Siling labuyo (Wikipedia)

If you come across claims online that siling labuyo or Philippine chili pepper can cure the dreaded dengue fever, it's 100 percent baloney.

Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin, a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, made this public appeal Saturday afternoon, June 15 after coming across such viral posts on the Internet.

According to Garin, the DOH has debunked the claim that siling labuyo is a dengue cure. She said the posts marking rounds online weren't based on research.

"Itong siling labyung kwentong ito, hindi talaga siya totoo pero dahil bumabalik nanaman 'yung mainit, tag-ulan, kung anu-ano nanaman ang marketing strategy ng iba," Garin, a doctor, said.

(This story about siling labuyo isn't really true, but people out there are employing various marketing strategies because of the ever-changing weather.

She underscored that there is as yet no medicine for dengue.

"Walang gamot ang dengue. Ang dengue kasi kagaya ng ibang mga viruses it's a self-limiting illness, kusa siyang mawawala in one to two weeks. Critical 'yung first week," she said.

(There is no medicine for dengue. Dengue is similar to other viruses, it's a self-limiting illness, it goes away by itself in one to two weeks. The first week is critical.)

The House deputy majority leader went on to clarify that Tawa-tawa and virgin coconut oil also weren't medicines for dengue. They only have anti-viral properties that can help a dengue patient, Garin said.

"Ang nangyayari kasi sa Pilipinas, kapag mayroong herbal na nakikitaan ng anti-viral properties, gine-generalize na gamot sa dengue, sa HIV... Ayun ang nangyayari kaya nalilinlang ang taumbayan," she noted.

(What happens in the Philippines is that when some herb is discovered to have anti-viral properties, it becomes generalized as medicine for dengue, HIV... that's what happens and the people get duped.)