The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that more focus should be given to advance research and knowledge on medicinal plants and forest trees in the country.
The agency, at the Asean Conference on Medicinal Forest Trees held earlier this month, said such is needed to boost the awareness of their benefits and optimize the use of these resources .
Apart from inadequate research support, the DENR also said there is a dearth of published literature on medicinal forest trees and substantial threat
to vital medicinal forest tree species presented by forest degradation and habitat loss .
Maria Lourdes Ferrer, ERDB director, said these issues need to be integrated into the DENR research, development and extension agenda while continuing the collection of data on medicinal forest trees and the conduct of ethnobotanical and pharmacological research.
The DENR said an improved information and education campaign on the medicinal value of forest trees will also be done to enhance science communication as the publication of research results will continue to raise awareness and encourage the use of these valuable resources.
According to a study of medicinal plants used by the Manobo tribe of Agusan del Sur published in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine in March 2020, more than 1,500 medicinal plants used by traditional healers have been documented thus far.
Of this number, 120 plants have been scientifically validated for safety and efficacy.
