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00:00In our final episode of the series, Unreported World is from the Philippines,
00:04investigating the popular practice of faith healing.
00:07In a country where health care is expensive and hard to access,
00:11faith healers blend Catholicism with traditional customs,
00:14promising to cure anything from chronic pain to cancer.
00:17But critics warn they can be dangerous, even deadly.
00:21Saha Zand examines if these supposed miracle workers were offering hope or causing harm.
00:26And a warning, there are some scenes of ritualistic ceremonies you may find upsetting.
00:35In the Philippines, faith healing is in high demand.
00:40With healers promising miraculous cures to all sorts of health conditions
00:46through ancient animus rituals intertwined with Christianity.
00:51Also known as albolarios,
00:53Can these self-proclaimed saviors really heal the sick?
00:58How can you be sure that your diagnosis is correct?
01:02I can see it.
01:03You can see cancer?
01:04Yes, I can see it.
01:06Unfounded claims that can have deadly consequences.
01:09After everything that's happened, do you still believe in albolarios?
01:14I can't believe it.
01:16So why do so many Filipinos put their faith in the healers?
01:43This is the spiritual medical cavity,
01:46one of the busiest faith healing clinics in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
01:55Wally has travelled over two hours to be here.
01:59A construction worker, the pain in his leg has left him unable to work.
02:08Wally says he's already seen doctors, but nothing has helped.
02:13The healer he's come to see, Akamas, says his suffering is caused by a curse
02:18and wastes no time beginning treatment.
02:27They're trying to torture the spirit that he says is possessing this man causing the illnesses out of him.
02:33Here, physical illness is often blamed on spiritual attacks, demons, spirits, and even hexes.
02:43This is so dramatic.
02:53After a few minutes, Akamas declares the healing complete.
02:58You look like you were in a lot of pain.
03:00I could see you had tears in your eyes.
03:12The healers say they don't ask for payment, but a donation is customary.
03:17Wally leaves a hundred pesos, just over a pound.
03:21That's nearly a fifth of what he earns in a day.
03:26There are thought to be nearly a hundred thousand faith and alternative healers across the Philippines.
03:31Their popularity driven by long-held beliefs in natural remedies,
03:36supercharged by the import of Catholicism 500 years ago.
03:40And while the government is trying to regulate them,
03:43it relies on the healers to register themselves.
03:46But the vast majority haven't.
03:48People come here from far and wide with all sorts of problems,
03:52all in search of a miracle.
03:54For some of them, this is their first port of call.
03:57While for others, the hope is that spiritual intervention would help
04:01where modern medicine has failed.
04:04This clinic is run by three self-proclaimed healers.
04:09Nomar and Lani, a married couple who've been working together for over a decade.
04:14And Akamas, in his late 20s, who joined them last year to help manage the high demand.
04:22The healers say they get over a hundred patients per week.
04:47The trio are Christians and believe they've been divinely chosen to perform so-called miracles
04:54based on visions only they can't see.
04:58This family is here to seek healing for their son's painful back.
05:02But instead, Nomar spots something inside his mother, Cheryl.
05:07He has a hex inside his body.
05:10And immediately gets to work.
05:37Cheryl's son is a student nurse and is training in a local hospital.
05:41But today, he's turned to faith over science.
05:45I'm in the medical field, but I also have my faith.
05:48And it's part of our tradition that we also do faith healers in hopes that my pain will subside.
05:56They don't just do it for money.
05:58What makes you say that?
05:59Because they turned me away.
06:02They opted that I should go to a chiropractor.
06:05When these healers deem a condition physical, not spiritual, they sometimes advise their clients to see a doctor.
06:12But for some, faith healing is all they can afford.
06:20On the outskirts of Manila, Vivian lives here with her family.
06:25She's one of millions of Filipinos living in abject poverty.
06:29Her husband is the sore breadwinner, a labourer earning barely enough to get by.
06:41Vivian has been ill for a number of years, suffering from shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pains.
