Gabriel Ibis and Aera Cassandra Ramos

The caring, discerning touch of a mother holds a special place in a person’s heart—and a mother and daughter legacy have made it their goal to touch the lives of ailing Filipinos through affordable and locally-derived medicine.


As Mother’s Day draws near, few legacies shine brighter than those built on compassion, care, and continuity between generations of women in medicine. 

At the University of the Philippines Manila, this nurturing spirit is more than symbolic—it is institutional. 

Through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its daughter institute, the Institute of Herbal Medicine (IHM), a mother’s love is being passed on not only through family but through Filipino healthcare systems themselves.

Since its inception in 1996, the IHM has developed numerous accessible products made from plants native to the Philippines. 

For example, remedies such as lagundi for clearing the lungs and pansit-pansitan for combating gout offer Filipinos sustainable and affordable alternatives in healthcare.

This journey began even earlier.

As early as 1977, the National Integrated Research Program on Medicinal Plants in the Philippines (NIRPROMP) of the then-National Science and Technology Authority (NSTA) initiated research into the medicinal potential of sambong and lagundi. 

Leading this effort were physician-scientist Nelia Cortes-Maramba and co-researcher Conrado Dayrit, whose work resulted in the development of a tablet form of lagundi medicine by 1993.

Building on these early successes, by 1999 NIRPROMP had created lagundi cough syrup, now a staple in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Importantly, the development of herbal medicine did not occur in isolation. 

Cortes-Maramba’s legacy continues as her daughter, physician and IHM director Cecilia Maramba-Lazarte, follows in her footsteps by developing similar plant-based health solutions.

As lagundi became institutionalized as a mainstream cough and cold remedy, research expanded to include other herbal remedies through the work of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the successor to the NSTA. 

In particular, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of DOST has been instrumental in channeling grant-funded research to NIRPROMP and IHM.

Under the leadership of Maramba-Lazarte, the IHM has become the new face of NIRPROMP, spearheading the development of medicines from plants such as akapulco, ampalaya, tsaang gubat, yerba buena, sambong, and, most recently, pansit-pansitan.

Known locally as ulasimang bato, pansit-pansitan has long been used in traditional settings, and recent findings by the Institute of Herbal Medicine have vindicated its effectiveness as an anti-uricemic agent and gout inhibitor

Before finding use in medicinal products, these plants were used in herbal teas, as spices, or as the common albularyo’s medication. 

Along with lagundi, these plants have already found limited recognition as herbal medicines; however,  clinical trials are yet to be performed to ensure their medicinal effectiveness.

As these research initiatives merge traditional knowledge with modern science, they embody a living heritage in the field of herbal medicine. 

This integrated approach ensures that healthcare is not only scientifically validated but also culturally resonant, tailored to the specific needs and resources of the Philippines.

Grounded in traditional practices, the National Institutes of Health have refined what is existing through rigorous controlled studies.

In each herbal capsule or syrup derived from IHM’s research, there echoes a maternal care that began decades ago. 

It is a model of healing that honors our roots, our mothers, and the countless women who remain at the forefront of health and caregiving in the country.

Through these endeavors, a healthcare model which is both scientifically validated and culturally resonant is being built—one that, like a mother’s embrace, protects, nourishes, and endures.