Albularyos

Albularyos are traditional Filipino folk healers who diagnose and treat illness using a combination of herbal medicine, ritual practices, and spiritual guidance. The term, rooted in Tagalog, refers to practitioners commonly found in rural and urban communities across the Philippines, often serving as accessible first responders for health concerns where modern medical services are limited. The plural form is albularyos.

Practices and methods vary by practitioner but typically include examination and divination, the preparation and application of herbal remedies from local plants, wound care, massage or bodywork (hilot), cleansing rites, and prayers or appeals to ancestors or spirits. Some albularyos also employ talismans, amulets, or protective charms. Many perform care within a syncretic blend of Catholic, indigenous, and local spiritual beliefs, reflecting the diverse religious landscape of Filipino communities.

Training is usually informal, passed down within families or community networks, and knowledge is transmitted through generations rather than through formal schooling. Albularyos are valued for accessibility, culturally resonant care, and the ability to address ailments believed to have spiritual or social causes in addition to physical symptoms. In the broader health system, traditional healers are often regarded as complementary to Western medicine, and Philippine policy has sought to recognize traditional medicine under frameworks aimed at integration, such as the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act, with varying degrees of regulation and accreditation.