ASEAN Community
Babaylan, PhilippinesBabaylan was a prominent figure in pre-colonial Philippine society, sometimes described as a priestess or shaman. Babaylans acted as healers, prophets and mediums, curing illnesses and exorcising evil spirits from objects or people. The babaylan would often be called when the community was experiencing difficulties that could not be resolved by physical means. They would perform a ritual through chants or prayers to pacify the spirits that caused chaos in the community. The position of babaylan is usually associated with women. Men who were babaylans were usually considered to have feminine traits.
