Realizing the revenue potential of medical tourism, the hospitality and business sectors in Mindanao are now exploring ways to take advantage of the growing trend.

According to a PriceWaterhouseCoopers study, 24 countries spent a combined $2.7 trillion on health and wellness in 2002 and the figure should rise to $10 trillion by 2020.

According to the same study, seven percent of the world population in 2007, or 42 million people, were at least 65 years old and the figure was expected to double by 2015.

The aging population, especially in the developed world, presents a huge market as the senior citizens search for wellness services and retirement homes.

These developments are among the reasons why President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order 372 on Oct. 18, 2005.

The EO aims to create a venue for partnership among the players in the medical tourism industry to make the country globally competitive in this sector.

Goal of the partnership

Aside from medical tourism, other sectors that the Philippines wants to excel in are information technology (IT) and logistics. Mindanao can work on medical tourism and IT where it is fast gaining a firm foothold.

Among the key targets of the Philippines is to capture as much as half of the medical tourism market in Asia and generate revenues of $2 billion.

This can be achieved, the order specifically points out, if the country can provide world-class health and allied services to local and international patients, harmonize partnerships among health and allied services, including those in the travel services.

Key areas for investments

EO 372 identifies four key areas that have to be developed for the country to get a big slice of the medical tourism market. These are full hospital care and treatment, specialty clinics, wellness and spa centers and retirement and long-term care services for the elderly or the so-called retirees.

The Philippines is in a good position to provide these services because of the long history with healing. In ancient times, the “babaylan” did not just function as community-based physicians but were also healers and weavers. Filipinos are also gifted with healing hands, caring hearts and soothing voices.

In Mindanao alone, you will find these skilled healers, called “manghihilot” and “mananambal,” all over the cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Butuan, Zamboanga and Cotabato and in many areas of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

I have some friends in Manila who would sometimes go to Davao to see an imam for their health consultations.

Davao and Cagayan de Oro have wonderful, upscale spas and beauty clinics where one can have treatments at almost half the price of Manila.

We have very good and highly skilled beauty surgeons who can perform eye bag removals, liposuction, breast enhancements and all sorts of procedures from the very simple ones to the more complicated procedures to enhance the face and the body.

Davao has a beauty hotel where one can stay in while she or he recuperates from procedures. There are also resorts that have great spas for relaxation or to just get away from the routine at work.

Mindanao’s plus

Our edge in this kind of business is our large pool of highly qualified and caring personnel who could provide the services required by the medical tourism industry. Mindanao is known for its quality nurses and other health workers who have dominated the medical profession in such developed countries as the United States and Great Britain.

Industries here have also forged links to promote medical tourism in Mindanao. Tour operators, hospitals, tourism facilities, telecommunications companies, information and communications technology providers, educational institutions, and even insurance companies are working together for a common purpose of bringing to the island the foreigners in search of medical tourism services.

Another key advantage is our lower rates for quality services, which can attract those on a tight budget.

These sectors are working hard to see medical tourism flourish because they believe that the sector has the potential to address not only economic problems, but also the woes besetting our biggest exports: Our human resources.

Joji Ilagan Bian advocates the development of the region. She is chairperson of Joji Ilagan Foundation (www.jojiilagancareercenter.com), president of the Philippine Call Centers Alliance the and Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association, and Mindanao representative to the Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com.