About PITAHC

The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care is a government-owned and controlled corporation attached to the Department of Health (DOH) which was created in December 7, 1997 per Republic Act No. 8423, otherwise known as the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA) of 1997 authored by Senator Juan M. Flavier.

PITAHC is currently headed by Director-General Annabelle Pabiona-De Guzman, MD, FPAFP, MHA, MA Med (UK), CESE under the direction of a Board of Trustees composed of representatives from different government agencies namely: Department of Science and Technology (DOST); Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Department of Agriculture (DA); Commission on Higher Education (CHED); and representatives from the industries/sectors namely: a physician engaged in the practice of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM); a member from a duly recognized academe engaged in T&CM research; a T&CM practitioner who is not a physician; a western medical practitioner preferably from the Philippine Medical Association; one member from the natural food industry and one member from environmental sector. The board is chaired by the Secretary of Health.

POWER and FUNCTIONS

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;
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;
To provide the database for policy formulation that will stimulate and sustain production, marketing and consumption of traditional and alternative health care products;
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;
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;
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, assistence, financial or otherwise, and concessions as are conducive to and necessary or proper for the attainment of its purpose and objectives;
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;
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;
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;
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;
To coordinate with other institutions and agencies involved in the research on herbal medicine;
To adopt and use a corporate seal;
To sue and bu sued in its corporate name;
To succeed by its corporate name;
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;
To enter, into, make and execute contracts and agreements of any kind or nature;
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;

Director General and Board of Trustees

Mandate and Functions

GAD Corner

Strategic Map

Procurement

Careers

MEET OUR LEADERS

Our Board of Trustees acts as the governing body of PITAHC. They serve the best interest of our stakeholders by advocating for the Filipino people’s health and well-being through traditional and alternative Health Care.

HONORABLE

DR. TEODORO J. HERBOSA

Chairman

Secretary of Health

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

DR. JAIME CARLOS MONTOYA

Executive Director

Philippine Council for Health Research and Development

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

MS. NERMALIE M. LITA

Permanent Representative

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

J. Prospero E. De Vera III, DPA

Chairman

COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION

SECTORAL REPRESENTATIVES

DR. MARTIN DG. CAMARA

Physician, TAHC Practitioner

DR. ISIDRO SIA

Academe/Research Institute

Non-Physician, TAHC Practitioner

DR. RONALDO C. CRUZ

Philippine Medical Association

MR. EMMANUEL HUGH F. VELASCO II

Natural Food and Industry/Organic Food Industry

DR. ROBERT A. UMANDAP

Environmental Sector

The Philippine Institute of Traditional Health Care was established by virtue of Republic Act No. 8423, also known as “Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA) of 1997.” Under this, PITAHC is mandated “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.” In line with this, PITAHC envisions itself as an agency that will improve “People’s health through traditional and alternative health care.” Its mission is “to 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.” With the aim of achieving its goals, PITAHC performs the following functions:
1. Encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care systems that have direct impact on public health care;
2. 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. Develop and coordinate skills training courses for various forms of traditional and alternative health care modalities;
4. 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. 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. Formulate policies to strengthen the role of traditional and alternative health care delivery system; and
7. 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.

Gender and Development

Gender equality is a fundamental part of our mission. We seek to empower individuals while creating avenues for them to become active agents of change and development.

WHAT IS GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD)?
Gender and Development (GAD) refers to the development perspective and process that is participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices and contends that women are active agents of development, not just passive recipients of development;

HOW GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT STARTED
Gender and Development was developed in the 1980’s as an alternative to the Women in Development (WID) approach.

Unlike WID, the GAD approach is not concerned specifically with women, but with the way in which a society assigns roles, responsibilities, and expectations to both men and women.

GAD applies gender analysis to uncover the ways in which men and women work together, presenting results in neutral terms of economics and competence.

GAD focus primarily on two major frameworks, Gender Roles and Social Relations Analysis. Gender role focus on social construction of identities within the household, it also reveals the expectations from ‘maleness and femaleness’ in their relative access to resources. Social relations analysis exposes the social dimensions of hierarchical power relations imbedded in social institutions; also it’s determining influence on ‘the relative position of men and women in society. In an attempt to create gender equality, (denoting women having same opportunities as men, including ability to participate in the public sphere) GAD policies aim to redefine traditional gender role expectations.

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT IN PHILIPPINES
Philippine Plan for Gender and Development, 1995-2025, is a National Plan that addresses, provides and pursues full equality and development for men and women. Approved and adopted by former President Fidel V. Ramos as Executive No. 273, on September 8, 1995, it is the successor of the Philippine Development Plan for Women, 1989-1992 adopted by Executive No. 348 of February 17, 1989.

Three years after, DENR Administrative Order No. 98 – 15 dated May 27, 1998 came up as the Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of Gender and Development (GAD) Activities in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in order to strengthen the DENR GAD Focal Point System and accomplishing the GAD vision “Partnership of Empowered Men and Women for Sustainable Development”.

Republic Act No. 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women was approved on August 14, 2009 which mandates non-discriminatory and pro-gender equality and equity measures to enable women’s participation in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies and plan for national, regional and local development.

A Memorandum Circular No. 2011 – 01 dated October 21, 2011 was released addressing to all Government Departments including their attached agencies, offices, bureaus, State Universalities and Colleges (SUCs), Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) and all other government instrumentalities as their guidelines and procedures for the establishment, strengthening and institutionalization of the GAD Focal Point System (GFPS).

ANNUAL GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) PLAN AND BUDGET FY 2021

GENDER AND ANALYSIS MAINSTREAMING WORKSHOP

The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care abides by the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” It follows the principles of transparency, accountability, equity, efficiency and economy in its procurement process by disseminating equal bid opportunities to those interested. PITAHC opens competitive bidding to all parties who are interested in joining its mission of improving traditional and alternative health care in the country. You may access bidding invitations for current and ongoing projects here.
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Director General’s Corner