Panghawan-Hawan is a ritual performed to honor and ask spirits to leave an area before building, cutting trees, or exploring new land. It involves burning blessed palm leaves and hardened sap in a clay pot while reciting prayers to respectfully request permission and clearance from the spirits. This practice is mainly performed by babaylans in San Joaquin, who pass the knowledge down through generations. The ritual is featured in local cultural events like the Bayluhay Festival and reenactments of the Purchase of Panay, reinforcing its social and spiritual importance. Although widely known, only those with hereditary babaylan roles seriously observe the ritual today. The local government helps sustain Panghawan-Hawan by including it in community celebrations, supporting its continued relevance through non-formal education.
Domain:
Location/s:
Photo Credit/s:
Stella M. Felicio, 2025
Mappers:
Stella M. Felicio, Jureca F. Nacional
Tags:
ancestral knowledge transmission, ancestral prayer, babaylan practice, Bayluhay Festival, burning palm leaves, clay pot ritual, community celebration, Cultural Preservation, Filipino intangible heritage, hereditary spiritual roles, indigenous ritual, land blessing, non-formal education, Panghawan-Hawan, Purchase of Panay reenactment, San Joaquin Iloilo, spirit-clearing ritual, spiritual clearance ritual, traditional spiritual practice
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