Senator Juan Edgardo ‘’Sonny’’ Angara said today that with the appropriate interventions from the government, the Philippines could become one of the world’s major destinations for medical tourism.

Filipino health professionals are known all over the world for their competence and dedication to their work, which is why Angara said the Philippines is a prime candidate for becoming one of the world’s leading destinations for people seeking medical care overseas.

“Naniniwala ako na ang mga Pilipino na doktor ay kilala sa buong mundo ( I believe Filipino doctors are known the world over). Hindi lang alam ng karamihan na bukas tayo para sa mga pasyente na naghahanap ng medical tourism services (People just don’t know that the Philippines is open for medical tourism services). Kulang tayo sa marketing tulad ng ating kapitbahay na Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia at South Korea (All we need is marketing which is being done by our neighbors such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea),” Angara said during the 10th Annual Convention of the Philippine Academy of Aesthetic and Age-Management Medicine Inc.

In spite of the many key advantages the Philippines health and wellness industry has over its competition, it still lags behind in attracting inbound patients seeking medical services, Angara lamented.

In the 2020 Medical Tourism Index, the Philippines ranked 24 out of 46 countries due in part to the inability to market the country as a prime destination and the lack of some key facilities and infrastructure.

The medical tourism market size was estimated at $11.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow up to $53 billion by 2028.

According to the Medical Tourism Association, around 14 million people travel outside of their countries for medical care every year.

One research suggests that the global anti-aging market alone is already valued at $60.42 billion as of 2021. This is expected to double in growth by 2030.

Angara said the motivations vary for individuals seeking medical care outside of their countries but primarily it is due to the lower cost of services, shorter to zero waiting time for some procedures, and the quality of care provided by the accepting countries.

“The patients who travel for medical care usually go on an extended vacation after their procedures and this is another area where the Philippines has a distinct advantage because of our extensive list of tourist destinations that rival some of the best in the world,” he explained.

Apart from the world-class skills of Filipino doctors, Angara noted that Filipino nurses are also widely known for being the most professional and hospitable.

In order to provide a boost to the Philippines’ medical tourism industry, Angara said there is a need to strengthen its infrastructure, particularly its airports in order to increase the carrying capacity.

“We were not able to match the growth of international tourist arrivals with the growth of our domestic tourism. Because although we built domestic airports, we did not build international airports. We did not increase our capacity. It’s time we think big in terms of tourism. It will help a lot of industries, including health and wellness,” he added.

The two-term senator said the stakeholders of the health and wellness industry should work more closely with the government to address the gaps and come up with solutions to help achieve the goal of making the Philippines a major player in the global medical tourism sector.

“If we collaborate closely and come together more frequently, we can surely fill the gaps and get the ball rolling towards making the Philippines known as a medical and wellness tourism destination. Sigurado ako na magtatagumpay ang ating medical tourism industry (I am sure our medical tourism industry will succeed),” Angara stressed.

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