Even before COVID-19 confined people to their homes and left them fearful of seeing a doctor, many in the Philippines sought remedies online because they were cheaper and easier to access. | AFP
The majority appears as free posts or paid advertisements on Facebook, the most popular social media site among the 76 million internet users in the Philippines.
Many of the products are promoted in videos that have been doctored to make it look like real medical professionals are endorsing them.AFP fact checkers have debunked dozens of claims, including a manipulated Philippine news report that appeared to promote a herbal supplement for diabetics as an alternative to insulin.
A few months later, Demasudlay admitted in another video that the soap had left her “itchy to the point of bleeding”—but she kept promoting it.Philippine doctors worried about the explosion of medical misinformation during the pandemic began posting videos providing free information about common health conditions.
“It was a good thing for us because we were able to extend our medical knowledge to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to consult with doctors,” Zamora said.But then the footage was used to promote an unregistered brand of supplement for arthritis, which the FDA had warned consumers about.Zamora said some of her patients considered purchasing the product in the belief she was endorsing it.
“It saddens us that people will readily believe advertisements that claim to heal all eye problems as speedily as possible and pay exorbitant prices for these eye drops,” Ocampo said.
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