Healing rituals and bad spirits on a Philippine island

SIQUIJOR is one of more than 7,000 islands in the Philippines – it has tropical sun, white sand and an azure sea, but it is also famous for witchcraft.

How do you go about looking for a witch?

It is not a question I had ever thought to ask before, so I rang the Siquijor tourism department to see if they were able to help.

“We don’t have any witches,” was the first reply, which did not seem all that promising.

But after a bit more discussion, it seems that Siquijor’s witches – well, the good ones anyway – have recently undergone a re-branding exercise. They are now called traditional healers.

But what about the bad witches, I asked? “Oh we don’t promote them,” came the rather sensible answer.

So, armed with a list of approved witches, I set off. My first call was to a woman who is by far the most famous healer on the island.

At 86 years old, Consing Achay is the only person still practicing bulo-bulo – a technique to remove evil spirits.

Her heavily-lined face reflects the ancient history of her art.

Read full article on BBC News Magazine