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HEALTH 10
QUARTER 2 – MODULE 1

MELC: Discusses the existing health related laws.

PART I.

A. Introduction

It is important to have the skills and knowledge to choose products and services wisely. Consumers
need to be able to analyse advertising and understand the differences between legitimate products or services
and quackery.
Learning to evaluate sources of information, spend money wisely, report fraud, cooperates with
healthcare providers, and learning about health insurance are all ways to become better informed consumers.
Consumers who develop this knowledge and these skills can avoid being misled by inaccurate information;
they will protect their health and the health of others.
Although government and regulatory agencies attempt to stop misleading health promotions, being a
wise consumer is your very best protection in today's market
As an adolescent, you experience numerous health issues that pertain to your well-being. As you go
on to this unit you will encounter examples of these concerns.
This module will help you recognize and understand how the government works with various
institutions and sectors to address issues and concerns. It is important to know these policies because they
embody your rights as a citizen of the country. Be aware. Be knowledgeable. Practice your rights.

B. Discussion

The passage of the health laws addressing crucial health-related issues shows significant contributions
towards a healthier Filipino.
The Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines has three objectives (Galvez Tan,
et.al..,2009)
1. Protect the interest of the consumer.
2. Promote his/her general welfare.
3. Establish standards of conduct for business and industry.
To achieve the objectives, the Act aims to protect people against hazard to health safety, and deceptive
and unfair sales acts and practices. In this light, the policy mandates for information dissemination and
education to facilitate sound choice and proper exercise of rights by the consumer.
The Consumer Act also covers the quality and safety of different products like food, drugs, cosmetics
and devices. The policy also promotes the protection of citizens against hazardous substances that may be in
sale. Hence, proper labelling and fair packaging shall be required for all the products being sold.
Aside from health information and products, health services also play an important in appraising and
improving the well-being of a person. Health services, which are also covered under the Consumer Act, are
also availed by consumers. One form of health service is complementary and alternative medicine.

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 In connection with the Consumer Act, Republic 8423 or the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act
of 1997 (TAMA) provides for the improvement of quality and delivery of healthcare services in the country
through the development of traditional and alternative healthcare and its integration into the national
healthcare system.
The policy also identifies medicinal plant in the country which are readily available. These medicinal
plants shall be given care by different agencies. In order to coordinate various activities and programs in the
traditional and alternative healthcare delivery system, the Act provisions the establishment of the Philippine
Institute of Traditional and Alternative Healthcare (PITAHC) to accelerate the development of the said
healthcare in the country.

C. Readings

Asserting Consumers Right

Forty-five years ago, the last week of October was declared Consumer Protection Week, as a period for
planning and enforcement of government action toward controlling fraudulent trade practices and
unreasonable price increases. It has since been expanded to cover the whole month of October as Consumer
Welfare Month, and the focus broadened to include consumer education and awareness as well.
Consumer protection is a constitutional mandate. Article XVI, Section 9 declares: “The State shall
protect consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products.” It was in this light
that the Consumer Act of the Philippines (Republic Act. No. 7394) was passed in 1992.
Consumers have eight basic rights under the law, namely, the rights to: (1) basic needs, (2) safety, (3)
information, (4) choice, (5) representation, (6) redress, (7) consumer education, and (8) healthy environment.
From these have stemmed other laws and orders, such as the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act, Cheaper
Medicines Act, Air Passenger Bill of Rights, Anti-Lemon Law and Pre-need Code. While ample policies
appear to be in place to ensure our welfare as consumers, most of us feel that we remain at the mercy of
producers, service providers and sellers.
There are many reasons why consumers get poor treatment. Laws are often not faithfully enforced. All
too often, consumers simply don’t bother to assert their rights enough. The story of a young couple who bought
a home in Cavite from a real estate developer is illustrative. Their new house had defects, including ones that
would compromise their safety, so they refused to accept the house outright.
They conducted several inspections, each time incurring costs for travel and effort, until the defects were
fixed to their satisfaction. Even as friends recommended contractors to fix the house’s defects, they were
adamant that the developer should handle the problems. It would have been less costly to them, and they could
have moved in much sooner had they chosen to have the problems fixed themselves; but they stood their ground
as a matter of principle.

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 Like most laws, the consumer act and related laws aimed at consumer protection are inutile unless
consumers invoke them. While the DTI has filed some cases on its own, the authorities generally cannot do their
job unless consumers file a complaint and provide the facts of their case. I myself have spent countless hours
over the years writing letters of complaint to companies that I had received unfair treatment from, and had
obtained due action from them.
Is It Really Medicine? The Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act and Informal Health
Economy in the Philippines

This ancient art is considered a traditional and alternative medicine and is still mainly practiced in rural
Philippines. However, traditional and alternative medicine still struggles to be incorporated within the national
health care system due to competition with Western medicine, stigma of superstition, and lack of scholarly
evidence. There have been organizations advocating for the fusion of both Western and alternative medicine
through the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 or TAMA to make healthcare more accessible
in rural areas.

In the Philippines, the wide usage of herbal products was solidified in 1997 with the passing of The
Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (better known as TAMA). It allowed the recognition and promotion
of the usage of 10 herbs with non-toxic medicinal properties (Mendoza 2009). Among the 10 recognised
medicinal plants, Vitex negundo L. (lagundi; Lamiaceae) was the first to acquire therapeutic validation for its
effectiveness in treating cough, sore throat, asthma and fever.
However, traditional and alternative medicine still struggles to be incorporated within the national
health care system due to competition with Western medicine, stigma of superstition, and lack of scholarly
evidence. There have been organizations advocating for the fusion of both Western and alternative medicine
through the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 or TAMA to make healthcare more accessible
in rural areas. The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Limitations were also recognized for this pilot study
including a small sample size, time constraints in developing the curriculum, and potential stakeholder
selection bias.
D. Examples

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PART II. Activity Proper

Activity 1: Everybody’s Concern!