06:49Three years ago, doctors diagnosed her with a heart condition.
07:01How expensive is it for you to get these?
07:04Is this affordable for you?
07:18For Vivian, it's often a choice.
07:20Feeding her family or buying medication.
07:25Desperate for a miracle, she's decided to turn to spiritual intervention.
07:30I really don't know where I'm going.
07:34I feel like I'm going to find out.
07:37I'm going to find out where I'm going.
07:43And so today, she's heading to the faith healers.
07:49At the clinic, it's Akamas who decides to treat her.
07:54First, he checks her finger to find out what's wrong.
07:59Despite doctors having diagnosed a heart condition,
08:03Akamas says his third eye reveals something else,
08:06that Vivian has been cursed through black magic.
08:36How did you do that?
08:39Secret?
08:40Secret?
08:42No, there's no spiritual.
08:44How do you feel now?
08:46Okay, it's okay. It's comfortable.
08:47Because it's like it's like I'm feeling.
08:50I feel like I'm feeling.
08:53Vivian leaves believing she's been healed.
08:56But could that belief be masking a more serious condition?
09:00Aren't you worried that perhaps she needs a more serious medical intervention?
09:04If I'm going to go to the doctor, they've already decided that.
09:08We're going to tell you what we've been able to know.
09:14As the day draws to a close, the final patient comes in.
09:18Out! Out!
09:20There's no pain.
09:21She's here with a painful arm.
09:24Normar says her tendon has twisted.
09:28I'm going to fall.
09:30Why are you still there?
09:31I don't know.
09:35None of these healers have any formal medical training or qualification.
09:40And when they're giving medical advice and treatment to some very vulnerable people,
09:46claiming to be curing some serious illnesses, that's really concerning.
09:53To become a faith healer, do you even need to have any formal training?
09:58Is there a test?
09:59It's not actually formal training.
10:01It's just a natural gift from God.
10:06It's a natural gift?
10:07Yeah.
10:08How do you know you have this gift?
10:11He will teach you dreams.
10:12Only you can see.
10:14Do you ever worry that maybe a wrong diagnosis could lead to something dangerous to someone's health or death?
10:22Not worried at all because I know that I am guided by the Lord first.
10:30And then I trust my skills also.
10:34Do you ever make mistakes?
10:36Sometimes it's common for a human to make a mistake.
10:41Nobody's perfect.
10:47But mistakes are no laughing matter when it comes to treating vulnerable people with serious conditions.
10:54Because when things go wrong, the consequences can be devastating.
10:58Hi, hi, Jay.
11:00Jay?
11:00Hi, I'm Sahar.
11:02Nice to meet you.
11:02Five years ago, after a sudden and rapid weight loss, Jay became so frail he had to leave his job.
11:09He did seek medical care, but doctors couldn't find the cause.
11:15Noong nakakuha po ako ng pera sa trabaho ko noon, nung malaki pegatawan ko, na insurance po, is 100K.
11:24So, naubos din po ng pagpapadoktor po na.
11:28Tapos nagkabaon-baon pa nga po kami sa utang, ganun.
11:31Noong una po, parang maniwala ako kasi nga po, wala pong nakita ang lahat ng laboratory ko, is wala pong
11:37nakita talaga na sakit.
11:39Kaya nag, ano na rin po ako, nagbakasakali na rin po ako, at baka po, totoo, or...
11:46With no money left, and desperate for answers, Jay turned to faith-healers.
11:52Binigin na po sa amin, tapos may mga inipit sa akin, no, mga, krus, then, ayun po, tapos may mga
12:01binipinabili sa amin na, ano yung pinabili sa atin doon, kiki.
12:05Then what happened? Did you feel any changes in your body, in your symptoms at all?
12:11Noong una, parang siguro sa paniniwala ko rin na gagaling ako doon, parang may nararamdaman akong ganun, ganun, kakaiba.
