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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 10541 
Introduced by Representative Wilbert T. Lee 
AN ACT  
STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING THE SCIENCE-BASED PHILIPPINE 
HERBAL INDUSTRY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote the right to 
health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.1 Further, the State shall adopt 
an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to 
make essential goods, health, and other social services available to all the people at affordable 
cost.2  
Herbs and plants have a wide range of uses. They can be used as supplements or 
medicines to treat and improve the health of a person. The Department of Health (DOH) 
promotes the use of herbal medicine because it serves as a cheaper viable healthcare alternative. 
In a study published by the University of the Philippines National Health Science Journal, the 
cost of branded drugs is twenty-two (22) times higher than that of generic drugs compared to 
international reference prices. Despite existing laws like the Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008 
and the Generics Act of 1988, lower-income individuals still cannot afford several medicines 
such as antibiotics or maintenance medications for life-threatening diseases. Many Filipinos 
expressed willingness and resorted to receiving herbal medicine to treat their illness due to its 
effectiveness3, and it is more accessible and cheaper than Western medicine.4  
 Despite the benefits these medicinal plants can provide, the herbal medicine industry 
is currently facing challenges on the following: (1) lack of science-based claims to support 
1 1987 Constitution, Art. 2, Sec. 15.  
2 Art. 13, Sec. 11. 
3 Philippine News Agency (PNA), ‘Filipino patients now appreciating alternative medicine’, 09 November 2023, available at 
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1213382.  
4 Philippine Information Agency (PIA), ‘DOH promotes traditional medicine as cheap, viable healthcare alternative, 05 
January 2024, available at https://pia.gov.ph/features/2024/01/05/doh-promotes-traditional-medicine-as-cheap-viable-
healthcare-alternative. 
June 24, 2024
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product claims; (2) no standard for natural ingredients; (3) minimal implementation of good 
agricultural practices among agriculture sector; and (4) no centralized government-funded 
research and development studies and laboratory. Presently, the research arms for herbal 
medicine are scattered with different research institutions and there is no primary agency that 
focuses and specializes in exploring the potential medicinal use of Philippine-endemic plants. 
Moreover, there is no standard on the raw herbs and plants used for herbal medicine which 
greatly affects the quality of the same.  
The more medicinal plants and herbs are researched and discovered, the more our 
countrymen can enjoy the benefits of the same at a much cheaper cost which makes healthcare 
more affordable and accessible to more people. However, only 10 herbs have been promoted 
by the Department of Health (DOH) as a component of Primary Health Care since 1997. The 
herbs promoted are the following: Bawang, Sambong, Tsaang-gubat, Ampalaya, Yerba Buena, 
Ulasimang bato, Bayabas, Akapulko, Lagundi and Niyog-niyogan. The number of promoted 
herbs is undeniably low for the 1,008 Philippines-endemic plants in the Philippines that can be 
potentially used for the health benefit of a person.5  
The bill proposes to institutionalize the National Herbal Medicine Research Institute 
(NHMRI) which specializes and focuses on discovering the medicinal potential of Philippine-
endemic herbs and plants backed up by science and evidence-based research. The aim is for 
the NHMRI under the DOH to promote and aggressively increase herbs and medicinal plants 
that can be used by the public for occasions and cases determined by the (NHMRI) with the 
vision of mainstreaming of herbal medicine. To achieve this, training for proper growing, 
cultivation, and harvesting of medicinal herbs and plants is formulated to ensure the quality of 
the raw materials used for herbal medicines to reach their maximum potential.  
This representation believes filing this measure is a big step towards the goal of 
Filipinos having more accessible and affordable healthcare. Developing and expanding the 
production of more herbal medicines for primary healthcare services will reduce our reliance 
on pharmaceutical imports and improve the availability of medicines even in remote or 
geographically isolated areas. We are pushing for the integration of herbal medicines into 
mainstream clinical practice by conducting research, both non-clinical and clinical towards a 
science-based herbal medicine industry. 
