Learn where to buy your food supplements in the Philippines
Being in the tropics, the Philippines is one of the most gifted countries when it comes to homoeopathic herbs and alternative medicine. These herbal medicines have been around for so long that they have become an integral part of Filipino pharmacology, with the ancient and the modern alike putting their trust in organic medicine.
However integral they might be, Filipinos have also grown leery of new herbal supplements that promised all kinds of cures that are nothing short of miraculous. These herbal supplements, the majority of whom are imported abroad and don’t have any sort of certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), promise the moon and the stars to their unsuspecting clientele. Disappointment is bad enough, however, harmful side effects are worse. With this to worry about, the option of obtaining herbal supplements suddenly seem an arduous task. The negatives outweighing the positives.
Not to worry, though. We’ve listed three places in the Philippines where you can find the best herbal supplements, legit ones anyway.
- Big Supermarkets
With malls sprouting all over the country, it is just natural that there are also supermarkets to boot. Most of these are attached to main malls while a growing number are stand-alones, usually found in urban areas. The big supermarkets, like SM Supermarket, Robinsons Supermarket, and Landmark, all carry legit herbal supplements. There’s also a separate aisle/row that is reserved for supplements in those supermarkets.
Since reputation is something that is very important for these stores, the vetting process is particularly difficult. They wouldn’t want to tarnish the image/reputation of their brands by carrying substandard items. Furthermore, if Filipinos were a litigious people, they may even be sued for damages.
- Mercury Drug Stores
Somewhat synonymous with the word “drug store” here in the Philippines, there are over 1000 Mercury Drug Stores scattered all over the archipelago. Known for selling quality medicine and medical supplies and equipment, Mercury Drug Stores also carry foodstuff and other health products such as herbal supplements.
For herbal supplements, Mercury Drug branches usually carry all the legit ones and for every ailment. There’s Ampalaya Plus for diabetics, Optein for eyes, Slenda for slimming, Liveraide for the liver, and a lot more. There are also beauty and wellness products available. Since this drug store is well-known locally, they have rather strict regulations when it comes to the products that it carries.
- The Generics Pharmacy
The largest drugstore in the Philippines, The Generics Pharmacy was launched in 2001 with the express intent of providing quality generics to all Filipinos. The first branch then ventured into franchising by 2007, and by 2012, already have 1400 outlets. Now, it has 1900 branches nationwide.
Coupled with the expansion in business is the expansion in the items that this drugstore carries. It does not just sell generic versions of otherwise expensive and branded magazines. Among the items that it also sells are vitamins, medical supplies, creams and eye/ear drops, and also herbal supplements like Ampalaya Plus and Slenda.
The Other Shops
Suffice to say, there are also legit businesses online that sell reputable products that have no physical store but have an online one like ampalaya.ph and those that have physical stores but no online shop of their own like Healthy Options. The key here is to be discerning when it comes to online shops and businesses, also one shouldn’t outright believe the fantastical claims of some websites. There is no magic bullet that will solve diseases in an instant, much less with just one capsule.