12:20So, noong ba nang muli, hindi pa rin umiinam yung katawan ko. Ganun pa rin.
12:27He gave the healers money, even buying them groceries he couldn't afford.
12:31But his condition only worsened, until a friend persuaded him to see another doctor.
12:37Jay was eventually diagnosed with a thyroid condition, easily treated, but potentially fatal.
12:43After everything that's happened, do you still believe in albolorios?
12:54It's understandable why some Filipinos like Jay might choose to see a faith healer when they feel like they have
13:02no other option.
13:03But clearly when things go wrong, the consequences can be devastating.
13:08And in the absence of oversight and regulation, no one is held accountable.
13:16The Philippines' healthcare system is meant to provide free or subsidised care for some conditions.
13:22But in reality, access to proper medical treatment remains expensive and out of reach for many, especially in rural areas.
13:33Penicillin here is sold at 25 pesos per pill, that's around 30 pence.
13:38And for a course of five days' treatment, it would cost around £12.50.
13:44Now, in a country where the average monthly income is under £250, that can be a huge chunk out of
13:52their budget.
13:54By contrast, most faith healers ask only for voluntary donations and can be found in nearly every neighbourhood.
14:02But some of their beliefs are clearly dangerous.
14:10On the island of Sikihaw, lush forests are rich with medicinal plants.
14:17Commonly known as the island of witches, many Filipinos warn against visiting, fearing the black magic said to exist here.
14:26But increasingly, tourists are drawn to the island for its mysticism.
14:36Sikihaw is also synonymous for an elixir set to control the mind and will of others.
14:41It's called love potion. Can you make someone fall in love with you?
14:45Juanita and her husband Noel have been working as healers for decades.
14:49They have also sickness that they have many insects inside your body.
14:54When they do the fumigation, they come out.
14:58Insects in your body?
14:59This one is the ants in the body.
15:02So, in here, I'm looking at ants, cockroaches, flies, and they say that these are insects that came out of
15:10one of their patients.
15:11Patients.
15:18Patients.
15:19The first patients arrive. Brought by a tour guide.
15:24As Noel performs a ritual that's popular with tourists, Juanita explains that locals come to them for herbal remedies.
15:31What's this?
15:32This is the ginger for rubbing.
15:35Ginger?
15:36Yeah, for arthritis.
15:38Used for generations to heal. They're also a cheaper alternative to modern medicine.
15:43The one for anti-cancer, the ant house. If you have breast cancer, you can press one and you can
15:51put it on top.
15:52Okay, so you think this takes the cancer out?
15:55I'm no expert, but I think that cancer cannot be healed like this. You come to the healer, you must
16:03believe.
16:04But cancer specialists say there is no reliable scientific evidence that faith or herbal remedies can cure cancer.
16:13Inside the hut, Noel has just finished treating another tourist.
16:17He shows me some of the portions he prescribes for everything, from snake bites and rabies to diabetes.
16:24Yeah, this one is the coconut oil and poisonis. It's good for healing.
16:29Has anyone ever ended up harmed after receiving anything, or everyone's been fixed afterwards?
16:42Do you ever feel guilty? Do you ever feel a sense of responsibility?
16:58He could, of course, insist they go to a doctor, because when medical care is delayed, the consequences can be
17:06fatal.
17:09Josephine, a mother of two, was in her 50s when she suddenly fell ill.
17:14Sobrang lubana, noong ano niya, payat na-payat na siya. Tapos, ano, yung sobrang lubana.
17:22That's her?
17:23Yes.
17:23She looks so visibly thin.
17:26Yes. In just a few months.
17:28Silvino is her younger brother, here to visit her grave.
17:32Ito yung last time na luwa ba siya ng bahay ko na hindi na siya nakabalik. Sinakay siya sa ambulansya.
17:38Josephine passed away last year after three months in hospital.
17:42Namin magkakapatid na kung naagapan, mabubuhay po yung ati ko kasi...
17:47Doctors told her family she had a UTI infection, treatable with medication if caught early.
