Name of Plant: Tuba-Tuba

Tuba-tuba (Jatropha curcas), also known locally as tubang bakod, sambo, tawa-
tawa, tagumbao, kalunay, kasla and tangan-tangan, has been used by old folks to
treat muscle pain, sprains, rheumatism and arthritis. It is a perennial shrub,
which can grow up to 3 to 8 meters in height. The leaf size ranges from 6 to 15 cm
in length and width. The shrub bears a non-edible nut, composed of about 30% oil,
which can be used to produce bio-fuel. It is drought-resistant and grows on any type
of soil. It can be propagated either by seeds or stem cuttings.

Therapeutic Use & Formulation:

3 tips of using and applying tuba-tuba leaves:

 Clean the leaves. Do not forget to wash the leaves under the running water
because there may many germs or bacterium.

 Consume them sufficiently. We should follow the consumption suggestion so

that we get the benefit of consuming them and have best results.

 Consult health expert. We should consult with the herbal expert related to the
benefits of consuming tuba-tuba leaves as well as how to apply them and their
nutrition.

1. Healing Uric Acid.

Uric acid usually attacks elderly men. However, young men and young women are
possible to suffer from this illness. Tuba-tuba leaves can solve the problem of uric
acid. We can boil 10 pieces of tuba-tuba leaves which are already old but the color
are still green and fresh (not brown or dry) with a glass of water. After it is warm, we
can drink it twice a day.

2. Healing Diabetes.
Another benefit of tuba-tuba leaves is for curing diabetes. The level of high blood
sugar in our body can be neutralized by drinking the boiling water of tuba-tuba
leaves because it can level down the level of blood sugar into its normal level.
3. Curing Cancer.
Tuba-tuba leaves are powerful to cure cancer. Take 10 pieces of old tuba-tuba
leaves. Boil them with 3 glasses of water until it becomes 1 glass. Drink it twice a
day every day for 2 weeks. They are said stronger than chemotherapy because they
are powerful to diminish the growth of abnormal cells and facilitate the normal cells
to grow well. The sap of the jathropa curcas (Tuba-Tuba) includes among its
components an alkaloid called jatrophine which is believed to have anti-cancer
properties.

4. Lowering High Blood Level.

Hypertension is a dangerous condition because it can invite another disease to our
body, for example is stroke. For lowering high blood pressure, drinking the boiling
water of tuba-tuba leaves is a good idea.

5. Asthma and Hard Breathing Medicine.

Prepare 7 pieces of tuba-tuba leaves. Squeeze those leaves and hold the water until
it reaches more or less a half glass. Drink it every morning until you feel better.

6. Curing Stomach Ache or Ulcer/Sore.

Take 8 pieces of old medium tuba-tuba leaves. Wash them with warm water.
Squeeze them until they are half smooth. Apply the potion on ulcer area. Let the
potion dry. After that clean the ulcer area. The leaves can also be used as a liniment
to treat stomach ache. Get 8 pieces of old medium tuba-tuba leaves, steam in at
least 10 seconds then place leaves in the stomach area and wrap it with clean cloth.
Let the wrap stay there for 2 hours.

7. For curing Acnes.

Mashed tuba-tuba leaves. After it is smooth, add water and apply the potion on the
acnes area. Wait until the skin pores absorb the potion then wash with warm water.
This potion is often used by people in the old times to keep their face beautiful.

8. Mild Cough Medicine.

For curing mild cough, prepare 7 leaves of young tuba-tuba leaves. Squeeze them
and hold the water in the glass. Drink it every morning before eating or drinking
anything.

9. Curing Back/Muscle Pain & Sprain.

Tuba-tuba leaves can also be used for curing back pain. Prepare 20 pieces of tuba-
tuba leaves. Boil them with 5 glasses of water until it becomes 3 glasses of water.
Drink it 3/4 glass once a day.

Following is the procedure for using tuba-tuba as a treatment for muscle ailments. It
is recommended that this be done at night so that the healing process takes place
while asleep.
1. Select a healthy, mature leaf, and remove the stem. Wash with tap water, and
wipe dry. The number of leaves to be used will depend on the size of the leaf
and the area of the skin to be covered. Place the leaf on a thin towel. Use a
larger towel if two or more leaves are used.
2. Cover the leaf with another towel.

3. Heat the leaf using a flat iron. Take care not to burn the leaf.

4. Rub virgin coconut oil over the surface of the leaf, while it is still hot.
 5. Place the leaf over the sore area, and cover it with a bandage cloth. Leave
overnight.

