B'LAAN RITUAL FOR THE SICK.......DAMSO DI DAD SUNAWA IN B'LAAN LANGUAGE

The Highland B'laan are indigenous people groups of Pula Bato, Tampakan, South, Cotabato. DEWATA for Highland B'laan was the traditional ritual healing for the sick. Dancing barefoot over the wood burning fire or on hot coal. The indigenous people, believe in DEWATA as a creator, a friend, and healer to protect them from evil spirit. Ritual were often performed by the healer with the people of the community. The B'laan healer communicate the spirit to lift the illness from the patient, through dancing on the fire. They believe in supernatural being, the spirit.........The two days ritual healing consist of food offerings, which is prepared prior to the sick man. A small hut in order to house the sick man and food offering consists of grilled chicken, rice cake wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in coconut milk or suman and cooked kagang or crabs taken from the creek or river. Food offerings are placed in nego or shifter, followed by the blessing of the healer, sick man was the first to eat the blessed food. And invited everyone to eat the food offering prepared. Outside door of the small hut, B'laan people was dancing with barefoot over wood burning fire or hot coal. It has been practiced by the Highland B'laan culture and tradition.They called DEWATA as a ritual healing for the sick and the belief of a healer was ability to focus on mind over matter and supernatural force with strong faith. DEWATA was a traditional ritual healing among B'laan people for the sick, they are dancing until the fire was gone

.....In performing the ritual by the healer, the B'laan people was setting around the wood burning fire watching and eating food they prepared. After the ritual by the healer, plenty of clothes and habol or malong was given to the healer as payment. For the B'laan people, they believed that the healer communicate the spirit to lift the illness from the patient...........