Tag Archives: Medical tourism in philippines

Overview of Medical Tourism Philippines: Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

By: Edwin Paul Magallona, MD

Cosmetic surgery has been on an upward trend worldwide especially with the constant and continuous development of surgical and non surgical techniques in recent years… from laser resurfacings to thread lifts…from endoscopic lift surgeries to minimally invasive rejuvenating techniques…

Unfortunately these relatively new and popular elective procedures together with the traditional and effective surgeries are not always accessible and affordable even to those living in developed countries as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, countries in Europe and parts of Asia. Medical and health services there in general have always been expensive. Cost of course has always been a significant factor and important consideration among many other things for the potential patient…it is after all something universal…The good news though is that certain select countries such as Mexico, Brazil, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines just to name a few, have taken notice and have taken advantage of this dilemma by offering these surgeries at very affordable rates to interested patients outside their territories. The significant price differential between medical and surgical costs between these developed countries and the Philippines in particular have made patients abroad take a second look at this attractive option. Who won’t be amazed with getting a surgery package cost of about a third to a quarter of the price found in most developed countries with just the same results?

Medical tourism in the Philippines has actually been silently ongoing for decades now however it has only been recently wherein the Department of Tourism has actually emphasized and strongly encouraged the Medical profession to join the band wagon. In Asia, Thailand still leads the way in organized and systematic channeling of medical tourism services particularly in cosmetic plastic surgery. The Philippines is rapidly catching up though and is steadily getting a bigger share of the pie.

In 2006, the Department of Health in cooperation with the Department of Tourism came up with the Philippine Medical Tourism Program (PMTP) which is a multisectoral program with the ultimate goal of making the Philippines the leading and foremost destination for wellness and medical care in Asia.

Aggressive local and overseas promotion and an improving tourism infrastructure is a priority of the Philippine government and has brought a significant boost in medical tourism in the country. Initially driven and encouraged by very competitive rates and costs of surgery in this part of the world, patients are now flying in with the desire of having surgery and rejuvenation with the added bonus of seeing and experiencing the best places these islands can offer. Tagaytay, Batangas, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, and Davao are just some of the more popular tourist destinations which have caught the eye of our foreign visitors and “balikbayans”.

However, sometimes unknowingly, providing much leverage in the development of this relatively new industry is actually and simply the inherent qualities of being a Filipino. The Filipino physician and support staff are typically compassionate, caring, friendly and hospitable. This not only helps in making a foreign patient comfortable and relaxed but also eventually makes his trip and surgery a very pleasant experience. Aside from being generally fluent in the English language, the Filipino medical work force is competitive and of high standards as compared to their Asian neighbors.

Therefore when patients coming from abroad do decide to have elective cosmetic plastic surgeries here in the country, more often than not they get excellent value for their money. Medical and surgical expertise, world class facilities and island destinations, mastery of English, and the typical Filipino, all contribute to the Philippines rise to global competitiveness in medical tourism. Simply put and everything said nothing beats a combined quality and affordable surgery in the setting of a tropical paradise for leisure and recuperation.

Dr. Edwin Paul Magallona is a board certified plastic cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon based in Metro Manila, Philippines.


Services offered and commonly sought for are liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty.


For more plastic surgery information you may visit: Philippine Cosmetic Plastic Surgery


Contact details are the following:

Email- edwinmagallona@yahoo.com.ph

Mobile no-+639175006695

Clinic landline- (+632)5315692, (+632)5315012

Clinic Address: Managed Care Clinics, Summit Tower, 530 Shaw Blvd,Mandaluyong,Metro Manila, Philippines

Expert Says Rp Poised for Huge Gains in Medical Tourism

MANILA, Philippines – Medical tourism in the Philippines is quietly but surely bringing benefits into the country—but not only in terms of revenues. A look at the big picture shows that the benefits are larger, more substantial and more long-term than what can be quantified simply in financial terms. Sadly, this big picture is what some critics of medical tourism miss.

It’s undeniable that medical tourism will bring additional revenue to the Philippine economy—after all, it is projected to be a 8 billion industry by 2013 as more and more people seek quality healthcare overseas. The Philippine government estimates that medical tourism could bring in as much as billion into the economy in the next three years.

And yes, the direct beneficiaries of these added revenues are the country’s hospitals and medical professionals including doctors, nurses, etc. The advantages, however, don’t just stop there. As more and more overseas patients–whether Filipino-Americans and others of Filipino descent, or foreign tourists–come in for health services in the Philippines, it will create a domino effect that would result in, essentially, better healthcare for everybody.

International accreditation

Today there are three hospitals in the Philippines that are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI); these are the Medical City in Pasig, Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu, and St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. As more and more hospitals strive to achieve international accreditation as part of medical tourism, these hospitals will need to upgrade their systems, services and personnel as well.

“Accreditation agencies enhance the quality of care by providing quality standards and measuring hospital performance against these benchmarks.  As Philippines embarks on the business of medical tourism, more and more reputed international accrediting bodies like NABH of India will have their presence in the country.  These accreditations will improve the overall quality of healthcare delivery, not only for the foreign patients, but for the local Filipino patients too,” said Dr. Sanjiv Malik, Honorary Chairman of IMWell Summit.

As medical tourism thrives, the benchmark for healthcare across hospitals and wellness centers will also be higher thus improving the quality of healthcare in the country.

More knowledge, technology transfers

As medical facilities upgrade their standards, it’s inevitable that Filipino physicians, nurses and other professionals will also need to increase their skills, knowledge and competence leading to continuous knowledge enhancement momentum. Such a transfer of knowledge and technology is one of the effects of globalization—which is what medical tourism is: the globalization of healthcare.

More jobs, reduction and reversal of “brain-drain”

There are 1,723 hospitals in the country with a total bed capacity of about 95,000. And yet, the Philippines is unable to stop the exodus of nurses and doctors who choose to work abroad for higher pay.

“Medical tourism will create new jobs and enhance the working conditions to reduce and reverse the brain drain of Filipino healthcare professionals,” continues Dr. Malik.

It is estimated that employment in the health and wellness sector has increased by 13.2% from 2003 to 2005, numbering to around 238,955 employees.

“A thriving medical tourism sector in the Philippines, in turn, will also create more businesses—not only in the healthcare industry but also in other sectors like wellness, hospitality, travel and tourism,” said Joyce Alumno, Conference Director and also Secretary General of HEAL Philippines.

Related businesses that will benefit from medical tourism include travel agencies; healthcare concierge services; hotels, resorts and spas; vehicle rentals; and even the local souvenir shops and food stalls that will serve medical tourists at the Philippine destinations where they spend their recovery time.

“It’s unrealistic to say that medical tourism is the one shot solution to all the problems of healthcare in the Philippines. However, medical tourism will facilitate and enhance the speed of healthcare reforms in the country,” ended Dr. Sanjiv Malik.

Honors Integrated Marketing (HIM) Communications Inc. is a full-service marketing communications firm that provides a complete suite of integrated marketing solutions for a wide range of high-profile clients.

HIM is a staunch advocate of Philippine medical tourism and has been instrumental in the grand launch of this program in the country, organizing the international congress and expo that put the spotlight on the Philippines as a haven of health and wellness. Because of this, the Public Relations Society of the Philippines has honored HIM with the Anvil Award of Merit under Institutional and Corporate PR Programs – Public Affairs, Tourism category.