Philippine E-Journals

THE ORALITY AND ORTHOPRAXY OF THE ADHERENTS OF PRIMAL RELIGION

Bernaldo P Eres

 

Abstract:

This study examines the Orality and Orthopraxy of the adherents of Primal Religion (PR) in Negros Occidental. There are two (2) groups and sub-groups of medicine people of indigenous in character being studied/investigated for the Negrosbased believers of PR. The Non-structured (NSPs) and Structured participants (SPs) are working for spiritual healing in two separate worldviews. The former are the spiritual leaders and fraternity who are working closely with the Church’s sponsored health programs. The latter are the group of faith healers who are conducting the traditional spiritual healing without the influence of the official religion. They are composed of the local shaman manughilot/manugluy-a with single and multi-function activities in conducting the spiritual healing. Furthermore, this study brings nuances to the worldview found among the cultural carrier of PR in Negros Occidental long before the western missionaries came into the Negros Island. Moreover, the comparative analysis which is the inter-play between the NSPs and SPs, gives a new breathe of religious ideas drawn out of reflection in an emerging and unique culture of shamanism in Negros Occidental.