17:55But for months, Josephine had been going to faith healers instead.
17:59Marami pong faith healer na hindi totoo.
18:03Maaring yung mga na napunta niya dati, at hindi ko rin manakita, maaring hindi totoo yun.
18:09Kasi mayroon po talagang mga totoo dito sa lugar namin at totoo talagang nakakagamot.
18:17So you still believe in faith healing?
18:20Yes, paniniwala ko po kasi. Maraming bagi sa mundo na hindi natin mapapaliwanag.
18:29I'm shocked to discover that despite his sister's death, Silvino still turns to faith healers.
18:36And he's on his way to what he believes is the real deal.
18:54For years, Tito worked as an electrician in the Middle East, until his wife fell ill and passed away.
19:01Ten years on, he still blames doctors and the medication they gave her for her death.
19:09It's the poison.
19:10So you completely reject modern medicine, science, and you think faith is enough to heal?
19:16Yes, the solution is have faith in God. You don't need doctors.
19:20In the Bible, is there any doctors there? Is there any surgeons there? Nothing.
19:25In the Bible, there was no mention of electricity, but now you're using electricity by that logic.
19:32But Silvino seems satisfied by that logic and is here for a recurring stomachache.
19:38I'm not consulting a doctor.
19:40You haven't?
19:41Yes.
19:41Why not?
19:42Well, I'm afraid somehow. I have a strong belief in supernatural.
19:49Tito diagnoses patients by squeezing their toes.
19:53Ouch.
19:54Pain, he says, means a curse, which he believes can only be treated through prayer.
20:01How can you be sure that your diagnosis is correct, it's accurate, that it's not something more sinister, more serious?
20:09Because I can see it.
20:10But you've never had any formal medical training. You don't know. Sometimes some sicknesses, like cancer, you can't see them
20:17immediately. They're hidden.
20:19And it takes tests to do it.
20:21I can do it. I can see it.
20:22You can see cancer?
20:23Yes.
20:24But then you don't see everything?
20:26Oh, it's only for that. If I see everything, I will guess the lotto winning.
20:32Tito might be laughing, but health professionals warn that unscientific claims like his, with no evidence to back them up,
20:40can be extremely dangerous.
20:42And it's often the most vulnerable who end up paying the price.
20:48Dr. Dalitai is a family and occupational health physician.
20:52How dangerous can it be for people to see a faith healer?
20:57It can be fatal in some places as well. Patients come to us very late in their illness that we
21:02cannot save them anymore.
21:04But is there a world where faith healing can actually be beneficial?
21:09They do provide comfort and spiritual upliftment.
21:13There are respectful faith healers, and they know, and they have developed the skill that some doctors don't develop.
21:20But, of course, the others who are just, you know, scammers, you know.
21:29Back at the Manila Clinic, Akamas is treating a woman in Kuwait over a video call.
21:36While Nomar is busy blessing the protective amulets they sell.
21:40And Lonnie is uploading new videos of healing on Facebook and TikTok.
21:46So many videos.
21:4813 million views.
21:51With hundreds of thousands of followers, social media is their main method of promoting themselves.
21:57What made you want to upload videos of your healing of the services here on social media?
22:02For them to see that we are here to help.
22:10Some people might argue that you're doing this for money.
22:13We are not asking for anything or any money.
22:16Even you have no money, we will heal you.
22:21I will give you the gift of God according to his family.
22:25But they, of course, do seek donations.
22:32A week after Vivian's treatment, I go back to see her.
22:38How are you?
22:56Strip away their rituals and spectacle, and faith healing taps into something deeply human, hope.
23:03And in the darkest moments, that can be powerful, even healing.
23:08But when that hope replaces proper care, the consequences can be irreversible.
23:14And so, for the Filipinos putting all their faith in the healers,
23:18it's ultimately a gamble they're taking on their lives.
23:22And so, for the Filipinos, it's always a gamble they're taking on their lives.
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