritual, sacred, and personal. Among some of these associations are the Sagrada Familiar, Watawat ng Lahi, Tres Persona Solo Dios, and the Kataastaasang Kapatiran Ng Litaw Na Katalinuhan. These groups have inconspicuous small churches and sanctuaries that dot the rural landscape along the Laguna and Quezon (Aurora) Provinces.

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1. Grounding Prayer & @ 2min, 36sec

2. "90 second DECOLONIZING" Heart Check-in @ 4min, 51sec

3. Chapter Overview @ 13min, 56sec

4. Vocabulary Words 17min, 19sec

5. Quotes @ 26min, 51sec

6. Closing Prayer @ 46min, 14sec

In the second chapter of our current read: "Back from the Crodile's Belly", we have a conversation about Anting-Anting.

In her two year long research, Nenita Pambid Domingo sought to answer the question of whatever happened to the native God of the FIlipinos when the Spanish Catholic God and its host of angels vanquished the “heathens” and their gods?

Her research led her to the myth of Doctrine of Infinito Dios (or Infinite God) telling how the Three Persons in One God struggled against the Infinito Dios also known as Nuno (or ancestor). The Nuno said he could not be by any means be baptized by Jesus since the Nuno is Jesus’ forefather, the First and the only God who holds all the power and the well-spring of all the forces in the universe. In the end, the Infinito Dios (aka Nuno) finally succumbed to the wishes of Jesus, but only through his own power. And that was how Nuno, the ancestor, had supposedly come to be baptized, but actually not.

This myth and the oraciones (or power words) were put into symbols in the extant Infinito Dios amulet also known as an anting-anting.

Tune in as we talk about how the anting-anting evolved into a symbol of sovereign agency, fighting for freedom, and defending the motherland.

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(approximate timings):

1. Grounding Prayer & @ 3min, 33 sec

2. "90 second DECOLONIZING" Check-in @ 5min, 30 sec

3. Brown Girl Cliff Notes @ 13 min, 20 sec

4. Vocabulary Words @ 19 min

5. Quotes @ 31 min

6. Closing Prayer @ @ 45 min, 30 sec

Welcome back, Kapwatids!

WE OFFICIALLY OPEN UP SEASON 2 WITH OUR SECOND BOOK, "Back from the Crocodile's Belly", edited by Lily Mendoza & Leny Mendoza Stoebel. The first chapter segment of this three part book was written by Grace Nono, who journeyed to sit with Mumbaki, the Babaylan (indigenous priest, healer, oralist/auralist) among the people of the Ifugao province in the Cordillera Administrative Region of Northern Luzon, Northern PI.

This story comes from Mamerto “Lagitan” Tindongan, a now 65-year old mumbaki, wood sculptor, champion atlatlist (spear thrower), and healer. He is also an initiated PAQO and LAIKA, a 4th level priest and earth keeper, respectively, in the QUERO/Q’ERO (Native S. American) tradition. Grace’s story and photos capture the Lawet, a transition ceremony facilitated by multiple mumbaki’s to summon a deity responsible for ushering Lagitan’s father’s soul after his passing, Buwaya, who is known as a 7th generational Mumbaki. The Lawet was facilitate by Buwaya’s mentor, Huwan Candelario and assistance from Jose “Nabbud” Pagaddut, Buwaya’s nephew.

The intricacies of this chapter are stated through Lagitan’s “we have a compromise” - holding space to honor Buwaya’s wake in a mixed crowd of Christianized and the presence of many elders (even modernized, US-based Filipino/Filipinx, upholding the Baki ways).

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(approximate timings):

1. Grounding Prayer & @ 2min

Happy Holy Days, Kapwatids!

We acknowledge various cultural holy days in different religions & spiritual beliefs, our younger church (& non-church) -related holiday years, & wrap up with energetic boundary tips as we navigate through this time of the year in spaces with loved ones, especially when you have differences. 

***Don't forget - Babaylan Bruha Book Club is on YOUCHOOB too! Feel free to subscribe or leave us comments!

In this conversation, Imee & Stephanie take a study break to talk with another special guest. Rob Dalton is walking his life journey as a multi faceted being. From business professional and martial artist, to exploring the balance of divine masculine and feminine in the everyday, Rob is enthusiastic about experiencing the newness of what life may bring. (Fun fact: He is also Imee's husband!) As we sit with Rob, we dive into a discussion about the patriarchy vs. divine masculine, why perhaps men are less likely to seek emotional awareness, and his views on the modern day babaylan-ic experience. 

***Don't forget - Babaylan Bruha Book Club is on YOUCHOOB too! Feel free to subscribe or leave us comments!

Last chapter of our first book! Kapwa, we did that!

Ate Chato’s life story tells us how the eldest daughter from a poor and patriarchal family in Mindoro, Philippines followed the breadcrumbs of life - made her way through agricultural to clerical to government job positions that repositioned her into Italy, which exceeded her own expectations. Chato speaks of her work while in attendance of the United Nations conferences on Human Rights and Women’s Rights. Her lifelong successes and achievements are indications that connections are essential, and it truly does take a village to bring about sustainably impactful change.

***Don't forget - Babaylan Bruha Book Club is on YOUCHOOB too! Feel free to subscribe or leave us comments!

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(approximate timings):

1. Grounding Prayer & @ 2:36

In this second-to-last chapter of our Babaylan: Filipinos & the Call of the Indigenous, we are met with recognizing the truth when people say, “less is more”. Perhaps via pakikiramdam (intuition), we knew this woman was an esteemed writer. Turns out she is an English professor at the University of Hawaii, and though she wrote only a 4 page memoir sharing her decolonizing journey, this chapter painted so much depth and expanded perceptions.

At the age of 11 years, Professor Minahal’s artistic inspiration was sparked & fueled into her adulthood, by a fictional mortal woman heroine Bolak Sonday, who dared to break past heteronormative standards and mainstream dualities. Despite being “Americanized” as a child, having parents who were inadvertent influencers to subscribe to the USA English-teacher-recommendations that her family must “lose their first language/accent” in obtaining jobs, it is refreshing to see such resiliency thrive.

Years later, Professor Minahal would become a queer artist to successfully combine poetry, dance, and music in her ‘before their words’ performance. In her piece, she narrates a poem accompanied by an erotically queer twist to the traditionally heterosexual muslim dance known as Singkil.

Professor Minahal’s boldness to interweave elements of traditional Filipino arts with her own imagination, is an inspiring legacy portraying how kapwa can attempt to heal and recover the aches of our lost culture in our own unique terms and expression, essentially - our own respective imaginations.

***Don't forget - Babaylan Bruha Book Club is on YOUCHOOB too!

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(approximate timings):

1. Grounding Prayer & @ 2:03