By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
PASIG CITY – Philip Cruz, based in Bacolod City and President of Herbanext Laboratory, on Wednesday (Oct. 9) disclosed that they have been for a long time engaged in aquaculture but in 2006 he decided to focus on this business kasi nakita ko po ang potential.
Fortunate that narecognize and gawa nya sa herbal products. 25 years in the herbaculture. This year, 130 employees ang involved.
During the Kapihan sa Metro East Media Forum organized by the PaMaMariSan-Rizal Press Corps and supported by Pinoy Ako advocacy group, Cruz said that Tawa-Tawa is really not that new the first report to treat Dengue is 49 years ago, pero ginagamit na sya sa Dengue at fever.
It’s well documented that maraming gumagamit sa bahay lang kaya we decided to make the first serious work.
Fortunately, the DOST has the “Tuklas Lunas” capacitating the academe and the researchers.
Nagproduce po kami ng extracts at standardardize and quality under the Tuklas Program.
Kahit tad-tad na ng studies, we cannot do anything because it has no therapeutic claims, but we know from the research that it really works.
Basically, yung inextract from dahon, fiber, oil, potential toxic, organic acid were extracted and made the extract, which is concentrated that can be taken easily.
Pharmaceutical products can be standardized which cannot be done on leaves such that what you receive that it is.
In a way, you are guaranteeing that what it is you can get, but it cannot be done only on leaves.
Cruz highlighting that herbal has a high potential. In short, we have unique sources and we don’t have rivals.
When we were colonized by the Americans, we were not interested with the herbals, but the Europeans continued with the herbals.
The DOST, under PCHRD, really infuses funds for research and study. The investment of DOST is in PHP1.5 billion is already the investment of DOST in Tuklas Lunas, research and study is not enough but nwith component of marketing with the help of DTI such as in Germany, DTI is promoting herbal products there.
More strategic in the industry is necessary such that the DOST is extending substantial amount interest free with Herbanext.
Herbal industry has big potential which is not yet known to many. Is there a plant in the Philippines that became of global significance in terms of medicines.
China, South America have developed many drugs from plants. So what’s the problem?
Two globally significant drugs not from plants, discovered in Iloilo electromizine and drugs related to electromizine – USS15 million a year which is only one compound, which the country does not get even a centavo.
One compound of Cannabinoid is worth PHP15 billion. That’s the problem now. We have many potential but we don’t convert them into medicinal drugs.
Ang problema itong mga companies that try to develop the industry, syempre above all kami lahat as I have mentioned marami ng ginawa. Samantalang maraming small companies na hindi naman nating nakikita sa mainstream media, grabe and kita nila.
That’s the problem now. How you host the herbal products without contradicting the regulations. Yun ang malaking problema namin – trying to do it right.
Talagang committed yung DOST to do this. Safe and effective. 3,000 plus ng medicinal plants sa Pilipinas, so far, may 30 ng lumusot na parang Lagundi, Sambong, ang kulang walang clinical study.
Gagastusan ng DOST ang pre-clinical study such that in the case of rats where enzymes are used or human cells to see kung effective na sya sa several case indications. So kumpleto ito lahat. Ang plano ng DOST, sila naman ang gumastos.
Maraming companies sa industry hindi nila Nakita na magbenefit sila sa P25 million per compound – walang guarantee na Maganda ang resulta ng clinical study.
PHP25 million na invested sa clinical study, baka five years bawi na yon. But if you look in the other countries such as the United States, private companies ang involved.
Walang nagiinvest sa much-needed clinical study. Proven and safe na ang herbal plants.
Cruz has proposed with the DOST-PCHRD. He suggested to pass it to the food products for the meantime. We know that it’s really in the provinces, radio stations generate a lot of profits from advertisements. Kailangan magadvertise ka.
“I’m sure kayo sa industriya nyo can play a big role in promoting the medicinal plants,” Cruz said.
Tawa-Tawa is a food supplement. “I think many doctors would not recommend the herbal products as their profession is at stake,” Cruz said, unless you invest on advertisements.
In “Tuklas Lunas”, we know the active ingredients so much so that we found the big difference in herbal plants.
He cited Oregano has good results such that many bacteria were eliminated. If you don’t have an idea in using tis herbal medicines, sometimes it’s effective, sometimes it’s not.
“I’m looking at it in an objective point into two groups. It could be that they may not be certified by the FDA. These products that are not registered because they destroy the industry. They are not doing it the right way, hence, there might be problems in the herbal industry,” Cruz said.
“There should really be a regulatory process that should be done,” he added.
Cruz admitted that the DOST has really helped them a lot in terms of trainings such as “Set up Program” which is three years to pay without interest and we had two set ups.
Business Innovation through Science and Technology, PHP11.7 million fully paid after three years. In Tuklas Lunas, DOST has invested PHP1.5 billion.
“I would say, wala na kong mahihiling pa,” Cruz said.
Machines were listed that the proponent presents to the DOST through the Tuklas Lunas. To some extent, baka we need to make some enabling laws and that would help.
Traditional medicine is such that at least 15 years of published information that it’s safe and effective. If expedited, when there are already “claims”, the consumers would believe it.
Phase 1 clinical study would at least show that it’s safe in the medical industry. In China, there are something 2 million farmers of medicinal plants and 1.5 million in India.
“We have an economy of scale, but we need the support,” Cruz said.
They have a project for the Aeta group in Zambales, but they need a “dryer”. The problem is that the workers who collate in the forests do not earn a living.
“It’s very important to protect our forests, for biodiversity,” Cruz said. There are several Banaba varieties in Zambales so much so that the “genetic benefits” are not appreciated.
One of their challenges in Tawa-Tawa is that if there’s Dengue, many people are lookmg for Tawa-Tawa, but if there’s no Dengue, nobody seems to be looking for it.
They are now expanding the market for Tawa-Tawa now not only for Dengue but for other applications.
“Serpentina” or “Sinta” hence many had misconceptions with the name, but its very effective for high blood, upper respiratory infection. It has hurdled the “first phase clinical study”. For the thousands who have taken Serpentina, it has been proven to be effective.
Pharmaceutical companies have difficulty in selling the herbal products because of the absence of “claims” for its efficacy.
Technology adaptors are the only things needed to commercialize Tawa-Tawa, Banaba, Sulasi, Balbas Pusa (Cat’s Whispers), Serpentina, and Mangosteen other extract-based food supplements, for kidney problems, kidney stones, creatinine as they are natural stones.
There are still many improvements that can be done in Lagundi.
Herbanext will turn 25 years old next year and they became “profitable” only last year. They joined “Tuklas Lunas” in 2013. They kept on investing in DOST’s Tuklas Lunas for several years which negated their profits.
Sambong or Lagundi with annual sales that only each would at least be PHP500 million.
Every one million Filipino who use herbal products can generate at least 5,000 jobs (farmers) earning PHP10,000 equivalent to PHP1 million.
“We have many natural resources here, na makakatulong sa atin. Dapat idevelop natin. Imarket natin. Ayaw nating mabalitang may nalason dahil sa Tawa-Tawa. Maraming potential problem, so we have to level up and look at this in a bigger picture, we are not helping the business, we are helping the farmers, we are protecting the environment,” Cruz said.
“Hopefully, other agency not only DOST, would provide for funding support at least on Phase 1 (clinical study), which is safety. If there would be enabling law for science-based industry,” he added.
