The Philippines | Inside Filipino faith healing clinics

Unreported World is from the Philippines investigating the controversial world of spiritual healers. Sahar Zand examines whether the popular practice is a blessing or a curse.

Across the country, with high medical costs and difficulties accessing healthcare, patients put their trust in alternative treatments to cure anything from chronic pain to cancer. Faith healers, blending Catholic rituals with centuries-old traditions, promise miraculous recoveries through prayer and herbal remedies.

On the outskirts of Manilla, we meet three faith healers claiming to treat over one hundred people per week. They believe they are divinely chosen to cure conditions modern medicine can’t detect. Their ritualistic, sometimes disturbing rituals, have earned them a loyal following, and an income derived from donations, socials media followers and faith healing accessories.

But critics warn the industry is dangerously unregulated. Medical professionals fear patients are being misled, delaying vital treatment with often fatal consequences. Zand hears from those who believe their loved ones paid the ultimate price, after putting their trust in miracle cures that they now believe were a scam.

And a warning, there are some scenes of ritualistic ceremonies, some viewers may find upsetting.

May 2026

Channel 4 | Unreported World