Republic of the Philippines

Department of Health

Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care

MANDATE
Republic Act 8423 (R.A. 8423) mandates the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative
Health Care (PITAHC) “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“.

VISION
“People’s health through traditional and alternative health care”

MISSION
“We lead in the research and development, promotion and advocacy, and development of
standards on traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM); and we ensure its accessibility,
availability, sustainability and integration into the national health care. system.”

FUNCTIONS
1. To encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care
systems that have direct impact on public health care;

2. To promote and advocate the use of traditional, alternative, preventive, and curative health
care modalities that have been proven safe, effective, cost effective and consistent with
government standards on medical practice;

3. To develop and coordinate skills training courses for various forms of traditional and
alternative health care modalities;

4. To formulate standards, guidelines and codes of ethical practice appropriate for the practice
of traditional and alternative health care as well as in the manufacture, quality control and
marketing of different traditional and alternative health care materials, natural and organic
products, for approval’ and adoption by the appropriate government agencies;

5. To formulate policies for the protection of indigenous and natural health resources and
technology from unwarranted exploitation, for approval and adoption by the appropriate
government agencies;

6. To formulate policies to strengthen the role of traditional and alternative health care delivery
system; and
7. To promote traditional and alternative health care in international and national conventions,
seminars and meetings in coordination with the Department of Tourism, Duty Free Philippines,
Incorporated, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation and other tourism-related
agencies as well as non-government organizations and local government units.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

HONORABLE FRANCISCO T. DUQUE III

Chairman
Secretary of Health

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

DR. JAIME CARLOS MONTOYA

Executive Director
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ASEC. RICARDO L. CALDERON

Director
Biodiversity Management Bureau
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

DR. VIVENCIO R. MAMARIL

Director IV
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DR. ELLA CECILIA G. NALIPONGUIT

Director III
Bureau of Learner Support Services
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

LILIAN A. DE LAS LLAGAS, MScTM, PhD., LLB

Commissioner
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVES

DR. MARTIN DG. CAMARA

Physician, TAHC Practitioner

DR. FABIAN M. DAYRIT

Academe/Research Institute

MS. CECILIA A. LUCENTALES

Non-Physician, TAHC Practitioner

DR. RONALDO C. CRUZ

Philippine Medical Association

MR. EMMANUEL HUGH H. VELASCO II

Natural Food and Industry/Organic Food Industry

DR. ROBERT A. UMANDAP

Environmental Sector

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE (PITAHC)

RESEARCH GRANT SERVICES

The mandate of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) for
promotion of quality, safe, effective/beneficial, accessible, and acceptable traditional and
complementary medicine (T&CM) products, technologies, and modalities, as well as for the
protection of the Philippine traditional medicine (PTM) is strengthened by the Governance
Commission for GOCCs (GCG) in 2012 that PITAHC is a research institution whose budgetary
affairs shall now be under the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The PITAHC Board of Trustees, in its meeting of October 2015, affirmed that PITAHC thrust is
indeed research, and that manufacturing is not a thrust. The Board likewise affirmed that
PITAHC shall continue its advocacy and training functions as well as the accreditation functions.

In line with the thrust and agenda of the Philippine Institute for Traditional and Alternative
Health Care 2017-2022 formulated in achieving the first outcome namely robust body of
knowledge in aid of policy, programs development, and products development for the
promotion of quality, safe, effective/beneficial, accessible, and acceptable traditional and
complementary medicine (T&CM) products and services, and for the conservation of our
cultural heritage on Philippine traditional medicine.
The purpose of this call for proposal is to stimulate the academe, government agencies and the
private sectors to focus their efforts, innovative ability and resources to develop research
proposals concentrating on T&CM to be able to bring about changes to improve the health and
lives of people in order to address the gaps the current landscape of health research. PITAHC
encourages the development of research proposals that are innovative and effective which can
contribute to the overall health outcome in the country and address the present need of the
dynamic health landscape of the Philippines.

PITAHC has defined the activities in six research clusters. However, the activities and projects
shall not be limited to those identified below.

Research Activities Cluster 1.

Documentation of our cultural heritage on Philippine traditional medicine

The rich cultural diversity of Philippine traditional medicine is represented by the diverse
ethnolinguistic groups of the country (185 groups, SIL), including the 110 indigenous groups
(NCIP). Further, the healing traditions of communities and healers based on so-called “sacred
places” add to the richness of our cultural heritage.

The urgency of doing the documentation is emphasized because several factors (loss of habitat,
onslaught of mainstream culture) have endangered the continuity of the said traditions. Several
researches have been done, but more indigenous peoples groups and other cultural
communities (including the Bangsamoro and “sacred places” groups) have not been covered.

The output of the research may be used for development of culture-sensitive health education
materials for the indigenous peoples, for policy and programs development on health of the
indigenous communities, preparation of book/tome on Philippine traditional medicine,
enrichment of Philippine materia medica which may be basis for natural products development,
and for advocacy to conserve the natural environments (ie, forests) where our indigenous
peoples live. Knowledge management of this cluster also includes the collection, review and
meta-review of available literature.

Research Activities Cluster 2

Research and development on safety, efficacy/benefit, and quality of natural products

The traditional knowledge and systems of the Philippine cultural groups, especially on higher
plants, are a rich basis for natural products research. A national natural products research
program shall include higher plants, animals, marine products, microbes, and others.

This outputs of this research activities cluster will include medicines, traditional medicines,
health supplements, personal care products, and other products which are proven safe,
effective/ beneficial, and of high quality through research and development. Excipients
research and development for pharmaceutical and nutritional products shall also be covered in
this cluster.

The R&D activities cover three levels: community-based preparations, preparations to be used
by the MSMEs, and full industry development.

Research Activities Cluster 3

Clinical research on safety and efficacy/benefit of T&CM modalities

T&CM modalities such as hilot, traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture, tuina, qigong),
Ayurveda, homeopathy, chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, and anthroposophic medicine
present varying levels of usefulness as complementary (or even alternative options) in an
integrative approach to health care. Management of pain, stress, substance abuse, and many
other conditions, for example, maybe best addressed by some form of T&CM.

We need the evidence to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the T&CM modalities. Given
that some safe and effective modalities maybe more cost effective than mainstream methods,
we shall push for inclusion of the same in the PhilHealth schedule of benefits.

One other aspect where T&CM has the palpable strength is in the field of preventive health
care, through promotion of diet, exercise, stress management, and other means of healthful
lifestyle.

PITAHC shall take the leadership in this cluster of researches. The other stakeholders include
the academe (the University of the Philippines System, the state universities and colleges, other
higher education institutes), the training hospitals, the practitioners, and health professional
societies, among others.

Research Activities Cluster 4

Policy, systems, and standards research

This cluster shall include researches to aid in policy making and to improve health care delivery.
The role of T&CM in an integrative approach to contribute to universal health care shall be
addressed by this cluster.

PITAHC shall take the leadership in this cluster of researches. The other stakeholders include
the academe (the University of the Philippines System, the state universities and colleges, other
higher education institutes), the practitioners, civil society organizations, and health
professional societies, among others.
Research Activities Cluster 5

Socio-cultural research

This cluster shall include researches to look at the acceptance of T&CM products and modalities
by the public and the health care providers.

Research Activities Cluster 6

Knowledge management

This cluster shall cover the systematic collection of available information on researches on
T&CM in the Philippines, particularly those of medicinal plants.

Review and meta-review will be done. The knowledge base shall be inputted in databases.

Venues for research translation or dissemination include the online journal, newsletter,
websites, social media, and others.