While
pharmaceutical drugs are taken in when
common illnesses strike, indigenous knowledge in three provinces comprised
traditional rice varieties (TVRs) as home remedies.
In the “Ethnoguided Survey
and Collection of Philippine Medicinal Traditional Rice Varieties,” 18 rice
varieties were identified as medicinal in Palawan, North Cotabato, and
Zamboanga del Norte. Across three sites, TRVs are used to treat fever, cough,
measles, stomach ache, and diarrhea.
Floper Gershwin Manuel,
research lead, said that in Rizal, Palawan, the community herbalist who is
regularly consulted for various illnesses, identified munahan, minandiris,
and pindinga as medicinal.
“The roots of Munahan is
used to treat urinary tract infection; the grains and leaves of Minandiris
or Binaritos are believed to regain men’s virility and treat herpes;
while the roots, leaves, and grains of Pindinga are supposed to cure
allergy, itchiness, and bloating,” Mr. Manuel explained.
Mr. Manuel, an
anthropologist, noted the common belief of preparing grains in odd number,
specifically, in most cases, seven grains. In treating itchiness thru Pindinga,
for example, decoction is produced by boiling seven grains.
“This could be because in
Pythagorean era, odd numbers were related to origins of diseases,” he said.
According to the senior
science research specialist, locals use rice as medicine because it is readily
available within the neighborhood and is much cheaper than the generic drugs.
Moreover, crossing rivers 2-12 times to reach the nearest health center compels
them to try household remedies before seeking physician’s help.
In Arakan Valley, Manobo
elders shared that Dinorado, Bagtok, and Sawwi are used in
treating indigestion and other sicknesses including those that may have been
caused by “supernatural” powers.
To treat indigestion, Manuel
said that patients chew few pieces of raw rice grain. However, community
herbalist informed that rice cannot be eaten when suffering from other
sickness.
In dealing with sickness
caused by supernatural or “magic,” the community herbalist, who performs
rituals and incants prayers, serves the cooked black variety of Bagtok
to the patient. Moreover, the white variety of Sawwi is used in
recovering strength from sickness.
In Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga
del Norte, Magaraya is known to treat fever, stomach pains, diarrhea,
colds, cough, measles, body pains, and any illness.
During field work, Mr. Manuel
interviewed a mother who shared that nine of her children have never been
confined to a hospital and that they were only treated with traditional/herbal
medicine.
He also said that the
municipal doctor in this town noted the use of Magaraya as medicine,
although it is not included among the country’s Philippine traditional
medicines.
“[The doctor] said that
patients only come [to the health center] when they have not yet recovered from
their illnesses three or seven days of suffering. If he asks them what they
have taken so far, they just say ‘tambal (herbal) only’, maragaya,”
he shared.
Mr. Manuel added that
ethnobotanical studies confirm that certain plants such as TRVs have role in
the healthcare system of some communities for long time, providing benchmark
for scientists to explore opportunities that these plant species may have to
offer.
Meanwhile, PhilRice food scientist
Marissa Romero said that TRVs, which are usually pigmented, is rich in
antioxidants such as phenolic compounds, vitamin E derivatives, and y-oryzanol
that are effective free radical scavengers.
“There are claims about the
medicinal benefits of rice but in the Philippines, we have yet to conduct
clinical studies to verify these properties,” Romero said.
Similar study conducted by
Rosa Mia Cabanting and Loida Perez are published in Journal of
Ethnopharmacology 2016.
For more information about this
study, the lead researcher can be reached through flop.gershwin @gmail.com. (PhilRice)
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