Ipat

The pag-ipat is believed to be a pre-Islmaic ritual which survives to this day because of the compulsion of the asal (traditional ancestry) which binds particular families to hold it during illness of a family member. The Maguindanao traditional worldview holds that diseases are caused by the tonong (ancestral spirits) who need to be appeased. Thus, a folk healer performs the pag-ipat (deliverance) while he or she is possessed by the spirit (tinunungan). The ritual maybe performed for a day, seven days or a fortnight, depending of the patient’s illness and economic status. It is an activity where the entire community participates.

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