Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 26 No. 12 (2025)

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the Agta community in Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines

VENUS B. GUIMBUAYAN (UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS GRADUATE SCHOOL, MANILA, PHILIPPINES)
CECILIA S. CORDERO (Division of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines. Miagao, Iloilo 5023, Philippines)
GRECEBIO JONATHAN D. ALEJANDRO (College of Science and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas. EspaƱa Boulevard, Manila 1008, Philippines)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Jan 2025

Abstract

Abstract. Guimbuayan VB, Cordero CS, Alejandro GJD. 2025. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the Agta community in Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines. Biodiversitas 26: 6316-6334. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants remains an integral part of primary healthcare systems in the Philippines, especially among indigenous communities. This study aimed to document the medicinal plant species used by the Agta indigenous peoples of Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines. From August 2024 to February 2025, 34 key informants were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed to determine the most culturally important species using Use Value (UV) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). Disease categories were classified in accordance with the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (WHO-ICD 11). The Agta community reported 81 medicinal plant species, representing 74 genera and 37 families, with Poaceae being the most represented family (nine species). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part (41%), and decoction (43%) was the most frequent mode of preparation. Myristica sp. and Vitex arvensis were the most cited species, with UVs of 0.88 and 0.62, respectively. The highest ICF value (1.0) was recorded for disease category 5 (endocrine, nutritional, or metabolic diseases), followed by the Disease Categories 12 (Diseases of the Respiratory System) and 18 (Pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium) and with ICF values of 0.76 and 0.71, respectively. This study provides the first documentation of the medicinal flora used by the Gonzaga Agta, offering a comprehensive inventory that underscores its dual significance for safeguarding cultural heritage and guiding future pharmacological research.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

biodiv

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology

Description

The Biodiversitas Journal was first published in 2000 by the Department of Biology, FMNS, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia, then in 2006 it was co-published by the Society for Indonesian Biodiversity and that department; since 2017 it was also hosted by Smujo. From 2003-2012 it was ...