Hilot masseur Gilian Gallo’s journey from the Philippines to Elamus SPA

Under the hands of Filipina Gilian Gallo it is possible to experience the “Hilot” massage at Elamus SPA, an authentic Filipino therapy method. The “Hilot” massage follows natural principles, and during it the treatment techniques are adapted uniquely for each person. With her hands the masseur releases blocked energy channels, balances the body’s energetic balance and improves general wellbeing. Gilian talks about how she has worked as a masseur in several countries and how she ended up in Estonia.

The “Hilot” massage follows natural principles, during which the treatment techniques are adapted uniquely for each person.

From a small island village in the Philippines

Gilian comes from a small island village in the Philippines, where she grew up with her father and sister. Her childhood was happy – she especially remembers how once a year everyone got together and food was prepared for the neighbours and for everyone’s families.

On the island the main income came from fishing, but Gilian dreamed of being a doctor or a nurse, to provide medical care to the poor village.

When she finished secondary school there was not enough money for college and the young woman had to start work right away. In 2014 she attended a massage school and moved to a tourist region, where the profession of masseur is highly valued.

She draws something of a parallel with the profession of a doctor, because as a masseur too she takes great joy in relieving people’s pain and healing them in her own way.

Experience from the United Arab Emirates and Romania

In 2016 Gilian travelled to work in Dubai, which was also her first trip abroad. She worked in Dubai for 4 years in a luxury spa where massage services were provided to women. She says Dubai differed greatly from Asia in general. Still, as an employee she experienced that the locals are very demanding and that service staff, especially Asians, are not treated in the best way. The cost of living was also very high and the bustle of the city stressful.

It was, however, an invaluable experience.

After Dubai, Gilian went back to the Philippines and never returned to the big city. She enjoyed the calmer Philippine life, and in 2020 decided to travel to work in Romania of all places, where she worked for two years. There her work as a masseur was of a more medical nature and she helped people who had problems with their back, for example.

The Romanian experience differed completely from the United Arab Emirates – the people there were lovely and she made many friends. Still, for a girl from an island it was difficult to adapt to city life again, which felt tiring. It was also hard to get used to the local food, and of course there was longing for family.

Gilian was brought to Estonia by her Estonian partner, whom she met in 2019 in the Philippines. The couple have now been together for almost five years; at first they were in a long-distance relationship, with him visiting her in the Philippines and in Romania.

“A long-distance relationship was very difficult, because you don’t see each other often. We talked on the phone and exchanged messages, but that is not enough,” she admits, adding that the couple were nevertheless united by shared plans for the future.

A close relationship also formed with her partner’s family – his sister and his mother. “They are very lovely people and take me in like their own family. It has been easy for me to adapt in Estonia, because they ease my longing for my own real family,” Gilian says now that she lives in Estonia.

During the pandemic, when the spa was closed, the Thai masseurs left Elamus SPA and travelled back to their home country. But since exotic treatments – including procedures authentic to the “Hilot” massage – hold an important place at the spa, the spa was looking for a new masseur. Thanks to several things coinciding, information about Gilian reached the spa’s head of experiences Margit Kurn, and so the spa helped arrange Gilian’s arrival in Estonia. “I felt as if I had won the lottery!” Gilian says, her eyes shining.

I felt as if I had won the lottery!

Elamus SPA service manager Maris Villo has high praise for Gilian: “With her warm hospitality and skilful techniques Gilian creates a wonderful massage experience. She has thought through the whole treatment very thoroughly from start to finish, and after the massage an incomparably soft and pleasant feeling is guaranteed.”

Estonia is a good place to live

When she arrived in Estonia for the first time on a June afternoon, she was surprised by the quiet and calm. In Romania there was bustle, traffic and lots of people all the time, but in Estonia a serene calm prevailed. Gilian especially highlights Midsummer’s Day, a celebration the like of which she had never seen before. “The white night was astonishing. In the Philippines it gets dark already at six,” she marvels.

She also likes that Estonians value the balance between private and working life and do not work all the time. She explains that in the Philippines people work most of the day and there is not much time to spend with family, whereas in Estonia time for yourself and your family is important.

Still, like probably many foreigners, she points out that Estonians are quite reserved and do not smile much. “I’m Asian – when I’m cheerful and happy, I smile! So I want to smile at people coming towards me too, but I’m afraid they might find me odd,” she smiles.

Potatoes, so characteristic of Estonians, are also not much to Gilian’s taste. At home she cooks Filipino food instead, and according to her it is easy to do in Estonia – the quality of food is said to be good here. At first it was of course hard to find the spices needed for Filipino food, because there are Asian shops, but they mainly stock supplies for Japanese, Indian and Korean dishes. She soon found the right shop, however, and got to know local Filipinos, of whom there are nevertheless not very many.

Still, Gilian tries other foods too – for example she praises the pork shashlik she tasted at Midsummer.

Gilian sees her future in our beautiful Estonia for a very long time to come.

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