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| Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care | |
|---|---|
| Name | Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Manila |
| Region served | Philippines |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | Department of Health (Philippines) |
Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care is a government-affiliated institute tasked with promoting, coordinating, regulating, and researching traditional and alternative health care modalities in the Philippines. Established to integrate indigenous healing systems with modern public health initiatives, the institute engages with local communities, academic centers, and international organizations to advance the use of traditional medicine within national health policies. Its activities intersect with national legislation, university research, barangay health services, and international standards bodies.
The institute traces its antecedents to policy debates in the 1980s and 1990s involving the Department of Health (Philippines), Department of Science and Technology (Philippines), and advocates within the Philippine Medical Association and indigenous networks such as the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Influences included regional initiatives by the World Health Organization and campaigns by non-governmental organizations like Philippine Red Cross affiliates and civic groups in Quezon City and Cebu City. Formal establishment occurred amid legislative activity that also involved lawmakers from House of Representatives of the Philippines and the Senate of the Philippines, reflecting partnerships with universities such as the University of the Philippines Manila, Ateneo de Manila University, and University of Santo Tomas. Early leadership drew on expertise from traditional healers linked to communities in Cordillera Administrative Region and Davao Region while collaborating with research units in Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
The institute operates under policy instruments developed by the Department of Health (Philippines) and national statutes debated within the Congress of the Philippines. Its mandate aligns with international guidelines from the World Health Organization on traditional medicine and is shaped by administrative issuances issued by agencies such as the Civil Service Commission (Philippines) for staffing and the Commission on Audit for financial oversight. Statutory links involve coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (Philippines) for herbal product registration and with tertiary institutions like University of the Philippines Los Baños for ethnobotanical documentation. The institute also interfaces with heritage protections administered by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines when cultural practices of groups such as the T'boli people and Ifugao Province communities are involved.
The institute is structured as a technical institute within the Department of Health (Philippines), with leadership appointed through channels involving the Office of the President of the Philippines and the Civil Service Commission (Philippines)]. Departments typically include divisions for research, education, regulation, and community engagement, collaborating with legal units that consult the Department of Justice (Philippines) on intellectual property matters with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines. Field offices coordinate with local government units in municipalities across Metro Manila, Iloilo City, and Zamboanga City. Advisory panels have historically included representatives from the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Philippine Nurses Association, and academic centers such as De La Salle University.
Programmatic offerings include community-based health promotion, training for barangay health workers in collaboration with the Municipal Health Office (Philippines), and certification pathways developed with universities like Mindanao State University. Services encompass herbal medicine formularies, traditional birthing assistance linked to programs in Baguio, and outreach that involves cultural custodians from Palawan and Leyte. Capacity-building initiatives are coordinated with professional bodies such as the Philippine Pharmacists Association and outreach partners including World Vision Philippines and faith-based networks like the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. Public education campaigns have been run with media partners in ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network affiliates.
Research priorities emphasize pharmacological evaluation of medicinal plants recorded in ethnobotanical surveys conducted in collaboration with institutions such as University of the Philippines Los Baños, Silliman University, and University of the Philippines Diliman. Clinical trials and observational studies have been designed with oversight from the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board and partnerships with hospitals including Philippine General Hospital and St. Luke's Medical Center. Projects have received technical cooperation from multilateral agencies like the World Health Organization and funding proposals submitted to bodies such as the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development and international donors. Intellectual property outcomes are negotiated with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and academic technology transfer offices.
Regulatory roles require coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (Philippines) on registration of herbal medicinal products and with the Department of Trade and Industry (Philippines) for commercialization guidelines. Quality assurance frameworks draw on pharmacopoeial references used by the Philippine Pharmacopoeia Commission and testing conducted in laboratories accredited by the Philippine Accreditation Bureau. Traditional practitioner accreditation schemes have been developed in consultation with the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Nurses Association, and local government health units, while compliance and enforcement activities may involve the Department of Justice (Philippines) for legal action.
The institute engages in multi-sectoral partnerships with universities such as Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines Manila, and University of Santo Tomas, international agencies including the World Health Organization and United Nations Development Programme, and non-governmental organizations like World Vision Philippines and Philippine Red Cross. Community engagement involves alliances with indigenous organizations including representatives from Ifugao Province, T'boli people, and coastal communities in Palawan and Mindoro. Collaborative initiatives also extend to media partners like ABS-CBN Corporation for public information campaigns and to legislative allies in the House of Representatives of the Philippines for policy development.
Category:Health in the Philippines