The Department of Tourism (DOT) is developing the Philippines as a medical tourism destination in a calibrated but wholistic approach, including the development of an internal ecosystem and network of facilities to accommodate concerns and issues surrounding this tourism product.
Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, DOT secretary, said in a statement the agency sees so much untapped potential in the health and wellness industry especially with the ongoing pandemic.
To raise global awareness to the Philippines as a medical tourism destination, Puyat said the DOT has developed a gold standard in approaching health and safety for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions events, following the successful hosting of the 21st World Travel and Tourism Global Summit in Manila last April, as well as institutionalizing health and safety in tourism activities.
Puyat said DOT has an ongoing partnership with the Department of Health and Makati Medical Center on how to attend to the medical needs of tourists.
“With world-class hospitals and facilities, skilled doctors and nurses, and the Filipino brand of hospitality, the Philippines is poised to become an attractive destination for medical tourism,”
Puyat added.
Meanwhile, DOT announced the appointment of Dr. Paulo Benito Tugbang as director for medical, health and wellness tourism.
Prior to his appointment, Tugbang led the Medical Travel and Wellness Tourism Program of the DOH and served with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Secretariat as the Technical Lead. Tugbang is a registered medical doctor, as well as a board top-notcher nurse and midwife. Irma Isip
