Philippines - Confusion over medical tourism in the Philippines

While politicians urged the Department of Tourism to promote medical tourism, a tourism official told a national conference that it had failed to become a top medical tourism destination, so planned to revert to promoting health and wellness tourism.

Politicians in Congress have urged the Department of Tourism to adopt a more attractive programme to promote medical tourism in the country. Rufus Rodriguez, co-author of House Resolution 2025, said foreign nationals, overseas Filipino workers and Filipinos living abroad are among the potential targets of medical tourism. Rodriguez wants the DOT to implement proper programmes to attract foreigners and Filipinos living overseas to get health care, medical, surgical, cosmetic and other wellness needs in the Philippines to boost the country's medical tourism industry, "Foreigners who will invest in healthcare facilities and service in the Philippines. This will result in increased job opportunities for Filipinos and will also motivate local hospitals to follow the best, world–class standards and medical practices to be able to compete on a global level.”

Maximo Rodriguez, co-author of the measure, said the country needs to upgrade its standards for doctors and healthcare facilities to international levels to effectively persuade foreign travellers to seek the medical services the country could offer,” While the medical tourism industry of the country is growing, there is still a lot of room for improvement.” He cited the report of Philippine Medical Tourism that said that the Philippines has internationally recognized health care professionals who have excellent healthcare education and training, "Compared to the cost of health care in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, and other Asian countries, the cost of having medical procedures done in the Philippines can be 50-80 % cheaper."

Maximo Rodriguez was dismayed that according to estimates, the Philippines' share of 3.5 million medical travellers in Southeast Asia was “A measly 3% (100,000)“ not the higher figures that earlier local promoters of medical tourism had claimed.

But medical tourism is likely to take a backseat to health and wellness programmes because the Aquino administration intends to focus on those booming tourism sectors, tourism undersecretary Daniel Corpuz told reporters at the National Tourism Statistics conference 2012 in Manila, ‘Most of the major hospitals are internationally accredited, but only a few foreigners are coming here for treatment. So we would rather concentrate on health and wellness programmes or non-invasive procedures, rather than surgery or major treatment. Medical tourism is a complicated market segment, and therefore hard to promote.”

At the instigation of a former government, the tourism department launched its medical tourism programme in 2007 to boost the country’s tourism industry. It promoted cosmetic surgery, complex orthopaedic procedures, cancer and cardiovascular care, among other things. It worked on the logic that “ the country’s beaches and resorts, world-class facilities and friendly people will entice foreigners to come here for treatment” .The reality is that most medical tourists are Filipinos working or living overseas.

Another view is that the country should concentrate on retirement tourism, attracting foreign retirees for permanent or seasonal residence. Everjust Realty Development is in discussion with an international partner for a retirement village and hospital in northern Cebu.The company is considering a five-year plan for the construction of a retirement village in Consolacion and a hospital in Mandaue.They want an international partner to manage the hospital so it can adopt international standards and get international accreditation. The hospital will cater to the heath care needs of residents living in the retirement village as well as medical tourists.

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