There’s something deeply Filipino about hilot — that traditional massage passed down through generations, rooted in touch, care, and intuition. For Vernie Hilaro, it’s not just a skill. It’s her calling, her survival, and her success story in Canada.
At first glance, Vernie’s life might look like any immigrant’s grind. She cleaned buildings, worked full-time at McDonald’s and 7-Eleven, and barely slept between shifts. But after her long workdays, she returned to what she knew best — hilot. A healing art she learned from her grandmother back in the Philippines, when she was only seven.
“Dito sa Canada, nakakalimutan mo minsan yung profession mo,” she said. “Pero hangga’t kaya kong maghilot, gagawin ko. Kasi ito yung bread and butter ko.”
Her clients — many of them PSWs and caregivers — come to her with frozen shoulders, headaches, and exhaustion. For them, hilot isn’t a luxury. It’s relief. Vernie explains every stroke with precision: the pressure points, the flow of blood, the balance of hot and cold therapy. By the end of each session, her clients often say the same thing — “Parang nabawasan ako ng 50 kilos.”
Through hilot, Vernie built more than just a loyal following. She built a life. From her earnings, she managed to buy land in Indang, Cavite, and open a small resort — a far cry from her childhood when her family could barely afford rice.
Now licensed under holistic wellness, Vernie offers her services at prices far lower than most clinics, believing healing should be accessible to everyone. “Mawawala na yung essence ng pagtulong ko pag tumaas pa ako ng presyo,” she said.
Despite her success, she stays grounded. “Dito ako umasenso, kaya dito ko rin ipagpapatuloy. Pero hindi ko nakakalimutan kung saan ako nanggaling. Lahat ng ito — dahil sa Panginoon.”
For Vernie, hilot is more than a massage. It’s faith in motion — a way to ease pain, restore balance, and remember that healing, like gratitude, starts from the heart.
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