6. Remove the leaf immediately in the morning, and discard it. You will notice
that the leaf will have turned dry and crispy by then. Wash the skin area with
soap and lukewarm water.
7. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

10. Curing Eczema and Rheumatic.

Prepare 5 pieces of young or old tuba-tuba leaves. Squeeze them using our hands
until they are smooth. Apply the potion in a painful area for a while. After 1 hour
application, clean the potion.
11. Medicine for Hemorrhoids.
One of traditional medications for hemorrhoids is tuba-tuba leaves. Boil 10 pieces of
tuba-tuba leaves with 3 glasses of water until it becomes 1 glass. Drink the potion
once a day.

12. Diminishing Lice.

Tuba-tuba leaves can also be used to diminish the lice. Its power is the same
powerful as the chemical medication made by the factory. Boil the old tuba-tuba
leaves and use the water for washing the hair. Do it routinely.

13. Curing Liver Problem.

To cure liver problem, boil 7 pieces of tuba-tuba leaves with 3 glasses of water until it
becomes 1 glass. Drink it at once. Drink it routinely twice a day before sleeping.

14. Skin Face Regeneration.

Tuba-tuba leaves can also be used for skin face regeneration. Take 8 pieces of
tuba-tuba leaves. Boil them with 3 glasses of water until it becomes 1 glass. Drink
this potion twice a week routinely until one feels the difference.

15. Removing the Blackheads.

Blackheads are sort of acnes that are produced by excessive oil in our skin pores.
Blackheads are usually found in our face, back, arms, chest, and shoulders. Tuba-
tuba leaves are powerful for removing the blackheads. Take 5 pieces of green tuba-
tuba leaves. Wash them and mashed them until they are smooth. Apply the potion in
a blackheads area every night before sleeping.

16. Preventing Infection.

Tuba-tuba leaves are powerful for preventing infection.The common symptom of
infection is fever. Because tuba-tuba leaves are rich with high antioxidant, they are
powerful for curing infection. Prepare 5 pieces of tuba-tuba leaves. Boil them with 5
glasses of water until it becomes 1 glass. Drink the potion once a day.

17. Eradicating Tumor.

Tumor is an illness because there is an inflammation in our body. Every inflammation
(dangerous or not) can be called as a tumor because it is the place for the abnormal
cells to grow. Tuba-tuba leaves are rich of Acetogenis. The substance can eradicate
the abnormal cells that causes tumor without influencing the other cells. Take 11
pieces of tuba-tuba leaves. Boil them in 2 glasses of water until it becomes a half
glass. Drink this potion regularly before sleeping. Do this routinely for two months
until one feels the changes.

18. Poultice for Snakebites or Insecticide.

Pounded fresh leaves may be applied as poultice for snakebites or may be used as
insecticide.

Indication:

Tuba-tuba leaves are powerful for medication because they contain substances that
are effective for medication.
24 properties of tuba-tuba leaves for medication:
 Antibacterial : For hampering the grow of bacterium.
 Antivirus: For hampering the grow of viruses.
 Anticancer: For hampering the cancers development.
 Antitumor: For hampering the tumors development
 Antiparasite: For hampering the parasites development
 Antimalaria: Preventing malaria
 Antileishmania: Antileishmania
 Antispasmodic: Substances that makes our muscles relax.
 Astrigen: Substance that collapses mucuous membrane.
 Antimutagenic: Substance that hampers gen mutation.
 Analgesic: Substance that reduce the pain.
 Anti-inflammation: Substance that suppress inflammation.
 Medication for Fever: Substance that can reduce the fever.
 Hypotension: Substance that lowers the blood pressure.
 Hypoglycemic: Substance that lowers the blood sugar.
 Nervin: Substance for strengthening nerve.
 Cardiodepressant: Substance for pressing the heart activity.
 Galactogogue: Substance that can increase the production of breast milk.
 Vasodilator: Substance that makes our blood vessel wider.
 Diuretic: The emetik of aurine
 Tranquilizers: Substance that calms us.
Reflection:

Nature is God’s gift to us, and it is our best defense against diseases. It is
now time that we harness its medicines rather than to rely and to be highly
dependent on synthetic drugs alone. He gave us plants not only to serve as food
but as cure for our illnesses. It is imperative for us to view these things not as mere
incidentals but as a grand design that shows the completeness of His work. Tuba-
tuba leaves are indeed rich of substances that are powerful for curing mild and
dangerous diseases. Knowing the usage and application of them will bring more
benefit.