Directions: As an adolescent, you experience numerous health issues and concerns that pertain to your well-
being. List five (5) examples of these issues and concerns related to Consumer Act by writing your answer
in the box below.

Consumer
Act

Activity 2. Health Policies

Directions: Discuss the policies of existing health related laws in relation to the protection of consumers?
Health Related Laws Policies
1.

2.
A. Consumer Act

3.

1.
B. Traditional and Alternative
Medicine Act of 1997 (TAMA)
2.

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Activity 3: Alternative Cure!
Directions: Arrange the jumbled letters to form a word that correspond to the different forms of
complementary and alternative medicine approved by Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA)
relative to each descriptions.

Examples of Alternative Descriptions

Medicine
Thin needles are inserted to specific parts of the body and believed to treat
1. ACUUPUNCTRE
musculoskeletal dysfunction.
__________________

Placing inverted glasses that have flames from burning cotton on the
2. VNESOTA
specific parts of the body. It is believed to relieved muscles and joint
__________________ pains.
Treating specific disorders through massaging the soles of the feet.
3.XOLGYRELEFXO
___________________

Application of pressure on certain points of the body.

4. ACUSSPREURE
___________________

Approaches treatment of a medicinal condition by providing a tailored

5. NUITRIONT THEARPYH
diet for the patient.
_________________________

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KEY TO CORRECTIONS:
Activity 1: Everybody’s Concern
1. Food Safety
2. Proper Labelling
3. Health Services
4. Alternative Medicine
5. Fair Packing
(Note: Answers may vary depending on learner’s experiences on numerous health issues and concerns that
pertain to their well-being.)

Activity 2: Public Safety!

A. Consumer Act
1. Protect the interest of the consumer.
2. Promote his/her general welfare.
3. Establish standards of conduct for business and industry
B. Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA)
1. Identifies medicinal plant in the country which are readily available.
2. Coordinate various activities and programs in the traditional and alternative healthcare delivery system, the
Act provisions the establishment of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Healthcare
(PITAHC) to accelerate the development of the said healthcare in the country.

Activity 3: Alternative Cure

1. Acupuncture
2. Ventosa
3. Reflexology
4. Acupressure
5. Nutrition Therapy

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PART III. SUMMATIVE EVALUATION

A. Pak Ganern!

Directions: Write PAK if the statement is correctly discussing the health related policies and GANERN if it
is not. Write your answer in the space before the number.
_____ 1. The Consumer Act also covers the quality and safety of different products like food, drugs, cosmetics
and devices.
_____ 2. Proper labelling and fair packaging shall not be required for all the products being sold.
_____ 3. Aside from health information and products, health services also play an important in appraising and
improving the well-being of a person.
_____ 4. The Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA) provides for the improvement of quality and
delivery of healthcare services in the country.
_____ 5. The creation of Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Healthcare (PITAHC) is to
accelerate the development of traditional healthcare in the country.
_____ 6. Health services, which are also covered under the Consumer Act, are also availed by consumers
_____ 7. The policy also promotes the protection of citizens against hazardous substances that may be in sale.
_____ 8. One form of health service is complementary and alternative medicine.

_____ 9. Establish standards of conduct for business and industry is not the primary concerned of Consumer
Act.
_____10. Consumers have seven (7) basic rights under the law.

B. PM Is The Key!
Directions: Recently you received a message from your friend stating the text below. What specific provision
of the Consumer Act that violates the message? Rubric will be used to rate the activity.
I have been purchasing goods and items online for almost a year now. I noticed that many
online sellers do not post the prices of their products. If you ask the price in the comment section,
they will just respond “PM sent” instead of the price of the product. In the eyes of the law, is this
proper?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

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 Rubric
Point Criteria Score
5 The idea is highly explained and was able to answer the concept.
4 The idea is moderately explained and was able to answer the concept.
3 The idea is slightly explained and was able to answer the concept.
2 The idea is fairly explained and was able to answer the concept.
1 The idea is not explained but answer the concept.

C. Be Responsible!
Directions: Write a reflection on how you will help the government in the implementation of health related
laws in the country. Rubric will be used to rate the activity.

Rubric
Point Criteria Score
10 The idea is highly explained and was able to answer the concept.
8 The idea is moderately explained and was able to answer the concept.
6 The idea is slightly explained and was able to answer the concept.
4 The idea is fairly explained and was able to answer the concept.
2 The idea is not explained but answer the concept.

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Answer Key
A. Pak Ganern!
1. Pak
2. Ganern
3. Pak
4. Pak
5. Pak
6. Pak
7. Pak
8. Pak
9. Ganern
10. Ganern
Activity 2: PM is the Key
No, it violates the provision of Consumers Act such as:
1. Protect the interest of the consumer.
2. Promote his/her general welfare.
3. Establish standards of conduct for business and industry

Activity 3: Be Responsible
Answers may vary depending on the reflection of the learner regarding the ststement.

References:
A. Books
Callo, L.F.,et al. (2015). Physical Education and Health 10 Learner’s Material. 5th Floor Mabini
Building , DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City Philippines 1600. Department of Education
B. Online and Other Sources
https://opinion.inquirer.net/98600/asserting-consumer-rights
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26272266_Is_It_Really_Medicine_The_Traditional_and_A
lternative_Medicine_Act_and_Informal_Health_Economy_in_the_Philippines

https://www.coursehero.com/file/6461192/lesson-8-Consumer-Health/

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