by Maffy C. Patio
(Original article published in the UP Diliman OVCRD Website: https://ovcrd.upd.edu.ph/news/events/70/a-window-to-the-philippines-rich-indigenous-healing-tradition-ma)
A study that aims to create a unique repository of the Philippines’ medicinal knowledge and practices is also helping preserve local languages.
Noam Chomsky once remarked that ‘language is a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is.’ This idea has since become widely recognized as a fundamental principle of how language shapes community identity.
But, what happens when languages that hold vast knowledge of the Philippines’ healing traditions and medicinal plants begin to disappear? This urgent question is at the heart of a cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary project by the Philippine Apothecarium led by Ma. Mercedes G. Planta, PhD, professor at Department of History at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). The project, which leverages the social sciences in conservation and sustainable development brings together a team of experts including professors from the Department of Linguistics, Jesus Federico Hernandez, Jem Roque Javier, PhD, and Michael Manahan, and professor from the Department of Anthropology, Madilene Landicho. Their study “Mapping Medicinal Knowledges and Practices: Traditional Botanicals of Select Philippine Ethnolinguistic Groups, 16th to the 20th Century,” is supported by the Forest Foundation Philippines.
Planta, a professor, scientist, and an accomplished scholar who currently heads the History and Geography Section of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), highlights the importance of studying Philippine traditional medicine during the Spanish colonial period. Further, she particularly acknowledged the vital role of preserving the languages associated with it. With the Philippine Apothecarium, Planta contends that knowledge of medicinal plants is at risk of disappearing alongside endangered languages. To mitigate this, their study aims not only to document local medicinal plants but also to preserve the unique Filipino linguistic heritage associated with them. This initiative is particularly timely, coinciding with the United Nations (UN) declaration 2022-2032 as International Decade of Indigenous Languages emphasizing the importance of indigenous languages and local medicinal knowledge for sustainable development.
The research is set against the historical backdrop of the Spanish colonial period when local healing practices were systematically marginalized. The Spanish often dismissed Philippine traditional medicine as superstitious, which led to its gradual decline. Western influences further eroded these practices by dismissing them as unscientific. According to Planta, “As traditional practices declined, so did the associated local languages, exacerbated by globalization and the dominance of major languages. Ultimately, the marginalization of traditional medicine has significantly contributed to the loss of cultural identity and linguistic diversity.”
Hence, the research highlights the crucial relationship between linguistic diversity and biodiversity, especially in the Philippines, where many languages are critically endangered. While most plant species linked to unique linguistic knowledge remain intact, the languages themselves are at risk. According to Planta, “the loss of these languages threatens both local medicinal knowledge and biodiversity.” She illustrates these connections by citing the works of Harold C. Conklin on the Mangyans of Mindoro who can identify over 450 animal species and 1,500 plants. This demonstrates their sophisticated knowledge system that surpasses Western classifications. However, Hanundo, the language of the Mangyans, is critically endangered as younger generations lose literacy in the language, placing invaluable knowledge at risk. Planta stresses that this “language loss directly threatens the preservation of local knowledge, particularly local medicinal knowledge.”
The project was inspired by Planta’s book “Traditional Medicine in the Colonial Philippines, 16th to the 19th century.” The book was recognized as “Best Book in Science” at the National Book Awards in the Philippines in 2018, and in 2022, it was a finalist for “Best Book in History at the Filipino Readers Choice Award.
It was the history of Philippine traditional plants and medicines and its correlation to our local languages related to medicinal plants that influenced the research. “The relationship between linguistic diversity and biodiversity is crucial, particularly in the Philippines, where many languages are critically endangered. While most plant species linked to unique linguistic knowledge remain intact, the languages themselves are critically endangered. This research suggests that the loss of these languages threatens both local medicinal knowledge and biodiversity,” said Planta.
Planta’s original research builds on the pioneering works of Francisco Ignacio Alcina, Manuel Blanco, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, and Leon Ma. Guerrero who documented Philippine medicinal plants from precolonial times to the present. These works illustrate the connection between traditional and modern medicinal knowledge and practices.
Historian Paula De Vos of San Diego State University in her review of Planta’s book notes that research of this kind plays a vital role in “contributing to a larger, global database … and towards a larger understanding of medicine in the Spanish empire.” Recently, Planta collaborated with the research team of Daniel Margocsy, a professor from the University of Cambridge, for the project “Digitizing Philippine Flora”. This connection aligns with the broader goal of preserving and sharing Philippine botanical knowledge on a global scale.
The UN warns that by the end of the 21st century, 30% of the 7,400 languages on the planet may vanish. Planta and the Philippine Apothecarium are committed to preserving knowledge of Philippine medicinal plants, unlocking potential for innovative therapies, while ensuring that our languages and history endure.
SDG Goals:
Good Health and Well-Being
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
Further Information:
- Dr. Ma. Mercedes G. Planta
- mgplanta@up.edu.ph