Moreover, aside from the tuba-tuba's medicinal properties, there are also
other benefits that can be derived from this plant. These are:

1) The oil extracted from the plant's seeds, aside from being an alternative to fuel
can also be used in the process of soap making. It was in the news a few years ago
as the oil can be processed from its seeds was discovered as an alternative to fuel
and is now being cultivated as a rich source of biodiesel. The seeds contain 27-40%
oil (average: 34.4%) that can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel,
usable in a standard diesel engine.
2) Extract from the plant's roots can be processed as yellow dye while the extract
from its barks can be processed to produce blue dye.
3) The seeds can be pounded and used for tanning.
4) The plant itself can be used to prevent soil erosion.
5) Tuba-tuba leaves can be used for fumigating houses to expel bugs.
With these benefits and its promise as an alternative energy source, it is no wonder
that the cultivation of the tuba-tuba plant is being encouraged in the Philippines.

Along with its wonders, there are also disadvantages but did not outweigh its
benefits. Mostly children mistook it as small apples or nuts as it taste like one. If one
eats its fruits or seeds it will caused poisoning, abdominal pain, severe dehydration
due to vomiting. The seeds are also a source of the highly poisonous toxalbumin
curcin.

Prepared/Submitted by:

Elizalde D. Bana

Alternative Medicine

Name of Modality: Mansaka/Subanen Tribal Healing Practice/Ritual

Pag-ipad or Pagdiyaga (healing ritual) and Herbal Plants also

Name of Person/s & Picture: A ritual was initiated by a baylan (tribal priest) in the
presence of other baylan tribes– Mandaya, Manobo, and Kalagan. The Mansaka is an ethnic
group found in the southern part of the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Davao del
Norte and Compostela Valley. According to Datu Onlos, the Mansaka, Mandaya, and
Kalagan (or Kagan) tribes used to be a single tribe. However, they became divided – some
went up to the mountains (Mansaka), some to the upper portion of the river (Mandaya), and
some stayed in the seashore or riverside (Kalagan). The term “Mansaka” derives from “man”
meaning “first” and “saka” meaning “to ascend,” so Mansaka means “the first people to
ascend the mountains or go upstream.”

Practice/Steps Used:

Pag-ipad or Pagdiyaga (healing ritual of dance & chant)

The Mansaka learn their music through their dead ancestors, who appear to them in
a sacred place in Masara Mountain called “Pula,” where only the Mansaka are
allowed, one of which is the healing chant. Non-Mansaka people are prohibited from
going, to keep them away from trouble and sickness. According to Datu Onlos, they
hear different kinds of music and instruments in the sacred place. The chosen ones
or anointed ones, or what they call the baylan, learn their music/chants by listening
to the performance of their dead ancestors, who appear to them in human form, and
they imitate the melody and rhythm. This may sound strange, but is fact. Datu Onlos
himself actually sees and talks to his dead ancestors when playing kudlong in their
sacred place. Mansaka don’t have a method of notation but rather they play by ear
and imitation. A dance for prayer or ritual is called Binalyan – communicating to
Magbabaya (God). Datu Onlos stated that “According to our ancestors, God finds
pleasure when you dance.”

Herbal Plants

Subanens use tuba-tuba for ulcers and toothache while Mansakas use it for hampol
of bone dislocation or sprain. Scientific studies showed that tuba-tuba contains
hydrogen cyanide, oil and its latex strongly inhibits mosaic virus. These chemical
components might be the reason that the Subanens and Mansakas claim therapeutic
ability for it. One of the unique herbal treatments used by Subanen is the mixing of
two or more plant species. They usually mixed the scraped bark of pomelo, tuba-
tuba, makopa, and star-apple for diarrhea and cholera treatment by drinking the
liquid from decoction of the mixture.

Reflection:

The use of traditional and chemical practices by common members of their

tribe is based upon the traditional practice of their ancestors and parents. Due to the
time – tested efficacy of the herbal plants they use – knowledge handed down from
generation to generation – they could only wonder why those plants could cure their
Illnesses. Obviously they do not know the chemical composition of the plants. This
naiveté only suggests that although the indigenous people, especially the Subanen
and Mansaka, are not in possession of such information – i.e. the chemical
composition of plants – they have this learned knowledge inherited from their
ancestors is to what valuable uses of certain plants may be put. The advantage of
herbal medicine over other medicines is that one can take herbal medicine as a part
of their food and there is no need for prescription, whereas commercial artificial
medicine requires prescription, otherwise we may be at risk for side-effects.

In the Philippines, indigenous groups have depended on their traditional

knowledge for them to survive in an ever changing world. Even before civilization,
tribes in their respective areas have long used their indigenous knowledge about
their environment and nature in dealing with their daily activities and source of living
for survival.