MANILA — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is leveraging traditional healing practices, indigenous medicines, and modern medical services to attract more international travelers and encourage longer visits to the Philippines.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay announced plans to tap into the country’s booming wellness industry, which reached $47.3 billion in 2024 according to Global Wellness Institute (GWI) data, placing the Philippines 23rd globally and 8th in the Asia-Pacific region.
As part of this push, the agency is promoting traditional hilot and goods made from locally sourced ingredients alongside specialized fields like physical therapy, rehabilitation, preventive health, fertility care, dental, and eye services.
“We want to develop a stronger health and wellness sector that attracts investment, creates jobs, expands regional capacity, and improves services for Filipinos,” Angara-Mathay said, highlighting the initiative’s broad economic impact.
The DOT chief emphasized that building a competitive destination requires an integrated ecosystem linking healthcare, hospitality, infrastructure, and technology. Current support includes an accreditation network of 13 hospitals, 21 ambulatory clinics, 10 dental clinics, and 63 spas, complemented by six hospitals certified by Joint Commission International (JCI).
Addressing industry stakeholders, Angara-Mathay invited investments across diverse sectors to build a comprehensive patient-care journey.
“We invite investors to look at the full range of opportunities: healthcare facilities, diagnostics, digital health, rehabilitation, wellness, hospitality, and long-stay communities,” she stated.
“Consider the possibilities: a patient receives specialized treatment at a major medical center, continues rehabilitation nearby, stays in quality accommodation with family, and has access to appropriate nutrition, wellness, and recreation,” she added.