Remembering a Binabaylan

It was Bae Ulang Udig who encourage me to come back and interact again to the Pagan Community in the Philippines. It was through him that i was joined in to the Facebook group called as United Pagan Philippines. It is through his effort that Filipino Pagans living in Metro Manila and nearby cities was able to get together that brought life to Filipino Paganism in 2010 through Earth Dance Manila and Philippine Pagan Pride. Though originally he is from Bacolod, Negros Occidental.

Bae Ulang Udig was born as Paul Leonard Escobido Cabalfin on the 19th of October 1984. While he is with us he work as a Communicator, Teacher, Social Worker, Activist and Ordained Clergy of Luntiang Aghama.

Bae Ulang Udig have left us with important lesson in Filipino Pagan Community as he started to revive the Binabaylan Binisaya Tradition which he define as follows:

The Binabaylan Tradition is a practice of the old Babaylan Ways. It is a reconstruction of the ancient practices and rituals of the Babaylans. The progressive reconstruction, and understanding of these practices and rituals are incorporated based on researches from books, online sites, oral tradition, and first-hand interviews of existing yet diminishing old healers and folks, mainly in the Western Visayas region.

This tradition respects and values everything that has life. It recognizes the inter connectedness of all living things and its interdependence with one another. It acknowledges that supernatural beings exist and seeks to live with them in coexistence.

This revival of the ancient Babaylan Ways focuses more into healing, wisdom-sharing, preservation of culture, love of country, and establishment of a strong connection with the Divinities.

As modern Binabaylan, Bae Ulang Udig have set guidelines on how a modern Binabaylan will perform our duties.

Being neoBabaylans in this modern times, we still perform the roles of the ancient Babaylans as warriors, teachers, healers, and visionaries.

 As Warriors, we:

1. battle injustices through subtle activism;
2. advocate for equality and justice.

 As Teachers, we:

1. live our ways portraying the love for our country, and taking pride in its culture;
2. conduct studies and researches on ancient culture for appreciation and integration in our daily lives.

 As Healers, we:

1. attune ourselves with the cycles of the earth: rejoice in times of harvest, and appease the spirits in times of scarcity and when their favor is needed;
2. heal the earth through healing rituals and dances;
3. devote our time studying and trying out herbal remedies for health restoration.

 As Visionaries, we:

1. establish a connection within the self and with others through guided introspection, dialogues and rituals;

2. establish connection with the divinities through celebratory rituals and personal meditations;

3. explore ourselves and the universe to understand our existence and our relationship with the rest of the living things;

4. recognize the rest of the living beings as our brothers and sisters, living with them in coexistence;

5. recognize the Earth as a living being, a mother to us all;

6. Find ways to make our community a better place to live.