Balikbayans eyed to be Cebu's envoys for health and wellness

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC) is initiating an aggressive move to tap the balikbayan community from the different continents around the world to be the “ambassadors” to promote Cebu as the premier health and wellness destination in Asia.

“Our first target is to attract all Filipinos around the world to avail of the ‘best’ health and wellness services we have here,” said Nelia F. Navarro, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Cebu Provincial Office) provincial director.

Navarro said since it is still hard to convince foreigners to consider the Philippines, specifically Cebu as health and wellness destination, the International Filipino communities around the world are, by now, the best tool for promotion.

Navarro said Cebu medical institutions, as well as wellness facilities have been ready to accommodate the more sophisticated market, like Americans and Europeans, seeking for medical help, and total package for wellness vacations.

The Philippines, she said is closely competing with Thailand, India, Singapore and Malaysia, apparently these countries are attracting significant number of health and wellness enthusiast tourists, or the medical tourists.

In Asia, medical tourism has raked US$120 billion in revenues for 2006, a big improvement from US$40 billion it earned in 2000. India is now the number one destination for medical tourists around the world.

Total package for one medical tourist, is pegged at US$28,000, depending on medical procedure, this already include accommodation, vacation package among others.

Every medical tourist can save at least US$77,000 for this amount, if they were to have their medical services done in other countries like Europe or United States.

Aside from vanity and dental services, medical tourists, including Balikbayans are also availing other medical services such as cardiac surgery, executive check up, MRI, CT Scan.

CHWC president Oscar Tuason earlier said that although the world economic turbulence has brought about jittery of slowdown in the medical tourism sector in the Philippines, Cebu is insisting to see dynamic performance in attracting increased number of tourists seeking for medical help.

"As long as the United States, will still charge expensive medical services, we are seeing steady growth of medical tourists in Cebu," said Tuason. Ehda M. Dagooc