Abstract

ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY OF SELECTED MEDICAL PLANTS USED IN CHILDREN OF MABILONG AND BOTBOT TRIBE IN KALINGA, PHILIPPINES

Mangali, Glen R.*, Evangelista, Luisito, Bawer, Maria Cyrila C.

ABSTRACT

Plants have impacted the lives of humans both in food and medicine. Various ethnic groups practice indigenous knowledge to cure illness and prolong the lives of human in Kalinga Tribe. Although traditional medicine is the primary health care in Kalinga, little work has been done to promote and document the Indigenous Knowledge of medicinal plants of different tribes living in this area. The study was conducted to have an ethnobotanical survey of selected of medical plants used in curing diseases in children of Kalinga Tribe. Ethnobotanical data on traditional medicines were collected. Guided field work, interview, focus group discussion and field observation were used to verify and crosscheck captured information. Qualitative and quantitative ethnobotanical methods were used to analyze the data. A total of 12 plants were reported to have medicinal uses from the study area. The study accounted the presence of medicinal plants rooted in their traditional and indigenous knowledge. It supported the occurrences of plant-based medicinal transferred through generations.

Keywords: Ethnobotanical survey, medicinal plants, Kalinga Tribe, Indigenous Knowledge.