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Long before the introduction of modern medicine, the Philippines has its own traditional medical practices that our ancestors have embraced and believed to be effective. And these have been passed to generation after generation.
And as modern medicine progresses to new heights, peoples of the world, on the other hand, have started recognizing the healing benefits of the ancient medical practices.
Despite the developments in western medicine, there is still a global movement towards the unfolding of the maximum potentials of the traditional and contemporary medicine (TCM). With this fact, different nations in Asia, which is home to many known TCMs have been actively in pursuit to influence more people to once again embrace the traditional way of healing.
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"Dr. Isidro Sia, PITAHC Dir. Gen. Dr. Annabelle Pabiona De Guzman , Mr. Josue De Guia (healer from Bayombong) and Dr. Josephine Villafuerte during the ribbon cutting of the 1st Pista ng Paggagamutang Pilipino 2018.” |
To champion this cause, the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) together with Aralan ng Paggaamutang Pilipino, a group of advocates of traditional Filipino healers, at least 14 traditional healers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindano were gathered for the 1st Pista ng Paggamutang Pilipino 2018.
This historical event, paved the way for these traditional healers to share and showcase their skills, the 1st Pista ng Paggagamutang Pilipino 2018 was held at the Peoples Park in Davao City on Nov. 21, 2018.
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"PITAHC executives and traditional healers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao pose for a photo op.” |
Pista ng Paggagamutang Pilipino 2018 provided a venue towards raising public awareness on the variety, breadth and scope of Philippine traditional medicine. Through the past millennia, more than 180 ethnolinguistic groups belonging to 110 indigenous communities have become established in the country. Such long periods of interacting with place-specific geological, climatological, biological and cultural diversity have endowed each group and community with its own unique health system.
PITAHC director general Dr. Annabelle Pabiona-De Guzman said that this 1st Pista ng Paggagamutang Pilipino 2018 is a milestone in the countrys recognition of not just the Filipino culture but the individual skills of healers who have been the backbone of many indigenous communities healthcare system.
The PITAHC is one with our traditional healers in cultivating their valuable skills and gifts, which have been passed to them by their great ancestors. We are pushing for the integration of traditional and contemporary medicine in our national healthcare system, thus, giving the Filipino people another healthcare option, Pabiona-De Guzman stressed.
The Pista 2018 was a two-part event. The morning session was a small group presentation and consultation with 14 traditional and indigenous healers, invited and flown in from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as local healers from Davao City and its environs.
This session was spearheaded by the PITAHC National Committee for the Certification for Hilot and with participation by the academics and organizations engaged in traditional medicine research.
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STUDIES and researches are now being done by the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) for the use of medicinal marijuana.
As medicinal marijuana had been proven abroad to have a good action against pain especially for patients with cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease, PITAHC Director General Doctor Annabelle Pabiona-De Guzman said there is already a bill under study for the compassionate use of Cannabis in the Philippines.
She said they hope the bill can go through Congress but expects to have a complication or a problem when it reaches the Senate.
“We already have exploratory studies. The first study that we did was looking for patent. We found out that there are international patents already because in certain parts in the U.S. and some European countries it is already used for medicinal purposes. We cannot apply specific patent to the Philippines because what will be used will be the same as what is being used abroad,” said Pabiona-De Guzman during the Connect press forum yesterday at the SM Lanang Premier.
She added they have already partnered with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) and the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) in coming with another study to document the use of marijuana as a recreational drug in the country.
The director general underscored that recreational marijuana is different from medicinal marijuana. The former uses burnt leaves and smokes it unlike medicinal marijuana which uses oil extracted from the plant seeds instead.
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For three consecutive years, VSU has registered a 100% passing rate in the Nursing Licensure Exam (NLE). This year, all ten takers successfully passed the nursing board.
As released by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), only 4,811 out of the 12,033 examinees passed the exam, garnering a 39.98% national average.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) produced the topnotcher for this year’s nursing board, Jennifer Jacob Quirante, with a passing average of 87.80%. On top of that, UST landed the prime spot in the top performing school’s list, garnering a 100% passing rate, with all of its 337 takers passing the board.
The November 2018 NLE was administered at PRC testing centers in Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga on November 17 and 18, 2018.
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ORMOC CITY – The Harmonised Initiatives of Media for the Spread of Good Nutrition in Region 8 (HIMSoG-8), the media-group partner of National Nutrition Council in Eastern Visayas, will coordinate first with the Mayor’s Office in local government units (LGUs) in its targeting for the Media-Nutrition Caravans for year 2019.
This came was consensus of the membership during a Program Implementation Review (PIR) of the group held on December 21, 2018 at the Sabin Resort Hotel, here. The one-day event headed by HIMSoG President Antonio Pueblos extended as well as 4th Quarter Meeting, 8th Anniversary and Christmas Party.
Every Year HIMSoG-8 conducts two Media-Nutrition Caravans to a chosen cluster of at least three localities in Region 8 that are noted for high incidence of malnutrition, and also with those outstanding good practices on nutrition program implementation. The caravan is a most favoured group activity, to first-hand seek out the rationale of the Nutrition Situation of the target locality--why it is lagging in health and nutrition. The practice is as well a measure to document the good practices of the localities which are doing well for other places to emulate.
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Palo, Leyte – For the third year in-a-row the municipality of Caibiran in the island province of Biliran bagged the highest regional citation on nutrition, reaping the Green Banner Award as Regional Outstanding Municipality in tandem for its fourth year as Provincial Outstanding Municipality in Biliran Province which further elated the municipality to be awarded as one of the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner Nutrition (CROWN) Awardee, awarded by National Nutrition Council (NNC) at the Philippine International Convention Center In Pasay City, Metro Manila. Another Provincial Green Banner Awardee this year is the town of Hinunangan of the province of Southern Leyte.
These are the top local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas recognized for their outstanding performance in implementation of nutrition action plans in year 2017. They were bestowed the due honours in a Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony (RNAC) held on November 27, 2018 at The Oriental Hotel, Palo, Leyte.
Dr. Catalino P. Dotollo Jr., Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, said the Green Banner Award is the highest honour given to an LGU (municipality, city or province) for exemplary implementation and management of nutrition programs. The award is given to the first ranking municipality/city or province adjudged by the interagency Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET)--in recognition of their efficient and effective implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), he added.
Certificates of Appreciation were also awarded to NNC-8 partners in nutrition program implementation namely: the Regional Nutrition line agencies, Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team members, areas conducted with Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI), Nutrition Organizations, and Non-Government Organizations.
Awarded Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (OBNS) this year was BNS Rhodora Lingatong of Barangay Triana, island-town of Limasawa, Southern Leyte in addition for her being the Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar in said province. Another OBNS in the Province is BNS Bernardita F. Kuizon of Barangay Daanlungsod, Bato, Leyte.