M.T.o.: That soothing touch

Nothing delights Mercy Ong more than seeing a client sleeping and hearing him or her snore while being massaged in Mercy’s M.T.O. Reflexology & Foot Spa in Mabini St., Malate, Manila.

On the other hand, there is something that pleases Mercy even more – seeing a whole row of customers sleeping and snoring!

"When I hear them snore," Mercy explains, "I consider it an achievement. That means they’re in deep sleep and are relaxed!"

Providing relaxation that turns out to be rejuvenating, after all, has always been Mercy’s goal in running M.T.O. From soothing aching muscles to calming frayed nerves, Mercy has created a reflexology center/day spa ("I call it an ‘alternative spa’ because we don’t use steam here") that is a haven for stressed-out souls in the heart of busy Manila.

This writer dropped by M.T.O. after yet another busy night of closing The STAR’s Entertainment section. Together with Ricky Lo, Ibarra Mateo and Maridol Bismark, I experienced first-hand how an hour or two of foot and back massaging, just two of the many services offered in M.T.O., can relieve me of stress.

In the dimly lit, airconditioned, tropical-themed interiors where the sound of cascading water from an indoor fountain soothed me even more, I got to know more about Mercy and the special services that are fast making M.T.O. one of Mabini’s star attractions.

As I sip on hot banaba tea, attendant Farah Joy Lim dips my feet in warm water with rose petals and foot powder consisting of herbs, flowers and fruits (ah, such bliss!) and proceeds to massage my feet, Mercy recounts how she herself had benefited from reflexology.

"I was stressed out, I had gout and insomnia," Mercy recalls, "but they disappeared when I underwent reflexology in China. According to reflexology, our feet have nerve endings that correspond to our body organs. So when you soothe those nerves, you also soothe the organs."

Mercy’s positive experience motivated her to study in reflexology centers in Thailand, China and Europe. "The European way of massaging is light," she explains, "while the Asian way is hard. I’ve blended the two here at M.T.O. At the same time, I’ve developed our very own Filipino technique based on the hilot style; it makes use of feathery or light movements. I want people to know that we Filipinos have our own special massage."

At M.T.O., one may avail of the one-and-a-half hour Original Filipino Body Massage for only P600. This technique uses coco shell rolled and pressed on key zone points. Other M.T.O. massages offered at the center are the Shiatsu; Swedish Massage; Aromatherapy; Foot Reflex employing original Filipino technique; Foot Beauty & Joint Scraping; Zone Therapy; and the On Site Release Tension Massage. To make her massages even more special, Mercy has formulated the M.T.O. Oil & Cream extracted from the sampaguita. She combines this with banana leaves to soothe and relieve muscles. Besides whole-body massages, one may also avail of Back Massage, Scalp Massage, Manicure, Pedicure, and assorted Facials and Body Scrubs.

"I have kept the prices of our services reasonable," Mercy reveals, "because I want more people to avail of them. Family members do come here together and we even have a space for babies."

The Zamboanga-raised, Ateneo-educated (AB English) Mercy also took up Economics and Entrepreneurship in Kanagawa University in Yokohama, Japan. Blending her entrepreneurial skills (she also owns beauty salons in the Philippines, Shanghai and Tokyo) and her innate love of beauty, Mercy considers M.T.O. a special means to assist others in their "search for eternal beauty." To further share her knowledge of beauty and reflexology and to train students who may use their skills to gain employment abroad, Mercy even put up the MTO Reflexology Research & Training Center in Timog, Quezon City.

With its strategic location in Manila’s tourist belt, M.T.O. has attracted foreigners as much as it has local clients. It has also become a favorite rejuvenation haunt of celebrities like Giselle Sanchez, Manila Councilor Isko Moreno, Long Mejia, Bong Daza, Chief Justice Hilario Davide, and Manila Standard editor Jullie Yap Daza, whose collective patronage reflects the diversity of M.T.O.’s clientele. Attesting to its uniqueness, M.T.O. has also been featured in several TV shows, including Unang Hirit, F, TV Patrol, Extra Extra and Alas Singko y Medya.

Believing that blessings are meant to be shared, Mercy also busies herself with socio-civic and charitable causes that range from providing scholarships to out-of-school youths to facilitating the donations of firetrucks from Japan to local fire stations. These "little gestures" as she describes them, reflect Mercy’s belief that real beauty can never be just skin deep.

"I’m happy about people’s response to M.T.O.," Mercy says gratefully, "because that means that the center works. Or why else would people come? Here they can recharge and feel good. Reflexology helps relieve them of their anxiety, reinvigorates them, and helps make them feel young."

(MTO Reflexology & Foot Spa is located at 1709 Mabini St. cor. Gen. Malvar St., Malate, Manila - tel. no. 400-9775. It is open daily from 12 noon to 12 midnight.)