What is the status of Hilot after mandating the Philippine Traditional Alternative Medicine Act of 1997?

It is already 25 years when the Philippine Traditional Alternative Medicine Act of 1997 has been passed into law, and with that Law- the Philippine Institute of Traditional Alternative Health Care has been created and Established with the following goals or objectives as its Mandate.

In Republic Act 8423 or An act creating the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) to accelerate the development of Traditional and Alternative Healthcare in the Philippines, providing for a Traditional and Alternative Healthcare Development Plan and for other Purpose. In this law which was enacted by the 10th congress on December 9, 1997 stated clearly their objectives in Article 1 section 3 that they are:

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.

But as we look up on their website at http://pitahc.gov.ph/about-pitahc/ we can see their powers and fuction as stated that:

1. To plan and carry out research and development activities in the areas of traditional and alternative health care and its ultimate integration into the national health care delivery system;
2. To verify, package and transfer economically viable technologies in the field of traditional and alternative health care, giving emphasis on the social engineering aspects necessary for group endeavor;
3. To provide the database for policy formulation that will stimulate and sustain production, marketing and consumption of traditional and alternative health care products;
4. To organize and develop continuing training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other professional health workers and students, as well as scientists, research managers and extension workers in the field of traditional and alternative health care;
5. To formulate policies that would creat public awareness through educational activities, conventions, seminars, conferences, and the like by focusing on the promotion of healthy living for preventing disease, thereby uplifting the health care industry;
6. To acquire or obtain from any governmental authority whether national or local, foreign or domestic , or from any person, corporation, partnership, association or other entity, such charters, franchises, licenses, rights, privileges, assistance, financial or otherwise, and concessions as are conducive to and necessary or proper for the attainment of its purpose and objectives;
7. To receive and acquire from any person and/or government and private entities, whether foreign or domestic, grants, donations and contributions consisting of such properties, real or personal, including funds and valuable effects or things, as may useful, necessary or proper to carry out its purposes and objectives and administer the same in accordance with the terms of such grants, donations and contributions, consistent with its purposes and objectives;
8. To serve as the coordinating center of a national network of traditional and alternative health care stations located in the different regions of the country;
9. To formulate a code of ethics and standards for the practice of traditional and alternative health care modalities for approval and adoption by the appropriate professional and government agencies;
10. To formulate standards and guidelines for the manufacture, marketing and quality control of different traditional and alternative health care materials and products for approval and adoption by the Bureau of Food and Drugs;
11. To coordinate with other institutions and agencies involved in the research on herbal medicine;
12. To adopt and use a corporate seal;
13. To sue and bu sued in its corporate name;
14. To succeed by its corporate name;
15. To adopt its by laws and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary or proper to implement this ACT, and to amend or repel the same from time to time;
16. To enter, into, make and execute contracts and agreements of any kind or nature;
17. To borrow, raise or obtain funds, or to enter into any financial or credit arrangement in order to support or carry out in research programs, finance its capital and operating expenses, subject to pertinent laws governing public debts and expenditures;

Well, its power and function is stated as well in the Republic Act 8423 which we can find at Article 3 Section 6 of the said act.

Last December 4, 2022- i have presented a webinar on Redefining Hilot in modern time as our participation to the 25th year of mandating the Philippine Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997. And we have presented this webinar on 3 different time zones.

On the East Coast of United States of America, our webinar has been participated by Jamee Pineda and Daphne Domingo; then on the Pacific Coast, we have Camille Cruz and Dezire Smith; and in London, we Have Jutheanne Cruz, Heather Bajade and Junkim Nieva. Though not much people participated, but what important is that we were able to reach them out and delivered our message to them.

As we prepare in delivering this webinar, i conducted prior studies first and check first the Status of Hilot in World Health Organization and I found this Free Download which is the World Health Report 2019

In page 176 of the World Health Report 2019, we can read that the focus on regulation is in the manufacturing or herbal medicine so as regulating training centers and clinics, but unfortunately it has not shown any certified hilot in the report so as hilot training centers and clinic. I have shown this same status on the webinar and have shared my personal knowledge based on my studies what Hilot is. In the webinar, I have also mentioned the uprising problem in Colonizing Hilot such as there are Hilot Organization that been established incorporating Veganism as a mandatory practice for Manghihilot and claiming that this practice has been blessed by a certain Indigenous Tribe in the Country.

You may watch the video or listen to its audio form below.