 Cross-dressing or transvestite males sometimes took on the role of the female "babaylan".The "babaylan", also called "katalonan", "bayoguin", "bayok", "agi-ngin", "asog", "bido" and "binabae" depending on the ethnic group of the region, held important positions in the community.They were the spiritual leaders of the Filipino communities, tasked with responsibilities pertaining to rituals, agriculture, science, medicine, literature and other forms of knowledge that the community needed.