We
knew it would happen sooner or later. It’s been more a
question of when. The story goes back a few years to a series
of events described in earlier editions of Eyology Journal
(World Iridology News, Vol. 2, #s 2-3-4). There was an initial
confrontation between protagonists, with the Philippine
Medical Association on one side and the Iridologists,
represented essentially by the Guardo Brothers’ Osaka
Iridology organization on the other—and with the government in
the middle!
To follow up with events there, we at Grand Medicine (Las
Vegas) called the Philippine Government Dept. of Health (DOH)
last July (’04). On learning that they’d been working on the
problem, and sensing how far they’d gotten, we sent the
general Iridology standards document we had been working on,
asking that it be considered by their country toward
developing standards there. They accepted!
Fast-forward to today (Dec ’04): We recently received a call
and emails from Dr. Ed Arellano Bien, MD, whose Traditional
and Alternative Health Committee is responsible for putting
the Iridology standards together there in the Phils. He told
us that Philippine President Gloria Arroyo had signed TAHC
“Proclamation” #698, making November “Traditional and
Alternative Health Care Month”. This “Proclamation”
makes known to the people of the Philippines that the
government supports PITAHC (Philippine Institute of
Traditional and Alternative Health Care) in achieving its
mandate in Bill R.A. 8423, the Traditional and
Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA) of 1997, passed into
law by the forward-thinking Pinoy humanitarian, Dr. Juan
Flavier, MD.
Dr. Bien writes, “It is the policy of the state to improve
the quality and delivery of health care services to the
Filipino people through the development of traditional and
alternative health care and its integration into the national
health care delivery system. The intent of this policy is to
promote and be able to provide an array of affordable,
accessible and effective traditional and complementary /
alternative health care options for our people to choose from.
Note that it is not just a particular practice (Iridology,
etc.) that is being endorsed, but the whole T.A.M.A.”
As of now, then, technically, it is legal to practice
Iridology and Sclerology in the Philippines. However, there is
still resistance to Iridology from the Philippine Medical
Association (PMA). The specific standards and guidelines still
need to be set. Only very general guidelines are understood as
being practiced and in place. With the help of Grand Medicine,
USA, the fine details are now being worked out.
What does this mean for the rest of us who practice Eyology
(Iridology and Sclerology)? What are the possibilities here?
Can we actually be helped in our country by this event? Can
Eyologists in other countries benefit from this change? We can
only speculate, but the general implications are positive in
this regard. The Philippines is only the second country in
which Iridology is fully legal as a practice—after Russia,
where Iridology is taught in medical schools. We can build on
this, using the developing Philippine model in other
countries—including the USA, Canada, Australia, and so on.
Obviously, the next step was to flesh out the details of the
standards—for both the Philippines and in general. Dr. Bien
met with Dr. Mehlmauer of Grand Medicine in Manila in December
(’04), to discuss strategy. We combined standards material he
and his committee had put together, with ours, producing a
good working Iridology standards outline for the Philippines.
Earlier, the Philippine Government had requested that Grand
Medicine work with the DOH to develop research standards
applicable to Iridology in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Dr.
Bien and his committee are now (Feb ‘05) working with Grand
Medicine to complete the document process thru the Philippine
Department of Health (DOH) and into law.
Grand Medicine will soon be sending out our most recent
version of the general Iridology Industry Standards (IIS)
document to various Iridology schools worldwide as a “Request
for Comment” (RFC). The response from these schools should
bring back some positive energy on this issue. This is a
participatory process, so we’re expecting the schools to get
involved.
When the standards are finally agreed upon, in whatever
country, Iridologists can settle into a pattern of greater
security, knowing that they have a consensus, a basic
foundation of standards and policies. These facts can then be
offered to governments and scientific bodies as the basis of
Eyology practice.
Meanwhile,
an important step has been taken. Although in reality it is in
a kind of limbo state, and the laws are not yet set in stone,
one can, at least technically, legally and openly practice
Iridology in the Philippines. Will the USA be next?
l. to r., Jose Guardo, Dr.
Mehlmauer, and Dr. Bien
[Editor’s Notes: (1) Grand Medicine wishes
to thank the McCoye Foundation of Los Angeles and Malibu Atty
James Biava for their support in our efforts to help in this
regard. (2) Dr. Ed Bien, MD, graduated from the UST Faculty of
Medicine & Surgery, is Consultant to DOH-PITAHC for Iridology;
is a member of the Philippine Medical Association and the
American Academy of Family Medicine, is current host of the TV
program, "What's Up, Doc?" on UNTV Ch37, and has been in
active practice of Complementary Medicine for the past 17
years. (3) Leonard Mehlmauer, ND, a retired Naturopath,
teaches Eyology worldwide and directs research at Grand
Medicine, Las Vegas; email: gm@grandmedicine.com;
website: www.eyology.com; ph:
702-896-3348]
We
knew it would happen sooner or later. It’s been more a
question of when. The story goes back a few years to a series
of events described in earlier editions of Eyology Journal
(World Iridology News, Vol. 2, #s 2-3-4). There was an initial
confrontation between protagonists, with the Philippine
Medical Association on one side and the Iridologists,
represented essentially by the Guardo Brothers’ Osaka
Iridology organization on the other—and with the government in
the middle! 
Meanwhile,
an important step has been taken. Although in reality it is in
a kind of limbo state, and the laws are not yet set in stone,
one can, at least technically, legally and openly practice
Iridology in the Philippines. Will the USA be next?
