The already-storied reputation of Science research in the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology has chalked up another milestone: the Institute has been selected to host the country’s first central research program to find natural substances to cure illnesses.
The Institute in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) opened the first “Tuklas Lunas Center,” the facility to harness indigenous natural substances for medicine.
MSU-IIT’s selection is based on its sterling track record and resource capabilities. It will host the center for Mindanao. Two other centers in Luzon and the Visayas will have yet to be opened.
Seventeen still-to-be-identified regional health research facilities will support the three centers and will also collaborate with the MSU-IIT on educational and research matters.
News was gathered from DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya as cited in the article by Alexander Villafania (“ MSU opens first R&D center for natural medicine”)
The DOST project, immersed in the development of local plants for medicine biotechnology development, could be worth billions of pesos and should stamp the Philippines’ R&D mark in medical technologies worldwide.
The Philippines is endemic to various plant species like the lagundior chaste tree (vitex negundo) and sambong or blumea (Blumea balsamifera) that have components which when extracted can be developed into cough syrups and kidney stone removers, respectively. Other drugs for dengue and tuberculosis can also be extracted from our indigenous plants.
Topics : research & extension