Manila, March 28 -- The Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) field office here is eyeing to surpass this year its 11.9 million tablets of herbal medicines produced in 2024 due to growing demand.

Maria Venus Apolonio, Tacloban plant manager of the Department of Health-PITAHC, on Friday said their increased production is buoyed by increasing demand from DOH regional offices, particularly in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), where there is intensified distribution of non-synthetic drugs in rural health centers.

"Our production has been increasing every year as we follow the trend for organic produce, prioritizing natural over synthetic medicines," Apolonio said in an interview.

The facility produces an average...