Herbals for me!

I must have been a witch in some lifetime in the past — or even an herbologist. I remember the first time I was exposed to herbs both for ingesting as remedies, and also for burning as incense for space cleansing and meditation. I was living in the US taking up grad studies many, many moons back. I put myself on a self-prescribed herbal supplement program, studying all properties as I went along. I have never been one to take over-the-counter medications unless I was already very sick, and in my wise (!) mature (!) age, have managed a good balance between herbal medicine’s use, alternative health practices and healing modalities and a sustainable lifestyle. This streak of being an amateur herbologist continues today. As we continue to go around the country for ECHOstore, my partners and I were finding the best organic herbs grown by local farmer groups. We started to put them into capsules for personal use, until friends started to ask about them and so we put them out on our shelves in ECHOstore. These are malunggay (a wonder herb with all the potent vitamins — especially Vitamin C — and minerals of major fruits and vegetables), turmeric or luyang dilaw (an anti-inflammatory and is perfect for joints, arthritis pains and for people who do a lot of physical exercise) and lagundi (for cough and colds and a balm for the respiratory system). We were capsulizing them only because we knew they were pure and organic.

Such an obsessive temperament serves me well as an advocate for the sustainable lifestyle hoping to maintain a balanced lifestyle while living a stressful activity-filled life. We must treat the body with utmost respect as they are the physical vehicle by which the soul can best express themselves. Our bodies are like temples. So we must be careful what we put inside them. Often, because of our lifestyles, there is a disruptive imbalance in our bodies, and pain or discomfort follows for the physical body. Our emotional imbalances are seen through depression, or intense emotions that tip us off balance. If we see this from the energetic dimension, it could be described as our “energy field,” our life force, our vitality having gone down a notch or two. When this occurs, the normal practice is to take medicine (all of which are synthetic, chemically loaded and toxic to our bodies) and hope that the pain will go away. Pain — either because of a physical discomfort or an emotional depression. The problem with us nowadays is that we are quick to resort to the quickest remedies around that will ease the pain, without looking at the root of the cause of this physical, emotional or even mental pain. Reaching out for synthetic drugs or medicines will always have side effects later in life.

Our country is rich in tropical herbs, which possess medical attributes that can prevent and cure illnesses. Just trekking up Mount Banahaw for years has shown me this. One of our leading traditional healers and hilot master Boy Fajardo (who now heads the Association of Traditional Healers or ATHAG in the country) has studied the local herbs of the area and all their curative properties. Listening and learning from Boy F. has taught me so much, reading up on the local indigenous varieties has also made me learn how precious these indigenous herbs are as a natural resource. The foreigners know this, though. Boy F. was lamenting decades back that our indigenous curative herbs used by our traditional healers are being taken and exported. We are currently exporting these herbal products to Europe, the US and the Middle East but our local market has been slow in embracing the use of naturals compared to other countries.

The Chamber of Herbal Industries of the Philippines, Inc. (CHIPI) recently requested President Noynoy Aquino to create a task force that will support the herbal export sector to reach its $1-billion target within the next three years. In 2007, the export sales both in the local and international market were reported at $600 million. There is a huge potential for our herbal industry to grow since the market for natural medicines around the world is exponentially growing. This will also benefit our local farmers who grow medicinal plants in the different parts of the country. 

After undergoing the same clinical studies as synthetic medicines (yes, our Western mindset today needs to show test results), results show that herbal medicines are safe and equally effective. Our traditional people know this, our ancestors and local healers use them. For example, the Department of Health (DOH) conducted studies to show that ampalaya has the same curative effect in treating diabetes. Ampalaya has been produced in the form of tea and capsules to help prevent diabetes. Lagundi is another tropical herb that has been tested to be clinically safe and effective. Turmeric is perfect for anti-inflammatory (yogis have been taking this since ancient time). Lagundi is found to have anti-histamine properties that prevent and cure cough, colds and even asthma. The funny thing is, even if they haven’t been tested by the DOH, I would still be taking these herbs as I have seen the benefits it has given me.

Okay, here’s a list of the other popular medicinal herbs which are also endorsed by DOH: yerba buena (for headache, toothache and arthritis), akapulko (for ringworms, scabies, and eczema), tsaang gubat (for diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and stomach pains), bawang (for hypertension, high cholesterol and blood pressure), bayabas (for disinfectant in wounds and gums), niyog-niyogan (for intestinal worms) and ulasimang bato (for boil, arthritis and gout).

I remember then Sen. Juan Flavier established the Traditional Health Program under Republic Act 8423 (Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997) during the Ramos administration. Unfortunately, the program needs a boost so that Filipinos would have an increased awareness of their options for alternative medicines. CHIPI hopes to get the support and cooperation of the new administration to help the herbal industry in the Philippines. If Filipinos are given the right and ample information about natural and herbal medicines, then they will be more equipped to make conscious lifestyle choices. Then Filipinos wouldn’t have to spend on horrendous amounts of money for synthetic medicines that add toxins to the body, but opt rather, for a preventive stance with health.

We move towards a wiser and healthier lifestyle by beginning to scrutinize what we feed our physical bodies and choosing to nourish them with food, herbs and other supplements closest to nature. Healthier bodies will lead to a great flow of positive energies and this will allow us to enjoy a better quality of life. So for me, I stand by herbal medicines — seeing all the benefits I personally receive from them!