(English & Bisaya below) ENGLISH For a long time, I’ve wondered what ties together all the different things I find myself doing. Sometimes I’ve wondered whether I was supposed to choose one and specialize. Recently, I’ve been reading more about early Visayan life—from the Boxer Codex, Francisco Alcina’s seventeenth-century writings on the Visayas, William Henry…
A few photos from our first Siquijor Traditional Healing Foundations course at Siquijor Healers School, held on September 2, 2026! In this course, we don’t simply teach different methods of traditional healing. More importantly, we begin by learning how to listen to the person, prepare oneself, observe, use pakiramdam (intuitive awareness), assess, discern, and choose…
Sometimes healers need healing too. Ale is a Reiki healer herself, and she shared with us that she was also looking for someone who could help her. During her day at Holy Paradise Resort, she received a Healing Meditation Consultation, Basic Cleansing Ritual, and traditional herbs. She also enjoyed our natural spring pool and food,…
A recent post about dogs being poisoned, and the discussion that followed, made me remember what happened to my own dog, Choco. On the morning of January 25, 2026, Choco was found dead on the pathway leading to my house. Several other dogs nearby were also found dead under similar circumstances. They showed similar symptoms,…
Award-winning filmmaker Eileen Ong Ante Cabiling recently spent two days with us in Siquijor as part of her research for the upcoming folk-horror film “Lihim na Luha (Secret Tears),” being developed with Gushcloud Philippines Studios, with Jericho “Echo” Rosales attached to play the lead role. Eileen previously directed the short film “Basurero,” starring Jericho Rosales…
This photo may look like a simple transaction, but there is a bigger story behind it. During our visit with Juanita Torremocha at Balay Pahauli with Noel Torremocah her husband (Healing Hut Siquijor), we talked openly about something that is sometimes uncomfortable to discuss: money in traditional healing. Juanita told us something very practical: healers…
There is more history behind this photograph than what can be seen. We do not know exactly how far back the relationship and cooperation between our families go. What we do know is that Juan, grandfather of Juanita Torremocha, and Torio, grandfather of Letecia “Ate TC” Butalid Paitan, knew one another and worked together through…
A good morning with our neighbors in Cangmatnog. Today we sat down to discuss a real concern regarding the water situation around our Banana Pool and the community laundry area. We listened to each other, explained what was happening, and worked out a solution together. Afterward, we shared some of our house-made passionfruit soda. I…
The claims above are made by Tagbaya page managed by Luis Borongan. I will address these statements here. I want to address this publicly because specific claims have now been made publicly about me and the work that I do. Luis Nathaniel Lumingkit Borongan, Tagbaya —the page you own and manage—responded to my comment by…
This is the Banana Pool at Holy Paradise, one of the places where, according to the tradition passed on to me by my spiritual teacher Ate TC, we believe nature spirits we call dwarpinas dwell. Recently, Ate TC and I performed a ritual here to commemorate and honor them. In her tradition, the dwarpinas are…