The processing medicinal plants into various medicines and supplements is an emerging industry in the Province of Iloilo. Every time a trade fare is organized, there are a few entrepreneurs displaying their products both to expose them and to sell. We have interviewed a few of these, one of them a retired nun and they all claim that business is booming. Indeed so because of the growing awareness of people for natural cures and due to new discoveries that chemical-based medicines have side effects in the human body.
Long before there was the western medicine which they now call conventional, there were the “herbolarios” to whom the community went for cures to their ailments. Their treatments were a combination of herbs and divination for which the latter is to create the mystery of getting back wellness and health. In the recent past, people scoffed at herbolarios as nothing but quacks. But when the west started their own revolutions on natural medicines and even branched into the other cultures' forms like the Chinese traditional medicine, Ayurveda and others, the word “quack” was finally erased and exchanged for “traditional”.
Herbs and other organic sources of medicines and supplements had been with us since the start of human civilization. Many of the modern plants we now use in the kitchen had evolved from its wild state because of constant use not only as spice, food item but also as medicines. Garlic for example, had evolved from its marble sized form to become fist sized because of the demand. Yet the marble sized variety is still the backbone of those who use it as medicine. At present, there are so many uses of garlic and its many forms ranging from capsules to cap-gel and even powder and tablet is being promoted as a heart-strengthening supplement. It is no longer a backyard or small industry. Giant multi-nationals have taken over to produce this much in demand herb.
The turmeric that we know as kalawag is also a large industry raw material. While we, Ilonggos, have relegated this rhizome as the spice for arroz a al valencia or valenciana and kare-kare, the Indians and Thais have built large processing plants concentrating on turmeric and produced many products for the supplements market. This is due to the findings that goes way back that Indians have very low incidence of stomach cancer back home but the rate is high for those based in Western countries. The findings indicate that the rate is directly proportional to the shift in food preferences where these Indians have relied mostly on western food and limited their intake of traditional Indian food rich in curry powder for which turmeric is one of the main ingredients.
On the local front, ampalaya is now a major industry which also paved the way for the economic growth of several companies. When it was confirmed by the Department of Health that indeed there is basis for amplalaya in diabetes therapy, these companies entered the market with many forms of products, ranging from tea to capsules. Now it's malunggay's turn. There is an emerging market for moringa which is now documented as the most potent source of anti-oxidants and better than its western counterparts like broccoli and crucifers. Many companies and entrepreneurs have already jumped into the supplements market bandwagon based on moringa.
There are many other herbs and plants that have potentials to become multimillion dollar industries. DOH has already approved ten local medicinal plants for various ailments. Lagundi which is being promoted as anti-cough and anti-asthma is very effective to the extent that it had been targeted by advertisements of solmux because it had eaten a large percentage of the market once dominated by this chemical-based product. Personally, I have quit on solmux more than ten years ago when after one month of taking it, I wasn't relieved of my severe cough. It only took me 5 days of therapy using both caplets of Lagundi and kettles of fresh lagundi tea for my cough to be cured. Since then I never took a single pill of Solmux. It is sad that this idiot Vic Sotto should insinuate that solmux is better than lagundi.
One thing about medicinal plants is that they can be grown in one's yard, be it front or back. They can also be made ornamental like the Orthosiphon spp. Otherwise known as the balbas pusa because its white flowers resembles the cat's whiskers. It has been found to be good as diuretic but others claim that it is also good for coughs. Planted in pots or grown as part of the landscape, balbas pusa can be both be an ornamental and a source of tea leaves. Indeed, medicinal plants have come a long way from being relegated as a quack doctor's medicine to become mainstream. (To be continued)
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