TAKE NOTE: This is not anymore practiced because this is against the teachings of Islam.
Caring for the pregnant woman is a very important and special task for the husband and the parents of couple. With the upper class, the parents hire a personal walian that will stay in the house of the couple just to take care the pregnant woman.
The walian will check the right hand of the woman every now and then and interpret the pulse beat of the palm. The walian will also give aromatic oils and other massage potions.
If the woman’s belly aches, the walian will recite an incantation and will rub leaves and seeds like “leti (dried tip of nipa), kadingag (______), luya (ginger), kalawag (yellow ginger), lansona na lanang (garlic), lown na umbos na ubi mampay (__________), bayabas (guava), kapok (leaf of a cotton tree),” and many others (This set is called TUBPA).
After rubbing those leaves and seeds, a chicken egg will be glided all over the belly. The egg must be freshly picked from the hen’s nest. The tubpa is placed in the aching area. Then, after that, the egg is rubbed to the belly.
After that, the egg is cracked, separating the egg yolk and the egg white, and will interpret the formation on her palm. From there, the walian will determine the reason why the pregnant woman is aching.
The usual interpretation is that the aches are caused by bad spirits or the pregnant woman might have done something to the unseen. This is determined from the cracks of the egg or sometimes if there is a white formation or circles in the egg.
If that happens, the couple will have to make an offering to the unseen. They will do the KABPAGAPAL (offering) or giving BALENGAT/BENGAT or weaved bamboo filled with food.
There are three types of BALENGAT/BENGAT:
1. Binudtod – hill-like, or round shape, from the word budtud or ant hill
2. Binulodto – rainbow like, from the word buludto or rainbow
3. Binuwaya – shaped like an alligator
If the unseen lives in a hill (ant hill), the APAL (offer) used is the BINUDTOD. If the unseen lives in a tree, the APAL is BINULUDTO. And if the unseen lives in water, the APAL used is alligator-shaped.
Therefore to avoid hurting the unseen, the pregnant woman is prohibited from going under the shade of big trees or pass by a river if the couple has not done the KAPENGGELED (see article on KALILANG).
According to the folk belief, if the couple haven’t done this, “Apo Buaya” (King Alligator) will cause them harm (drowning, capsizing and other mishaps in the water)
DETERMINING THE DUE DATE
The walian will know if the woman’s due is near from the pulse in her thumb. If the pulse is felt almost near the tip of the thumb, the pregnant woman’s due is near or she will give birth anytime soon. And if the pulse is felt at the middle of the thumb, her due will not yet come.
MAGUINDANAO PRIDE 