The Katalonan served as the highly revered spiritual leader and ritual specialist of pre-colonial Tagalog and Kapampangan societies. Historically, there was no singular "Queen of the Katalonan" ruling a unified hierarchy; instead, they operated autonomously within individual barangays (communities), working alongside the Datu (ruler) as equals in power and social status. However, in early Spanish … Continue reading Decolonizing the Divine: Embracing the Ancient Way of the Katalonan Today
Anituhan
The Unbroken Council: How the 180 Babaylanes of Sibalom Engineered Our Present Spiritual Freedom
History often tracks our ancestors through the blood spilled in armed rebellions, but one of the greatest, most tactically brilliant victories for our indigenous spirituality was entirely non-violent. It was a silent, sweeping war of psychological and social attrition fought in the late 18th century within the river valleys and mountain barangays of Sibalom, Antique … Continue reading The Unbroken Council: How the 180 Babaylanes of Sibalom Engineered Our Present Spiritual Freedom
The Bornean Prince of the Tagalogs: How Don Pedro Ladia’s Sovereign Legacy Links Templong Anituhan Inc. to the Broad Fabric of Southeast Asian Spiritual Liberty
History is often reduced to artificial borders, but the ancient spirits of maritime Southeast Asia have always recognized a borderless world. In 1643, a powerful political and spiritual storm erupted in Malolos, Bulacan. It was spearheaded by a man whose true nationality and royal lineage defied the colonial mapping of the Spanish Empire. His name … Continue reading The Bornean Prince of the Tagalogs: How Don Pedro Ladia’s Sovereign Legacy Links Templong Anituhan Inc. to the Broad Fabric of Southeast Asian Spiritual Liberty
The Unbroken Thread: How the Triumvirate of Panay Defied the Cross and Echoes into the Modern Altar
History is written by the conquerors, but the soul of a people is preserved by its vessels. In the late 16th century, between 1580 and 1590, the lush interior of Panay Island became the battlefield for one of the earliest, most sophisticated spiritual counter-offensives against European colonization. As Spanish Dominican and Catholic authorities aggressively rolled … Continue reading The Unbroken Thread: How the Triumvirate of Panay Defied the Cross and Echoes into the Modern Altar
From Camouflage to Consciousness: How Babaylan Tapar’s 17th-Century Legacy Culminates in Templong Anituhan
In the mountains of Oton, Panay, in the year 1663, a charismatic, gender-crossing shaman (asog) named Babaylan Tapar launched an extraordinary spiritual rebellion. Stripped of their ancestral ways by the relentless march of Spanish colonization, Tapar and his followers executed a striking tactical maneuver: they built a secret temple in the wilderness and created a … Continue reading From Camouflage to Consciousness: How Babaylan Tapar’s 17th-Century Legacy Culminates in Templong Anituhan
The Forgotten Pillars of the Tamblot Uprising: How Five Babaylan Weaponized Pre-Colonial Spirituality Against Spain
Mainstream Philippine history textbooks often paint the Tamblot Uprising (1621–1622) as the singular act of one charismatic Boholano shaman. But behind Tamblot’s prophetic declarations was a highly organized, regional network of spiritual leaders who turned the rugged interior of Bohol into a fortress of native resistance. When Jesuit missionaries began forcing the indigenous population into … Continue reading The Forgotten Pillars of the Tamblot Uprising: How Five Babaylan Weaponized Pre-Colonial Spirituality Against Spain
Reclaiming the Staff and the Blade: The Living Legacy of Babaylan Tamblot
In the heart of the Visayas, long before the concrete roads of modern Bohol were paved, the rustle of bamboo carried the chants of a revolution. The year was 1621. As Spanish steel and Catholic crosses sought to systematically dismantle the spiritual and social foundations of indigenous Philippine society, one figure stepped out of the … Continue reading Reclaiming the Staff and the Blade: The Living Legacy of Babaylan Tamblot
On the Inclusion and Recognition of “Anituhan” in Government Forms and Digital Platforms
Prepared by:Rev. Rolando Gomez ComonChief Priest, Practitioner of AnituhanSan Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan Date: May 2026 I. Introduction This Position Paper is respectfully submitted to call the attention of government agencies, particularly those responsible for public data collection systems such as the eGovPH platform, to a significant issue affecting religious freedom and identity representation: the … Continue reading On the Inclusion and Recognition of “Anituhan” in Government Forms and Digital Platforms
The Spirit of May 10: Bonifacio and Me
May 10 is a date that binds two lives across centuries—Andres Bonifacio’s death in 1897 and my birth in 1978. The numbers dance in a different order, yet they whisper of continuity: a life that ended for freedom, and a life that began to seek meaning in service and truth. Bonifacio was a man of … Continue reading The Spirit of May 10: Bonifacio and Me
Exploring Philippine Religious History and Its Impact
In this article, I want to share the History of Religion in the Philippines as Religion has significant role in Peace Weaving specially in culturally diverse and conflict prone societies like the Philippines. Religion plays an important role in Peace Weaving such as in: Promoting Moral and Ethical Values Religious teachings often emphasize compassion, forgiveness, justice, … Continue reading Exploring Philippine Religious History and Its Impact
Dambana ng Luntiang Aghama 