Ka Berting: The Healer from Cardona, Rizal

He looks like any ordinary middle-aged man one sees while passing a
provincial road, perhaps cradling a cock, sitting in front of a variety store or
waiting for a ride. He is dark, his face’s character accentuated by lines
wrought by time and experience. His hair, though close-cropped, give a
hint that it is wavy. On his neck hangs several pendants, some made of
wood, some metal.
As he warms up to the interview, the storyteller emerges and casts
a spell on his listeners. His rich voice reminds one of the days when
serenading a woman with kundiman was still practiced. His Cardona
accent adds to the flavor of his exposition. He needs very little prodding.
Then he opens the doors to another kind of understanding and
perspective. And on top of that, he has a good sense of humor.
Born in 1939 in Barrio Malabon, Biñan, Laguna, Ka Berting claims
to come from a family who believes in and is known for anting-anting; in his
words, mahilig. He reached grade 3, married at 17 and started learning
how to heal at 18. He and his wife settled in Kuhala, Caronda, Rizal, where
they raised a large family. “Ang buhay, wawalo, pero sila sa tao, 14 yata,”
was his way of saying they had 14 children but only eight are living.
The family’s concrete bungalow sits on a spacious lot on the shares
of Laguna Bay. The house, the says proudly, was built through the help of
his daughter who now resides in Japan with her Japanese husband. In the
yard are cocks which he breeds for sale and for occasional cockfight
matches. A newly made small fishing boat is dry-docked at the back of the
house which faces the bay.
Ka Berting recounts that he learned to heal not so much because of
family tradition or inclination, but because of necessity. When the children
were small and sick, he could not bring them to the health center or doctor
because the nearest ride was two kilometers away. Then, too, they were
poor and could not afford medical care and had to depend on the
neighborhood albularyo (folk healer). He thought: why not learn how to
heal?
He started with learning how to perform tawas. From a book libro
ng kasikretuhan, given to him by his grandfather, he discovered other
techniques. There were also other mystical books which he acquired and
studied. Like relatives before him, he was attracted to finding and
collecting anting-anting and the oracion that went with these. Eventually he
took to inviting people who share his interest and they held tupadas at his
place during good Fridays. Tupada means cockfight, but the tupadas ka
Berting and others held were a demonstration (payabangan) of what they
knew and the “power” of the objects. The events also became venues for
exchange of knowledge and techniques.
Ka Berting considers himself an all-around specialist (espesyalista
sa lahat ng bagay). Explaining the contradiction, he said that the mystical
meaning (kahulugan sa lihim) of arbularyo is intermediary (tagapamagitan)
between God and man.
Belief, faith, is necessary for healing. All religious teach the same
thing. A baptized Roman Catholic, Ka Berting believes that religious are
but different paths; in his own words, “kanya-kanyang daan, iisa ang
tinatarget.” Petitions or requests for healing should be preceded by prayer
to Jesus Christ and the admission of sins. He likens it to washing up
before sitting down to eat a meal.
A person also has the ability to facilitate his/her recovery from
illness. Ka Berting admits that he heard this from Johnny Midnight in the
latter’s programs over DWOO. If the person believes s/he will not be
healed, there will be no relief. He respects the old adage “help yourself
and the One above will help you.”
Ka Berting thinks that 75% of diseases today are due to the
chemicals in foods such as preservatives which weaken the digestive
system. The “garbage” circulates in the blood as poison and any weak part
of the body is affected. Anything in excess is bad. Though he believes in
and has encountered cases of kulam he says it is ineffective (hindi
kumakapit) if the person has healthy mind and body.
Using a pendulum, taking pulses and reading impressions on paper
like x-ray are Ka Berting’s methods of diagnosis. His pendant serves as a
pendulum. He cites an example. If a person comes to him, he consults the
spirits by using the pendulum. He recites an appropriate oracion and asks:
“Santa Misericordia, Inang Mater, ako po’y magtatanong sa inyo. Ire po ba
sa inyong kapangyarihan e puede pang bigyan ng lunas ang
karamdaman?” The direction in which the pendulum moves gives an
answer to the question of whether the illness of the person can still be
cured: clockwise means “yes” and counter-clockwise means “no”.
Like his friend, Boy Fajardo, Ka Berting determine the organ of
origin of the illness through pulsebeats. He employs the same method:
three fingers of one hand on the patient’s wrist and two fingers of another
between the patient’s pointer and thumb.
Another diagnostic procedure is placing a piece of white bond
paper, about two inches by three inches, on the person’s forehead. He
says a specific oracion and after about two to three minutes, reads the
“impressions” against the light, like one does to an x-ray film.
Treatment depends on the diagnosis. These range from herbs to
drink or apply to hilot and exorcism (tigalpo).
Ka Berting does not believe that the ability to heal is bestowed on a
few or is it an innate talent (likas). Everyone has the capacity to heal, but
the most important thing is the purpose in learning to heal. It can be used
for the good of others or for selfish motives. This is the reason why, he
says, he does not charge for his services. Sometimes, especially during
mealtimes, he serves patients food and drinks even if some come to him
with a jeepney-load of companions. For this, his friends criticize him, but
he reasons that he is compensated in some other ways.
Ka Berting thinks that doctors and healers should not criticize each
other (sana, walang siraan). He has had the occasion of advising patients
to go to a doctor for treatment especially those which he thinks are
psychiatric cases, and those who need prescribed medicines. However,
there were times when a town physician referred patients to him, cases
which the doctor thinks have non-physical causes
like kulam and napaglaruan ng engkanto o duwende, o nasapian ng
masamang espirito. Then he performs tigalpo.
An almost equal number of men and women come to him for
treatment (kunsulta), but among women, the most common ailments have
something to do with pasma or nalamigan brought about the practice of
taking a bath even when menstruating. It is easy to find out, he explained.
The woman’s hands and feet are cold. He repeats the counsel of old folks
not to bathe or wash the feet when menstruating. The reason is that if at
that time a woman’s resistance is weak, she is prone to illness.
A woman who have just given birth and has pasma is treated
with saklob. She is massaged on the lumbar area and then made to sit on
a chair with a big hole on the seat while hot water is placed below, the
steam directed by a mat or any material. A cloth soaked in cold water is
tied around her forehead to prevent the heat from going to the head. It is a
form of steam bath to make the woman perspire and in the process
eliminate “pasma”.
Ka Berting is not a full-time healer (kung may dumating lang) and
laughing, adds that he is fond of going out (malayas). He also goes to the
Union Adoradores Christianos al Espiritu de Vino (UNACAED) center, also
in Cardona. Like other members, he makes it a point to make pilgrimages
to Mt. Banahaw.