Law Summary
Objectives of the Act
- Encourage scientific research on traditional and alternative health care impacting public health.
- Promote safe, effective, and government-compliant traditional and alternative health care methods.
- Develop and coordinate skills training programs for these health care modalities.
- Formulate ethical standards for practice, manufacture, quality control, and marketing of health products.
- Protect indigenous health resources and technologies from exploitation.
- Strengthen traditional and alternative health care delivery systems.
- Promote traditional and alternative health care in national and international forums.
Definitions of Key Terms
- Traditional and alternative health care: Knowledge and practices outside biomedicine for health maintenance and disorder treatment.
- Traditional medicine: Culturally rooted health practices recognized by people despite not fitting scientific frameworks.
- Biomedicine: Conventional medicine advocating therapies differing from disease effects, also known as western or orthodox medicine.
- Alternative health care modalities: Non-allopathic healing methods, including reflexology, acupuncture, massage, and chiropractics.
- Herbal medicines: Medicinal plant products containing plant parts as active ingredients, excluding chemically synthesized components.
- Natural products: Foods growing naturally or prepared without additives or chemicals.
- Manufacture: All processes involved in producing and packaging health products.
- Traditional healers: Respected persons with profound knowledge of traditional remedies.
- Intellectual property rights: Legal rights of indigenous communities over their cultural knowledge and traditional products.
Establishment of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC)
- PITAHC is a corporate body attached to the Department of Health with headquarters in Metro Manila and other offices nationwide.
Powers and Functions of the PITAHC
- Conduct research and development to integrate traditional and alternative health care into the national system.
- Verify and transfer viable health technologies emphasizing social collaboration.
- Provide data for policies stimulating production and consumption of traditional health products.
- Organize training programs for health professionals and researchers.
- Promote healthy living and public awareness through educational events.
- Obtain necessary licenses, rights, and financial support from governmental and other entities.
- Act as a coordinating center for regional traditional health care stations.
- Formulate codes of ethics and manufacturing standards for approval by relevant agencies.
- Collaborate with institutions on herbal medicine research.
- Exercise corporate powers including suing, entering contracts, borrowing funds, and managing properties.
Governance: Board of Trustees
- The Board consists of the Secretary of Health (chairman), government representatives, and members from health care sectors and related industries.
- Members serve staggered terms of one to three years, appointed by the President.
- The Board meets regularly, with six members constituting a quorum.
- Members receive per diems for meeting attendance subject to budget laws.
Functions of the Board of Trustees
- Define and approve Institute policies, programs, organizational structure, and budget.
- Approve employee compensation and manage human resources.
- Create committees as necessary.
- Set research priorities in coordination with other agencies.
- Exercise additional powers necessary for Institute objectives.
Director General and Officers
- The Director General leads the Institute, appointed by the President for six years.
- Supported by Deputy Director(s) and program managers.
Duties and Powers of the Director General
- Supervise implementation of research and administration.
- Execute contracts and manage assets within Board authority.
- Enforce Board policies and submit annual reports and budgets.
- Perform delegated duties consistent with the Institute’s objectives.
Government Support and Coordination
- The Institute may utilize government personnel for research activities, compensating them with authorized honoraria.
- It shall coordinate with agencies like the Bureau of Food and Drugs and Department of Science and Technology.
Traditional and Alternative Health Care Promotion
- Launch national advocacy campaigns including NGO participation.
- Implement scientific research on indigenous practices by traditional healers.
- Collaborate with the Bureau of Food and Drugs to set manufacturing and marketing standards.
- Provide tax incentives to manufacturers of traditional health care products under the Omnibus Investment Code.
Traditional and Alternative Health Care Development Fund
- Established with initial funding from earnings of Duty Free Philippines: P50 million first year, P75 million second year, and P100 million third year.
- Maximum 15% of the fund may be used for administrative costs.
- Subsequent funding to be included in the General Appropriations Act.
Transitory Provisions
- Board members and Director General to be appointed within 30 days from Act’s effectivity.
- Functions, personnel, and assets of the Traditional Medicine Unit and related facilities transferred to the Institute without conveyance.
- Unexpended budgets of merged agencies to be used for Institute establishment.
- Incumbent personnel to retain functions and benefits; maximum absorption of employees by the Institute.
Oversight
- The Institute must submit annual accomplishment reports to Congress, which may conduct inquiries.
Rules and Regulations
- The Board must formulate and publish implementing rules within 180 days from its first meeting.
Repealing, Separability, and Effectivity
- Conflicting laws and regulations are amended or repealed.
- Provisions found unconstitutional do not affect remaining parts of the Act.
- The Act takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or newspapers of general circulation.