Cover In Hilot, the traditional Filipino healing art, balance is restored not through force but through intuition. (Shot at The Farm at San Benito)
In Hilot, the traditional Filipino healing art, balance is restored not through force but through intuition. (Shot at The Farm at San Benito)
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‘Rich Rarities: Hilot’ by Tatler and HSBC explores the Filipino healing art and how mindfulness, balance, and care define HSBC’s 150-year legacy in the Philippines
To touch is to understand. In Hilot, the traditional Filipino healing art, balance is restored not through force but through intuition. Every motion reflects harmony between body, spirit and the elements.
When Tatler, together with HSBC, visited The Farm at San Benito, we witnessed how care transcends ritual. Here, nature frames wellness: air perfumed with lemongrass, pools reflecting sky and healers who read tension like text. According to Dr Bibiano Fajardo, author of The Science of Ancient Filipino Healing Art, illness arises when elements lose equilibrium. The manghihilot restores it through touch, medicinal plants and bulong—prayers that channel energy into calm.
This philosophy of balance runs parallel to HSBC’s culture of care. Since opening its first branch in Binondo in 1875, HSBC has built its 150-year legacy on the same principles—attention, compassion and renewal. From post-war reconstruction to the digital era, its mission has been to empower progress without losing humanity.
Above A traditional Hilot massage at The Farm at San Benito, an ancient Filipino healing practice rooted in touch, intuition, and balance.
A traditional Hilot massage at The Farm at San Benito, an ancient Filipino healing practice rooted in touch, intuition, and balance.
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Today, HSBC Philippines extends that ethos. Programmes on mental health, inclusion and sustainable leadership reflect a belief that care sustains innovation. Just as Hilot harmonises pressure and release, HSBC Philippines balances ambition with empathy, innovation with heritage.
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The Bank’s commitment to the care and consideration of its staff, ensuring that their work with the bank remains balanced and encourages productive lives. It consistently promotes its employees’ health and wellness, including facilitating career advancement and cultural upliftment. HSBC Philippines has nurtured its employees through promoting a dynamic, inclusive and flexible work culture, allowing them to develop resilience and be at their best. Hence, this has moulded leaders who successfully shaped the Bank over 150 years. It’s four pillars – heritage, integrity, connection and care – act as the healer’s hands, ensuring that every transformation restores balance rather than disrupts it.
Above The Farm at San Benito
The Farm at San Benito
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Above Hands that heal, movements that restore—the timeless art of Hilot reflects the same balance and empathy that define HSBC’s 150-year legacy of care.
Above Just as HSBC nurtures balance through care and connection, Hilot reflects the Filipino philosophy of healing through harmony and mindfulness.
Hands that heal, movements that restore—the timeless art of Hilot reflects the same balance and empathy that define HSBC’s 150-year legacy of care.
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At The Farm, the stillness of nature revealed a truth mirrored in HSBC’s philosophy: true wellbeing, personal or institutional, requires alignment, not acceleration. Legacy, like healing, is not preserved by holding still, but by moving mindfully forward.
Watch Rich Rarities: The Power of Hilot by Tatler and HSBC—a journey exploring the techniques and healing philosophy of Hilot. See the full video below:
Above “Rich Rarities: The Power of Hilot”
a Tatler Philippines production, in partnership with HSBC
Location: The Farm at San Benito, Batangas
Director: Adi Bontuyan
Assistant Director: Mikki Soriano
Edited by: Dan Pablo
Lead Producer: James Mayo
Production Manager: Jo Reglos
Words: Dowee Untivero
Camera Operators: Kevin Gorospe, Lord Gerald Bala and Dan Pablo
Production Assistant/Gaffer: Ian Agapay, Jonnel Taro
Model: Idelweiss Omelig
Makeup: Johnson Estrella
Hairstyling: Moriel Flores
Deputy Editorial Director: Isabel Martel Francisco
Commercial Initiatives Manager: Bianca Simeon
This video is part of a four-part feature series entitled “Rich Rarities”. Visit our channel to watch more.
A creative storyteller with a background in literature and culture, Dowee has been with Tatler since 2016 and now leads the brand’s digital voice—pursuing stories that highlight inspiring people, moments, and experiences. She holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from De La Salle University and is pursuing her PhD in Philippine Literature and Society at the University of the Philippines. She is also a member of the writers group, Taftique, which hones young writers in the field of creative literature.
For story leads, collaborations, or inquiries, reach out via dowee@tatlerphilippines.com or info@tatlerphilippines.com.
