When is your birthday? Have you been extracted through Cesarean Section or Normal delivery? In our country we have a native maternity custom called "hilot" or massage. Basically the practitioner of hilot, probably an old woman, is massaging the mother's belly and must be synchronized to its contraction to extract the baby. Hilot practitioners are not

licensed professionals and have only gained the skill through native experiences. That's why it is not recommended to go Hilot because of poor sanitation, creating high risk dangers for the infant. Either hilot, cesarean, or normal, the most important thing is a new life entrusted to the mother.

So let's learn how to say Happy Birthday.

     Happy           Birthday

(Maligayang) + (Kaarawan)

Maligayang comes from the root word "ligaya" or joy, while kaarawan comes from "araw" or days.

So when is your birthday? Well, mine is on ika labing pito ng Nobyembre. To find out the translation of my birthday go to Lesson 14  for months, and Lesson 15 on numbers.