Templong Anituhan

The ongoing 2026 climate crisis has brought the Philippines to a critical crossroads. As of July 21, 2026, Angat Dam—the primary water source for Metro Manila and Bulacan—has breached its critical threshold, dropping to a historic all-time low of 152.19 meters. Across provinces and urban centers, cracked earth and dry taps have sparked severe municipal water rationing, cutting off irrigation to tens of thousands of hectares of farmland.

Yet, in places like Barangay Francisco Homes Narra in the City of San Jose del Monte (CSJDM), the physical reality of El Niño is deeply intertwined with local history. Long-standing frustrations over pipeline leakages, infrastructure delays, and corporate water monopolies since 2019 have magnified the environmental drought into a human crisis.

When structural systems fail, where do the people turn? For the modern practitioners of the Old Path, the answer lies in ancestral alignment, historical accountability, a sacred oration for relief, and a radical vision for technological adaptation.

The Cosmos of the Old Path: Maka-ako and the Intermediaries

In traditional Kinaray-a (Karay-a) cosmology, the universe is a multi-layered structure governed at its absolute peak by Maka-ako, the supreme creator deity. However, in the animistic worldview of the ma-aram (traditional shamans), Maka-ako resides in the highest cosmic layer, detached from the immediate, daily trials of human existence.

To bridge the gap between humanity and the divine during a climate emergency, practitioners look to deified ancestors (Kapapu-an) and localized nature spirits (engkantu). Among these, the ultimate intermediary for weather and drought relief is Estrella Bangotbanwa.

A historical 19th-century ma-aram from Panay, Estrella became a legend during a catastrophic, three-year El Niño drought in 1878–1889, where her public rainmaking rituals successfully broke the dry spell. Today, at altars like Templong Anituhan Inc., her name is invoked alongside ancient legal leaders like Datu Sumakwel—the father of the Maragtas Code—whose spirits are petitioned to restore cosmic balance and bring back the rains.

Panalangin sa Altar ng Katotohanan: A Sacred Petition for Water and Justice

For the followers of the Old Path walking the lineage of Estrella Bangotbanwa, prayer is an active force. Below is a sacred oration (orasyon) that can be offered at the altar of Templong Anituhan Inc., utilizing a dry vessel or parched earth to symbolize the community’s grievance, while calling both past and present leaders to cosmic accountability:

O Dakilang Diwatang Makaako,
Kataas-taasang Lumikha at Gabay ng aming Uniberso, marapatin Mo pong pakinggan ang daing ng Iyong mga anak dito sa lupa, partikular ang mga pamilya sa Barangay Francisco Homes Narra.

Sa ngalan ng tinitingalang Ma-aram na si Estrella Bangotbanwa,
Buksan mo ang mga ulap sa kalangitan. Gisingin ang mga espiritu ng Kahanginan upang ibuhos ang ulan sa mga nagpapakasakit na kabundukan at punuin ang aming mga natunaw na patubig.

Tinatawagan namin ang mga kaluluwa nina Gobernador-Heneral Fernando Primo de Rivera, Pangulong Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., at Pangulong Fidel V. Ramos:
Kayo na naging ugat at nagbukas ng pinto upang ang sagradong handog ng kalikasan—ang aming tubig—ay gawing komersyal na monopolya at pasanin ng taong-bayan. Sa ilalim ng batas ng kosmikong hustisya at gaba, inaatasan namin ang inyong mga espiritu na gamitin ang inyong kaalaman at impluwensya sa kabilang-buhay upang itama ang sistemang ito. Whispering to our modern scientists, engineers, and current leaders, grant them the illumination to look beyond our drying dams.

Gisingin ninyo ang pamahalaan upang yakapin ang mga makabagong alternatibo:
Ang pagbuhay sa mga wastewater treatment facility at ang teknolohiya ng desalination upang gawing inumin ang tubig-dagat, gaya ng ginawa sa Israel at Saudi Arabia. Huwag hayaang maging bulag ang kasalukuyang pamunuan sa gitna ng matinding El Niño.

Kasama ang mga Ama at Tagapagtanggol ng aming Lungsod, sina Mayor Eduardo “Doc Ayong” Roquero at Congressman Angelito Sarmiento:
Patnubayan ninyo ang aming lokal na pamahalaan upang buwagin ang mapang-aping monopolya, gabayan ang mga tangke ng rasyon sa aming mga lansangan, at ibalik ang tubig bilang isang karapatan, hindi bilang isang negosyo. Patnubayan Mo kami, Makaako, patungo sa agos ng kaligtasan at bagong pag-asa. Mayari na! PagAsatin!

Spiritual Restitution: Holding History Accountable

Under the indigenous framework of Anituhan, water is not a commercial utility to be bought, sold, or locked behind a corporate monopoly. It is a living, sacred gift from the deities meant for the collective survival of the community. Turning water into an exclusive commercial monopoly is viewed as a severe disruption of cosmic balance, triggering gaba (spiritual karma).

The goal of invoking historical figures like Primo de Rivera, Marcos Sr., and Ramos within this framework is not vengeance, but spiritual restitution. In the spiritual realm, practitioners are addressing these historical figures to demand that they use their lingering knowledge and influence to undo the burdens they placed on the Filipino people. They are being spiritually tasked with giving “light” and “whispers of insight” to modern scientists, engineers, and current government administrators.

From the Altar to the Ocean: The Need for Global Innovation

The spiritual demand for answers directly mirrors the technical solutions the Philippines desperately needs today. True ancestral guidance manifests as practical brilliance. Through spiritual intervention, followers are calling for a massive shift in how the Philippine government manages water scarcity, drawing inspiration from global leaders in arid-climate survival:

1. Desalination (The Israel and Saudi Arabia Framework): Relying solely on dams like Angat leaves the archipelago vulnerable to changing Pacific winds. The spirits are petitioned to grant the current leadership the political will and technical foresight to fund facilities that process seawater into potable water, securing an endless supply for coastal and urban centers.
2. Advanced Water Recycling and Wastewater Treatment: Instead of letting used water drain away, modern infrastructure must treat and filter wastewater for agricultural and industrial reuse, ensuring that not a single drop is wasted during an El Niño cycle.
3. Local Guardianship: In San Jose del Monte, this means invoking the protective spirits of the city’s late founding fathers—Mayor Eduardo “Doc Ayong” Roquero M.D. and Congressman Angelito Monsura Sarmiento—to guide the current leadership under Mayor Florida “Ate Rida” Robes and interim operators like Metro Pacific Bulacan Water (MPBW) to break failing monopolies and embrace alternative infrastructure.

The Coexistence of Spirit and Strategy

For an ordinary resident watching the water meters in Brgy. Francisco Homes Narra, the coming months will require a dual shield.

The physical shield demands strict household rationing—reusing graywater, stockpiling purification tablets, and organizing neighborhood water cooperatives to ensure fair distribution when LGU water tankers arrive.

The spiritual shield, forged at the temple, demands that we hold both past and present leaders accountable to the laws of nature. By viewing the El Niño crisis through the lens of the Anituhan faith, water ceases to be a monthly bill we are forced to pay to a flawed system. It becomes a sacred right we are prepared to defend, using the wisdom of the ancestors to innovate our way into a resilient future.

If you are a practitioner or a resident navigating the current water scarcity, how are you balancing spiritual practices with daily water conservation? Let us know in the comments below, or reach out to your local Barangay Hall or the CSJDM Command Center to ensure your street is included in the emergency water rationing schedules.