Albularyo Essay

Think of a poor farmer who gets a horrible cold one day because of the ever-changing weather. He does not want to spend too much time being sick, as he still has to take care of his farm. Upon looking at his savings, he knows that he will not be able to afford modern medicine. However, he has been to the albularyo in the area, and he knows that the albularyo’s treatments work. With that, he sets off to the albularyo. Going to an albularyo, or witch doctor, is not unusual despite the urbanization of most places. Though many do not believe in albularyos anymore, there are still just as many who believe that healings from an albularyo work. Contrary to popular belief, an albularyo, literally meaning herbalist, can be found not just in the provinces, but also in the cities. The techniques used by each albularyo may differ, but they all work if done correctly. The healings of an albularyo can be successful if both the albularyo and the patient have faith, the illness can be cured using herbs and other methods an albularyo uses, and the albularyo’s skills are well developed.
It is essential for both the albularyo and his patients to have faith. Without faith, it is not likely that the healing will work, especially on the albularyo’s end. An albularyo without faith is not an albularyo anyone would want to go to. Apo Hermie Dela Peña, an albularyo from Bulacan, is one who has complete faith in his healing power. When people think of an albularyo, they usually think of a wrinkly old woman wearing a headdress and talking about ghosts and other supernatural beings. Apo Hermie, however, is just a middle-aged man wearing a white sando, shorts, and slippers. In addition, although he believed in the supernatural, he certainly did not go around telling us about ghosts and spirits.
Upon entering his workroom, the amount of religious paraphernalia inside can be seen. There are a total of four statues of Jesus Christ, one small statue of Mary, a small bottle of holy water, and four