Ethnomedicinal Study of Medicinal Plants Used by the Indigenous Bago People of Sudipen, La Union, Philippines
Bagayao B., Abiqui E.M
Abstract:
Context: Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is rapidly declining among ethnic groups in the Philippines, which requires urgent documentation. Objectives: This study aimed to document and quantitatively analyze the medicinal plants used by the Bago indigenous people of Sudipen, La Union. Methods: A mixed qualitative-quantitative ethnomedicinal survey was conducted among 18 key informants with a mean age of 74.2 years; 10 females, 8 males, selected purposively with the assistance of Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMR) per barangay. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with the different IPMRs. Quantitative indices including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), and Fidelity Level (FL) were calculated. Plant documentations were authenticated by an agriculturist. Results: A total of 107 medicinal plant species from 56 families were documented, treating 80 ailments. Fabaceae (11 species) was the dominant family. Leaves (66%) and decoction (55%) were the most utilized plant part and preparation method, respectively. The overall ICF was 0.73, with infectious diseases achieving perfect consensus (ICF=1.00). Persea americana showed the highest UV (0.78), while Lagerstroemia speciosa demonstrated the highest FL (92.31%) for genitourinary diseases. Conclusion: The Bago community possesses a rich and well-preserved ethnomedicinal knowledge system characterized by strong informant consensus. The documented plants, particularly those with high quantitative indices, warrant further phytochemical and pharmacological validation.
Keywords: Bago tribe, ethnomedicinal plants; quantitative indices; Sudipen; La Union; Philippines
Bagayao B., Abiqui E.M
Abstract:
Context: Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is rapidly declining among ethnic groups in the Philippines, which requires urgent documentation. Objectives: This study aimed to document and quantitatively analyze the medicinal plants used by the Bago indigenous people of Sudipen, La Union. Methods: A mixed qualitative-quantitative ethnomedicinal survey was conducted among 18 key informants with a mean age of 74.2 years; 10 females, 8 males, selected purposively with the assistance of Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMR) per barangay. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with the different IPMRs. Quantitative indices including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), and Fidelity Level (FL) were calculated. Plant documentations were authenticated by an agriculturist. Results: A total of 107 medicinal plant species from 56 families were documented, treating 80 ailments. Fabaceae (11 species) was the dominant family. Leaves (66%) and decoction (55%) were the most utilized plant part and preparation method, respectively. The overall ICF was 0.73, with infectious diseases achieving perfect consensus (ICF=1.00). Persea americana showed the highest UV (0.78), while Lagerstroemia speciosa demonstrated the highest FL (92.31%) for genitourinary diseases. Conclusion: The Bago community possesses a rich and well-preserved ethnomedicinal knowledge system characterized by strong informant consensus. The documented plants, particularly those with high quantitative indices, warrant further phytochemical and pharmacological validation.
Keywords: Bago tribe, ethnomedicinal plants; quantitative indices; Sudipen; La Union; Philippines
