MANDATE
Republic Act 8423 (R.A. 8423) mandates the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) “to improve the quality and delivery of health care services to the Filipino people through the development of traditional and alternative health care and its integration into the national health care delivery system“.

VISION
“People’s health through traditional and alternative health care”

MISSION
“We lead in the research and development, promotion and advocacy, and development of standards on traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM); and we ensure its accessibility, availability, sustainability and integration into the national health care. system.”

FUNCTIONS
1. To encourage scientific research on and develop traditional and alternative health care systems that have direct impact on public health care;

2. To promote and advocate the use of traditional, alternative, preventive, and curative health care modalities that have been proven safe, effective, cost effective and consistent with government standards on medical practice;

3. To develop and coordinate skills training courses for various forms of traditional and alternative health care modalities;

4. To formulate standards, guidelines and codes of ethical practice appropriate for the practice of traditional and alternative health care as well as in the manufacture, quality control and marketing of different traditional and alternative health care materials, natural and organic products, for approval’ and adoption by the appropriate government agencies;

5. To formulate policies for the protection of indigenous and natural health resources and technology from unwarranted exploitation, for approval and adoption by the appropriate government agencies;

6. To formulate policies to strengthen the role of traditional and alternative health care delivery system; and

7. To promote traditional and alternative health care in international and national conventions, seminars and meetings in coordination with the Department of Tourism, Duty Free Philippines, Incorporated, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation and other tourism-related agencies as well as non-government organizations and local government units.