TRADITIONAL Filipino medicine has endured centuries of colonization. Now, modern science can shed a different light on these ancient and oftentimes misunderstood practices, showing us that there are always new things to learn from the old ways.

'There are plants that are being used historically but whose potential have been overlooked until now because of the way we favor particular forms of healing over others,' explains Felipe Jocano Jr., assistant professor at the University of the Philippines–Diliman Department of Anthropology.

Filipino scientists may be on the right track toward utilizing traditional medicinal plants used to treat diseases. At the University of the Philippines–Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS), researchers have discovered the potential of some medicinal plants as possible cures for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

UPD-CS Institute of Biology Science research specialist Regina Joyce Ferrer and her team discovered the potential of the putak in killing drug-resistant cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. Putak is commonly used by indigenous Filipino communities to treat stomach aches and binat.

On the other hand, a group of scientists from the UPD-CS Institute of Chemistry led by Dr. Evangeline Amor, identified ten plants from Northern Samar that could potentially be used as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases: leaves from the sinta, atis, langka, dollarweed and sampa-sampalukan; stems from luya-luyahan and dapdap; and bark from dapdap, balibago and santol. Indigenous communities often use these plants to treat ailments such as fever, skin diseases such as boils and wounds, abscesses, dysentery, abdominal pain, cough, kidney stones, hepatic disorders, and ringworms.