Templong Anituhan

Today is the final day of the Waning Crescent Moon. Tomorrow, we enter the New Moon, and once again we shall stand before the Council of the Diwata to seek a new Guardian and Guide for the coming lunar cycle.

As this sacred cycle comes to a close, I find myself reflecting upon the guidance of Diwatang Makaako of the Kinaray-a People, whom we called upon on July 14, 2026, to succeed Anitong Pawi of the Agta. During Makaako’s guardianship, many meaningful developments unfolded within our community, our ministry, and even within my personal journey.

One of the most important gifts granted during this period was the opportunity to deepen my study of the lives and traditions of the Babaylan, Katalonan, and Magaanito, the spiritual leaders and wisdom keepers who helped shape Indigenous Filipino Spirituality throughout our history. Through this work, I was reminded that our ancestors left behind not only stories and rituals, but also systems of healing, governance, ethics, and community life that continue to inspire us today.

During this same period, I also continued my efforts to cultivate Lagundi, one of the most respected medicinal plants in the Philippines. I was excited to see new shoots, fresh leaves, and developing branches emerge. Unfortunately, many of these tender growths were eaten by rats that visit our temple grounds at night while we sleep.

I will admit that this saddened me.

Perhaps some of you who tend gardens or care for plants can understand this feeling. We nurture something with hope, only to discover that much of our effort has been damaged before it can fully flourish. Because Lagundi is recognized for its medicinal value, I felt especially disappointed seeing the young plants struggle.

Yet despite this setback, I still have more cuttings waiting to be planted, whether in pots or directly into the soil. Life, after all, persists through renewal. What is lost can often be planted again.

I have even considered using poison against the rats that continue damaging both the plants and the dog food stored within the temple grounds. Yet I remain uncertain. While I wish to protect the garden, I also worry about harming other creatures who visit the temple, whether by day or by night. The temple has always been a place where many forms of life coexist, and I do not wish to create greater imbalance while trying to solve a problem.

Financially, this season has also been challenging.

Since returning to the Philippines in May, the flow of income has been slower than expected. Expenses continue. Temple maintenance continues. Utility bills continue. The needs of the dogs continue. Sometimes it feels as though resources leave more quickly than they arrive.

Yet when I look honestly at our circumstances, I cannot deny that we continue to be sustained.

The bills are paid.

Food remains on the table.

Clean water is available.

We are not abandoned.

For this reason, I remain grateful for the blessings of Makaako, the Diwata, and the Divine Source that continues to guide our path. The abundance may not always appear in the form of wealth, but it continues to arrive in the form of provision, opportunity, wisdom, and companionship.

One of the most profound instructions I received during Makaako’s guardianship was to study Indigenous Filipino Medicine more deeply and systematically.

I was inspired to begin examining our healing traditions region by region, starting with the medicinal systems of Pre-Colonial Luzon, followed by the healing traditions of the Visayas, and eventually those of Mindanao. This work is not merely academic. My hope is that these studies will strengthen the curriculum of the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, ensuring that future practitioners have access to a more comprehensive understanding of our ancestral healing systems.

This calling also led me toward a deeper exploration of my own ancestry.

Through this journey, I reconnected with the memory of my forebears from Siargao, tracing family connections through Lolo Osias Comon, and further through Diomedes Paqueo Comon, the father of my own father, Rolando Dolar Comon.

My curiosity eventually drew me toward the study of Tambal Binisaya, partly because my grandfather, whom many knew as “Lolo Mede,” was remembered as a respected Binisaya healer in Barangay Esperanza, Del Carmen, Siargao Islands. In many ways, researching Indigenous healing became not only a study of culture but also a journey home to my own lineage.

This lunar cycle was also accompanied by prayer.

As August approached, I petitioned Makaako for rain. Soon afterwards, the rains arrived, bringing relief to the land and replenishing life where dryness once prevailed.

Around this same period, Anitong Lakapati also delivered a message concerning the souls dwelling beneath the earth and the condition of the land itself. The message spoke of soil that could no longer breathe and of a world longing once more for regeneration and renewal. It was a reminder that healing is not only for human beings but also for the living earth that sustains us.

Not every event during this cycle was uplifting.

News also reached us that several graduates from Hawaii chose to separate themselves from our lineage and began teaching Hilot independently without authorization and in direct violation of agreements they had previously signed.

Naturally, this caused disappointment.

Yet the wisdom I received during this period encouraged a different response. Rather than carrying resentment, I was reminded that every individual must ultimately walk their own path. Whatever knowledge they possess today may sustain them for a time. Beyond that, growth depends upon their own sincerity, discipline, and calling.

In this realization, I found peace.

Makaako also helped release me from another burden: the expectation that I must continually give without discernment to those who repeatedly seek financial support while offering nothing in return.

For many years, I carried the belief that giving should never expect reciprocation. While generosity remains a sacred virtue, Indigenous Filipino Spirituality also teaches the principle of reciprocity.

What is planted must someday be harvested.

What is received must eventually be returned.

Every inhale requires an exhale.

Every meal consumed must leave the body.

Every debt incurred must be repaid.

The universe itself moves in cycles of exchange.

Understanding this principle has helped me establish healthier boundaries while continuing to serve with compassion.

As the guardianship of Makaako now comes to an end, I offer my gratitude for all that has been accomplished during this lunar cycle.

Under Makaako’s guidance, the Hilot Binabaylan Council Inc. was established as a regulator, protector, and lineage-bearing body serving practitioners not only in the Philippines but throughout the world.

I also pray that Templong Anituhan Inc. may continue to grow in financial stability so that we may better serve our community, preserve Indigenous Filipino Spirituality, and sustain our educational and cultural programs.

I pray that our temple may one day possess a respected voice in conversations concerning peace, harmony, and global understanding.

And finally, I ask for blessings upon the curriculum we have developed for the formation of future Commissioned Interfaith Peace Ministers through the Interfaith Order of Peace Weavers, so that those called to this path may become instruments of healing and reconciliation in a divided world.

As we prepare to welcome a new Guardian and Guide during the New Moon, I invite you to join me in reflecting upon the lessons of this past cycle.

What wisdom have you received?

What burdens are you being asked to release?

What seeds are you planting for the future?

And what blessings have already arrived that perhaps you have not yet fully recognized?

Support Our Work

If the teachings, articles, educational programs, rituals, and preservation efforts shared through Templong Anituhan, Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, and the Interfaith Order of Peace Weavers have brought value to your life, I humbly invite you to support our continuing work.

Your donations help us maintain temple operations, care for sacred spaces, support educational projects, preserve Indigenous Filipino healing knowledge, and continue our mission of spiritual service and cultural preservation.

You may also support us by Buying Me a Coffee, a simple gesture that helps cover temple expenses, utilities, educational resources, and ongoing community programs.

Every contribution, regardless of size, helps sustain this work for future generations.

Thank you for walking this path with us.

May the blessings of Makaako accompany you as one cycle ends and another begins.

Padayon. Magbinuligay kita. Let us continue growing together. 🌙🙏✨