SWAC calls on wellness center practitioners to get accredited

CEBU, Philippines -  The Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu Inc., (SWAC) is encouraging players in the wellness sector to get the proper accreditation as a member of the organization, to help the sector move up into a world-class wellness service provider.

Newly elected SWAC president Johnny Siao, made this advocacy as one of his priorities in leading the promising wellness industry in Cebu.

Siao, the president of the “Spa at Cebu” chain urged the players to come together as one industry voice through the SWAC organization, to be an effective policy-making body, while maximizing the potential to Cebu as the premier wellness destination not only in the country, but of Asia.

Proper regulation and intensive promotion of the wellness industry in Cebu, is the top of line program that will be undertaken by Siao’s leadership.

In a statement, Siao is calling on operators of fitness centers, wellness center and beauty salons, wellness suppliers, professional licensed individuals in the medical and para-medical fields, as well as wellness advocates to join the organization.

Siao, who pioneers the establishment of world-class spa service in Cebu since 1995, also pointed out the importance of assisting unlicensed massage attendance in their licensing as massage therapists, so that by January of 2015, the spa establishments would have complied with the regulation that all spa establishments must be manned only by licensed massage therapists.

Ealier, prior to his appointment as SWAC president Siao called the attention of the concerned government agencies to provide classification or ranking for the Spa outlets in order to professionalize the spa and wellness sector in Cebu.

After-all, he said Cebu is being positioned as the center for health and wellness in the country.

“Everybody uses the name Spa. We should protect its name, Siao said adding that in Cebu, where it is pursuing a bid to be a preferred health and wellness destination,  a proper classification of Spa centers is needed.

Although, there is an existing ranking or accreditation of Spa operators required under the new Sanitation Law at the DOH, there is also a need to partner with these two agencies, the DOH and the Department of Tourism (DOT) , to realize this bid.

On the other hand, Department of Trade and Industry Cebu Provincial Office (DTI-CPO) director Nelia F. Navarro said that under the joint clustering program of the DOT and DTI, the two agencies are now looking at the concerns of the health and wellness sector in Cebu.

Early this month, SWAC had graduated around 50 individuals who have completed the series of training conducted Dutch expert Janny Berends on spa management, new techniques and skills in massage and facial therapy, the use of color therapy in business, livelihood training on hair-cutting, hairstyling, manicure and pedicure and massage oil making, and quality standards for wellness suppliers.  (FREEMAN)