In rural areas, residents have long been familiar with the use of certain herbs for medicinal purposes. Local scientists have taken note of this folk medicine and have been conducting research on the most commonly used herbal treatments.
Filipinos are familiar with the use of lagundi for cough, ampalaya and “insulin plant” to bring down blood sugar, sambong for fever, banaba for kidney problems and tawa-tawa to ease dengue symptoms. At the height of the pandemic, the Department of Science and Technology funded research and testing carried out alongside the Philippine General Hospital for the use of virgin coconut oil in speeding up recovery from COVID-19.
Today, the Department of Health is reportedly eyeing tawa-tawa, a common weed, as supplemental treatment for dengue. The DOH had previously reminded the public that tawa-tawa tablets available in the market, while registered with the Food and Drug Administration, still had no approved therapeutic claims.
Apart from limited support for R&D, however, the Philippines also continues to suffer from a brain drain in science and technology. Replacing those who have settled overseas has been slow, and becomes more challenging amid the deterioration in the quality of Philippine education. The government need not wait, however, to increase funding for R&D and other scientific pursuits. Other countries are pouring resources into scientific and technological innovation and supporting private start-ups. With limited resources, the country can focus on medical R&D. A robust domestic pharmaceutical industry can bring down the cost of medical treatment for Filipinos, and bring the promise of universal health care within closer reach.