Local healers, herbalists urged to promote Siquijor as island of healing

SIQUIJOR, March 7 (PIA) -- Governor Orlando Fua recently urged traditional faith healers and herbalists in Siquijor to help promote the province as the island of healing.

During the Tourism and Entrepreneurship Awareness Seminar attended by at least 24 local healers and herbalists last week, Gov. Fua said they play a vital role in countering the negative image of the province as the island of sorcery and witchcraft.

The seminar is part of the upgrading of eco-tourism value chain of the province.

Fua challenged the healers and herbalists to ensure that visitors coming to the island will enjoy a pleasant healing experience aside from the beauty and goodness of the place that is in itself already therapeutic. 

Siquijor was envisioned to be the no. 1 destination for traditional and alternative health care in the Visayas during the value chain seminar attended by the tourism stakeholders years ago spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here.

In support to the Governor’s call, DTI provincial director Nimfa Virtucio related that the apex of mystic power is in Siquijor and Mt. Banahaw.

This, she said, was according to Bibiano Fajardo, President of the Association of Traditional Health Aid Givers Inc. (ATHAG), who was a trainer in a Hilots Training in the province last year. 

While encouging healers to make a “Siquijor brand” of hilot, she said the group has a lot to contribute to the province’s tourism industry.

She said tourism is the only industry that employs all kinds of people, skilled or unskilled. (rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor)