1. What is Republic Act 8423?

- Republic Act No. 8423 December 9, 1997

AN ACT CREATING THE PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE
HEALTH CARE (PITAHC) TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITIONAL AND
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE IN THE PHILIPPINES, PROVIDING FOR A TRADITIONAL
AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE DEVELOPMENT FUND AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

2. What is Alternative Medicine?

- Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite
lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials.
- Alternative medicine refers to unproven or disproven methods used instead of standard medical
treatments to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer. They have either not been thoroughly tested
in clinical trials, or they have been tested and found not to work against cancer.

3. What is Complementary Medicine

- Complementary medicine is used along with standard medical treatment but is not considered
by itself to be standard treatment. One example is using acupuncture to help lessen some side
effects of cancer treatment. Less research has been done for most types of complementary
medicine.
- Complementary medicine is a term used to describe types of treatments you may receive along
with traditional Western medicine. Examples of complementary medicine include massage,
meditation, biofeedback, tai chi, reiki, music therapy, guided imagery and dietary supplements.
- Complementary medicine or therapy are additional methods that are used along with traditional
medical approaches (medications, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery). It
“complements” these traditional medical approaches.

4. What are 10 Accepted Herbal Medicines endorsed by the Department of Health (DOH). In
tabular form, enumerate the common names, scientific names, and indication.

COMMON NAMES SCIENTIFIC NAMES INDICATTIONS

Dangla (Ilokano)
pansit-pansitan (Tagalog),
olasiman-ihalas
(Cebu,Bisaya); tangontangon
(Bikol); peperonia (English)
Guava, bayabas (Tagalog);
guyabas (Iloko); Guava
(English).
Ajos (Bisaya); garlic
Leaves and flowering tops
decoction, syrup, tablets and
Lagundi (Vitex negundo L.) capsules for
coughs, colds, fever and
asthma.
Infusion, decoction or salad
for gout and rheumatic pains;
Ulasimang-bato (Peperonia
pounded
pellucida) plant warm poultice for boils
and abscesses
Ulasimang-bato (Peperonia
anti-diarrheal and antiseptic
pellucida)
Fresh cloves, capsules for
Bawang (Alium sativum L.) lowering blood cholesterol
levels; antiseptic.

Peppermint
Sambong (Tagalog);
lakadbulan (Bikol); Ngai
camphor (English)
Katanda (Tagalog); andadasi
(Ilokano);palochina (Bisaya);
ringworm bush,seven golden
candlesticks,
bayabasbayabasan
Tartaraok (Tagalog);
balitadham (Bisaya);
Rangoon creeper,
Chinese honeysuckle, liane
vermifuge.
Putputai (Bikol); alangit
(Bisaya); forest tea, wild tea.
Ampalaya (Tagalog); paria
(Ilokano); palia (Bisaya);
bitter gourd,
Yerba Buena (Clinopodium for pain, cough, colds,
douglasii) nausea, dizziness, and
pruritus
Sambong (Blumea Diuretic in hypertension;
balsamifera L. DC) dissolves kidney stones
Akapulko (Cassia alata L.) Infusion of leaves used as
anti-rheumatic and for
inflammatory fevers.
Niyog- Niyogan (Quisqualis Fruit (kernel) anthelmintic;
Indica L.) leaves poultice for headache
pills, leaf decoction for
Tsaang Gubat (Carmona
gastroenteritis; as gargle to
retusa (Vahl) Masam.)
prevent cavities
Ampalaya (Momordica
lowers blood sugar levels
charantia (L.) DC)

5. Differentiate touch therapies from Mind-body therapies

Mind-body practices are techniques designed to enhance the mind's positive impact on the body. These
techniques practices include behavioral, psychological, social, expressive, and spiritual approaches.

Awareness of the mind-body connection is certainly not a new idea, but it may feel unfamiliar to some in
the West, where the mind and body has been traditionally viewed as distinct entities for several centuries.
However, this view is rapidly changing as researchers scientifically prove the complex links between the
mind and body.

Mind – Body therapies include

• Meditation
• Prayer
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Guided imagery
• Biofeedback
• Yoga
6. What does it mean?

• PITAHC – The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care advocates for the
development and use of traditional and alternative health-care in the country. PITAHC was created
with the objective of improving the quality and delivery of health care services to Filipinos by
integrating traditional and alternative health care into the national health care delivery system. Our
goal is also to position T&CM (traditional and complementary medicine) as a legitimate field of
medicine.

• TAMA – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to improve the quality and delivery of health
care services to the Filipino people through the development of traditional and alternative health
care and its integration into the national health care delivery system. It shall also be the policy of
the State to seek a legally workable basis by which indigenous societies would own their knowledge
of traditional medicine. When such knowledge is used by outsiders, the indigenous societies can
require the permitted users to acknowledge its source and can demand a share of any financial
return that may come from its authorized commercial use.

• BFAD – The Bureau of Food and Drugs derived its mandate from the Philippine Constitution,
particularly Article II Section 15 "To protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill
health consciousness among them." and Article XIII Section 12 which provides, "The state shall
establish and maintain an effective food and drug regulatory system and undertake appropriate
health manpower development and research responsive to the country’s health needs and
problems." Republic Act 3720, otherwise known as the "Food Drugs, Devices and Cosmetic Act"
of 1963 established the BFAD.

REFERENCES:

 https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1997/ra_8423_1997.html
 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16883-complementary-therapy
 https://rnspeak.com/philippines-herbal-medicine-plants-approved-by-
doh/#:~:text=10%20Herbal%20Medicines%20approved%20by%20DOH%201%202.%29,8%209.
%29%20Tsaang%20Gubat%20%28Carmona%20retusa%20%28Vahl%29%20Masam.%29
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4093363/
 http://www.stuartxchange.ph/TAMA.html
 https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/Vol3Issue4November2008.pdf

PASSED BY:

CASUGA, Eros Hanz Jearue

GOROSPE, Sophia

GUMANGAN, Maxine Cleofel

PADRIGO, Abegail