Babaylan are the religious leaders of the old Filipinos. They can be male, female, or transvestites. However most often they are women.
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Babaylan are very important part of a community. They have this special powers of healing other people in terms of miracle, thru herbal medicines or by rituals. They can connect to the spiritual realm, talk to religious deities and fight bad spirits. Babaylan can also foretell future.
Here in the modern Philippines, there are still people who lives in the shadows of the babaylan. They are called albularyos who perform the same task most especially healing the sick, battling with evil spirits and performing rituals.
