Ayta community of Barangay Tongko, Tayabas, Quezon. Ethnopharmacological study of the Philippine ethnolinguistic groups: the Ayta of Tongko, Tayabas, Quezon. University of the Philippines Manila 2009.
Ethnopharmacological study of the Philippine ethnolinguistic groups: the Ayta of Tongko, Tayabas, Quezon
ABSTRACT
An ethnopharmacological study of the Ayta people in Barangay Tongko, Tayabas, Quezon, Philippines was conducted from November 2008 to March 2009. The study covers the documentation of the ethnopharmacological knowledge and indigenous healing practices of the Ayta people.
Information was gathered from 7 female herbal medicine vendors and 4 male respondents from the community. A total of 67 plants and 1 animal product were documented. Documentation included the local names, therapeutic indications, plant parts used, method of preparation, direction for use, precautionary measures, source of information, and other significant data. The plants were identified by their scientific names, where applicable.
Eight (8) plants were reportedly used to induce menstrual flow, 8 for cough, 7 for abdominal pain or stomachache, and 6 for arthritis, among others.
The primary source of income for the women in the community is selling herbal medicine and healing the various conditions of their customers. Further studies must be conducted to comprehensively document the people’s beliefs and practices, not limited to health and healing. With the extinction of their language and the impact of neighboring dominant ethnolinguistic groups, encouragement is strongly recommended for the youth to learn and promote their culture, which has been insufficiently examined.
Coordinates: 14.0313906, 122.11309089999997