 HON. WILBERT T. LEE 
  Representative 
AGRI PARTYLIST
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The 
Manila 
Times, 
‘Experts 
press 
for 
update 
on 
traditional 
medicine 
law’, 
06 
April 
2018, 
available 
at 
https://www.manilatimes.net/2018/04/06/business/agribusiness/experts-press-for-update-on-traditional-medicine-law/390668. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 10541 
Introduced by Representative Wilbert T. Lee 
AN ACT  
STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING THE SCIENCE-BASED PHILIPPINE 
HERBAL INDUSTRY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
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assembled: 
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Sec. 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Herbal Medicine Industry 
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Development Act”  
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy.  – It is hereby declared to the policy of the State, in 
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accordance with the Constitution, that the promotion of herbal medicine is essential in offering 
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cheaper viable health care alternatives. The State shall protect and promote the people's right 
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to health and instill health consciousness among them. 
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The State also recognizes that centralized research and development is important to 
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maximize and discover the potential of Philippines-endemic herbs and plants to be used for the 
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health benefits it could give to the public. The State further recognizes that promotion and 
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centralized research for herbal medicine is an integrated and comprehensive approach to health 
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development, making healthcare services available to all people at affordable cost. It is hereby 
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declared as a policy of the State to conduct centralized research for the discovery of the 
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potential of Philippine endemic medicinal herbs and plants.  
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Sec. 3. Definition – As used in this Act, the following terms are defined, as follows:
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1. Beneficial herb – refers to herbs in its unprocessed form that have benefits in the
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health of a person such as relaxation, comfort, and pain reliever, and can serve as a
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household remedy for non-complicated cases through traditional application.
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2.
Herbal medicines" - finished, labelled, medicinal products that contain as active
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ingredient/s serial or underground part/s of plant or other materials or combination
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thereof, whether in the crude state or as plant preparations.
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Sec. 4. National Herbal Medicine Research Institute (NHMRI) – This act hereby 
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mandates institutionalizing, establishing, operating, and maintaining NHMRI to implement 
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and attain the declared national policy. The Institute, an attached agency of the Department of 
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Health (DOH), undertakes extensive research about herbal medicine and beneficial herbs and 
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promotion of its use.  
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The NHMRI shall be composed of experts on herbs within the academe and herbal sector 
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about herbal medicine and beneficial herbs, and other matters related to its which are necessary 
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for discovering and venturing the potential of herbs that can be found in the Philippines. 
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Sec. 5. Duties and Functions – The NHMRI shall have the following duties and functions: 
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a.
To serve as the office for centralized research and development with its lens focused
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on herbal medicine and beneficial herbs;
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b. To conduct extensive and science-based research on the potential of herbs and
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medicinal plants found in the Philippines to be used as herbal medicine and beneficial
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herbs with the end in view to progressively increase the number of promoted herbs to
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the public;
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c.
To formulate modules and training courses that are necessary for the manufacturers to
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bring out the best potential of a herbal medicine, and for the farmers to properly grow,
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develop, and harvest herbs which is vital in the production of an effective herbal
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medicine;
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d. Promote partnerships among research institutes and organizations to generate more
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scientific evidence to substantiate and validate claims of natural products and
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ingredients;
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e.
Technology transfer for sustainable organic farming and propagation;
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f.
Acquisition and use of appropriate equipment and machinery to boost industry
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capacities;
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g. Provide assistance to institutions in attaining various certifications accepted and
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recognized by the international market;
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h. Close coordination of securing investments in the development of natural products and
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ingredients industries;
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i.
Establishment of centralized facilities for R&D studies.
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Sec. 6. Information Campaign - The NHMRI shall widely disseminate information, 
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findings, and knowledge about herbs in general, to educate the public and promote its medicinal 
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use. it shall include information on how to use an herb as a household remedy for simple and 
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non-complicated cases and a guide for simple traditional and complimentary medicine. 
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Sec. 7. Appropriation - The amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (P500,000,000) is 
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hereby allotted for this purpose as initial funding. Thereafter, the sum necessary for its 
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implementation shall be in the General Appropriations Act. 
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Sec. 8. Non-Impairment Clause. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to diminish, 
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impair, or repeal rights recognized, granted, or made available to disadvantaged, marginalized, 
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or specific sectors under existing laws. 
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Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any part or provision of this Act is 
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declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected thereby shall 
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remain in full force and effect. 
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Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, rules and 
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regulations or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are 
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hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
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Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
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the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
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