Vibal Foundation to Launch Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines

Vibal Foundation, Inc. (VFI) will be launching Narciso C. Tan's Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines at VFI’s monthly virtual tertulia this October. Encyclopedic and analytical in its approach, this scholarly book dissects the ritualized forms of violence such as human sacrifice, ritual cannibalism, and head taking in the prehistoric Philippines.

Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines
Púgot weaves together historical data and archaeological studies with traditional myths, legends, and songs to create a seamless narrative of some of the most misunderstood aspects of Philippine culture and to shed light on deeply rooted cultures of violence.

Preceding the emergence of Islam and Christianity, deeply held religious beliefs led various Philippine communities to sanction ritualized forms of violence: human sacrifice, cannibalism, and head taking. Today, many Filipinos see these practices as “primitive,” “barbaric,” or pertaining only to so-called “tribes” and therefore not related to the national dynamic. Púgot forces Filipino readers to contemplate and confront the not-so-ancient past, when their ancestors sported loincloths, battle gear, and talismans, and participated in violent community-wide celebrations and rituals.

The book also reveals these practices not in isolation, but as part of the wider Southeast Asian and Austronesian milieu. The multilingual primary and secondary texts used for this work are sourced from across centuries and disciplines, including thirteenth to eighteenth-century Chinese records, Spanish-period missionary chronicles, and European and American ethnographies from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, as well as folkloric accounts and epics.

This book is the latest addition to VFI’s Academica Filipina+, which is an interdisciplinary series that pushes the boundaries of scholarly publishing with smart, literate, and thought-provoking works exploring the Philippine past, present, and future.

For interested readers, copies of Púgot: Head Taking, Ritual Cannibalism, and Human Sacrifice in the Philippines will be available for online purchase at the Vibal Online Shop at https://shop.vibalgroup.com/, Lazada https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/vibal-books/, and Shopee https://shopee.ph/vibalgroup. For bulk orders or if you have queries, you may reach us through customercare@vibalgroup.com and marketing@vibalgroup.com or call us at +63 (2) 8580.7400 or 1-800-1000-VIBAL (84225).

Maxicare Helps Members Reignite their Businesses Amidst COVID-19

Manila, Philippines — Under the “new normal,” business and healthcare go hand-in-hand as industries recover and adapt to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To signify its support to the country’s outsourcing sector, Maxicare Healthcare Corporation, the country’s premier healthcare provider, joined the Call Center Association of the Philippines’ (CCAP) Serving the World: Contact Islands ‘21 Virtual Conference on Re-Igniting Growth in the New Business Environment.

During the virtual conference, Maxicare hosted a discussion on how COVID-19 will continue to impact the way businesses operate and how the company has been helping ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees.

Living with the impact of COVID-19

Maxicare invited Dr. Edsel Salvana, Director of Institute of Biology and Biotechnology and member of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Diseases, to provide an overview on the COVID-19 situation in the country. During his talk, Dr. Salvana emphasized the need for innovation in ensuring that workplaces are pandemic-resilient and less likely to spread diseases. “There are a lot of innovations that will outlive the pandemic, including working from home. If you don’t need your entire workforce to be in the office, then taking out half of them and allowing them to work from home will be the most effective.” 

Dr. Salvana also expressed his optimism that businesses will flourish better towards the end of the year as we learn to better cope with the pandemic. “If we stick to public health standards and increase vaccination while reinforcing the healthcare system, we will be able to manage our severe cases and the economy can remain open as we continue to roll out our vaccines. We are already seeing the numbers go down, we ask that everyone cooperates. Make sure that aside from getting vaccinated, wear your masks and face shields especially indoors and stick to what you have been doing in terms of protecting each other.”

Re-igniting businesses through innovative and responsive healthcare services

Maxicare’s Assistant Vice-President for Wellness and Medical Resource and Research Dr. JC Sevilla also shared how they are helping partner companies reignite growth through the Maxicare HomeCare COVID-19 Management Program. 

“We know that early detection is the priority when it comes to COVID-19. Our program, which simulates a hospital admission, provides continuity of care from consultation to treatment with 24/7 telemedicine and telemonitoring. Telemedicine includes consultations with in-house physicians where we also provide electronic prescriptions and lab requests. With telemonitoring, we are able to monitor disease progression. The Maxicare HomeCare program also offers medication including Remdisivir and steroids, as well as ambulance conduction if needed. The program is open for all COVID-19 cases and those qualified cases needing confinement.”

Sylvia Stolk, Chief Digital and Transformation Officer also shared how Maxicare is investing in technology to transform healthcare. “Access to basic health services is very important. We are helping businesses by making sure our members are healthy through protection, care continuity and easy access to healthcare, and understanding our members’ state of health through proactive, preventive, and predictive care.” 

“Even before the pandemic, Maxicare already began to strengthen its customer experience vision and principles, where most of the member journey and digital transformation projects are anchored,” said Fiona Victoria SAVP/Group Head of Corporate Sales. 

Some of these digital initiatives include the Maxicare Member Gateway platform for applying for Letter of Authorization (LOA) online, Maxicare Videoconsult for 24/7 video consultations with doctors, and the HR Viewpoint and Enroll Me platforms for human resource personnel. During the first months of the pandemic, Maxicare was also at the forefront of ensuring a manageable return to work process with the Re-Entry Assessment and Management Program. They were also one of the first companies to invest in COVID-19 vaccines, making it available to their corporate partners and their members, including dependents.

“Reigniting the growth of our company, Maxicare, means we are prepared to extend excellent patient service on top of medical care. Re-igniting our progress means being able to map our customer’s journey from their onboarding to their post-medical needs,” added Victoria. 

To know more about Maxicare and its products and services, call their 24/7 hotline 8582-1900.

ABOUT MAXICARE

Maxicare is a part of the Equicom Group, a strong and healthy ecosystem of companies engaged in information technology, computer services, banking and finance, and leasing. We constantly innovate and upgrade our services to meet the ever-growing demands of our clients for convenient, reliable, and delightful experiences. Being the HMO with the largest number of members, we ensure the safety and good health of our 1.6 million members across the country - servicing a wide range of customers from corporations to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, families, and individuals.

As the country’s leading HMO, Maxicare is ISO Certified and continuously provides high quality, comprehensive healthcare programs through our wide network of medical providers and strong customer support. Maxicare has more than 24,000 affiliated doctors and specialists, 1,400 hospitals and clinics, 1,000 dental clinics, 180 rehabilitation, dialysis, and eye centers.