Researchers at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines have created Herbularyo, an educational card game that teaches the organic chemistry of medicinal plants through the lens of Filipino folk-healing traditions. The game draws its name from the Filipino word for the collection of folk-healing practices passed down by albularyo, or traditional healers, and asks players to connect plant-derived compounds with the ailments they are traditionally used to treat.

Cards in the game represent common Filipino medicinal plants and their organic compounds: tawa-tawa, traditionally used against dengue fever; aloe vera; guava leaves; yerba buena; and ampalaya, used for diabetes. Special cards introduce players to folk-healing concepts such as binat (relapse), sumpa (curse-related illness), and himala (miracle cures), weaving cultural context directly into the chemistry lesson.

The plants featured in the game were drawn from the Encyclopedia of Common Medicinal Plants of the Philippines, Volume 3, a reference funded by the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) and edited by Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit and Dr. Rene Angelo Macahig. In classroom testing with high school and college students, the game produced greater learning gains and higher engagement than conventional instruction on the same organic chemistry concepts.

“We wanted to make a game that not only teaches organic chemistry and Filipino traditions, but also how these areas of knowledge can inform each other,” said Herbularyo co-developer Maryjane Magsino.

“We wanted to underscore the value of traditional Filipino medicine that has stood up to scientific testing yet is within easy reach practically in our own back yards,” Magsino added.

Journal: Journal of Chemical Education
Article Title: Herbularyo: A Card Game for Learning Organic Compounds of Medicinal Herbs and Their Therapeutic Benefits
Authors: Maryjane T. Magsino, Inah Marie Q. Rivera, Armando M. Guidote Jr., Genejane M. Adarlo
Publication Date: May 2026

Source: EurekAlert