Members of CHWC, particularly those offering hospital and dental services, observed a ’steady flow’ of
inquiries and walk-in patients long before they have formally organized themselves as a group.

They said various nationalities have made different inquiries about various services, such as executive check-ups, heart surgery, organ transplants and cosmetology.

The Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital and Perpetual Succour Hospital, both in Cebu City, have reported having accommodated European, American and Japanese patients

But Cebu will have to compete with long-established medical tourism areas in Asia, such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. CHWC said it will take the lead in positioning the province as the ‘ultimate destination for quality medical and wellness tourism.

Medical tourism involves people traveling to other places to obtain medical, dental and surgical care while enjoying the areas’ other attractions.

CHWC chairman Oscar Tuason, also administrator of Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital, said medical tourism revenues reached 40 billion dollars in 2000 in Asia alone.

In 2006, Asia posted about 120 billion dollars in revenues from medical tourism. The sector has a projected annual growth rate of 20 percent.

Tuason, in his presentation during the Tourism Congress at the Cebu International Convention Center, said Thailand recently earned 470 million dollars from 600,000 nationalities from the United States, United Kingdom and the Middle East who underwent cosmetic surgery, dental treatment, eye surgery, kidney dialysis and kidney transplants from various Thai medical institutions.

He said foreign patients prefer medical treatment outside their home country due to lower costs.

He cited heart valve replacement as example. The procedure can cost a patient 120,000 dollars in the US, compared to 9,000 dollars in India, 10,500 dollars in Thailand and 13,000 dollars in Singapore.

Tuason said foreigners can save much more if they come to Cebu. He said a coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), which treats the hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, costs about 18,000 dollars in Cebu but 100,000 dollars in the US.

‘Even if a patient pays about 3,000 dollars for air travel, 625 dollars for a five-day hotel accommodation, 500 dollars for meals, 100 dollars for ground transportation and another 100 dollars for other needs, he will only spend about 22,325 dollars in Cebu,’ he said.

CHWC members said Cebu has good potentials to be a major player in medical tourism. Aside from lower costs, the country’s hospitals are well-equipped and have competent doctors while Filipinos are ‘excellent caregivers.’

Tuason said while Cebu is not putting much emphasis on kidney transplants after the Department of Health passed a memorandum that limits the number of foreigners who can avail themselves of it, Cebu can still offer other medical services, such as cardiac surgery, orthopedic surgery and executive checkups.

CHCW is finalizing its registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Once finalized, its members – hospitals, dental services, spas, travel and tour operators, Department of Health, Department of Tourism, and Department of Trade and Industry – will become part of the health and wellness cluster of the Philippine Exporters

Anna Carlissa Arriola

If you want to visit Baler and Learn Surfing, you can now travel to Baler for as low as P9,034 per person (double/triple sharing), you can enjoy a 4D 3N surfing trip to Baler, Aurora. All packages include round-trip airfare via Seair (Manila-Baler-Manila); 4 days/3 nights accommodation at Bahia de Baler, Bay’s Inn or Amco Beach Resort; daily breakfasts; a half-day surfing lesson; round-trip airport transfers and 12% EVAT. So what are you waiting for? Book now!

For reservations, please call SEAIR-LEP at (632) 843-7308. Rates are subject to change without prior notice.

All you have to do is leave a comment in “Summer fun in Baler” and tell us why surfing is fun and why Baler is such a great place by Sunday, 3 May 2008, at 8:00 p.m.

Like the previous raffle, make sure you place your full name in the name field since you will need a valid ID to claim the tickets if you win. The winner will be drawn at random and will be notified by e-mail so make sure you double check your e-mail address before submitting your comment. Finally, one entry per IP address so only the first entry from each IP address will be counted.

Tickets will be valid from now until 15 October 2008. Good luck!

In her brief message at the opening of the First Siargao Game Fishing Invitational Competition, the President said the holding of the anglers’ tourney here would open up the island, specifically the municipality of Pilar, as a game fishing destination.

“There are only two good game fishing sites in the country–one is in Cagayan province and now Siargao.

“Siargao, aside from being one of the world’s best surfing destinations, also has an incredible game fishing areas that make Siargao as an adventure sports tourism paradise,” the President said.

The President said she has experienced surfing in Dako island where she frolicked with “cloud 9″ which is considered one of the world’s top surfing waves.

“But today, we are telling the world Siargao has also incredible game fishing spots,” the President said as she formally opened the game fishing tourney that gathered 70 anglers from 10 countries that include anglers from Taiwan, People’s Republic of China, Brunei, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Russia and the Philippines.

The anglers’ tourney showcases the island’s abundant seas to the rest of the world.

Siargao Island’s marine life is inhabited by thousands of fish species including giant tuna, tanguigue, king mackerel, great barracuda, swordfish and marlin.

Deep-sea fishing is topnotch here especially from March to May when the big fish such as sailfish weighing 40 kilograms and marlin as heavy as 200 kilograms cruise the deep water only a mile or two off the shores of the municipality of Gen. Luna.

But one could fish for coral trout, large snappers and other reef fish anytime.

Siargao is composed of 48 islands and islets-politically divided into nine municipalities—-Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, Gen. luna, Pilar, San Benito, San Isidro, Santa Monica, and Socorro.

It boasts of having the largest contiguous mangrove in the country with around 8,760 hectares.

Photo Credits : Kage Gozun

The campaign of the Department of Tourism (DoT) to make the country a premier surfing destination is beginning to get recognition. With a coastline twice as long as the United States, the Philippines is slowly but surely securing a place in the surfing world.

In cooperation with Department of Tourism, Onboard Philippines hopes to grow the local surfing industry, explore the numerous opportunities that it presents for Philippine tourism as well as empower and support the country’s growing community of local surfers, says Freddy Gonzalez of Aloha Board Sports Inc.

“With each discovery, however, one realizes that we have barely plumbed the extraordinary depths of our country’s surf culture –a facet of the Philippines that can potentially secure our place on the international tourism map,” he adds.

Gonzalez, along with the Aloha Boardsports Surf Team, plans to surf across the country’s most notable surfing destinations, which include Badoc Island in Ilocos Norte, Baler in Aurora, Catanduanes, Daet in Camarinas Norte, La Union, Pagudpud, Samar, Siargao Island, Cabugao in Ilocos Sur and Zambales.

These are only a few examples of the country’s notable surf-spots, where tales of monster swells and majestic waves are the primary lure.

The campaign will be supported by DoT Secretary Ace Durano, also an honorary Aloha Boardsports Surf Team member.

The move hopes to explore the country’s top tourism and surfing destination.

Flanked by beach-breaks powered by a living and breathing ocean, it was only a matter of time before the Philippines left its legendary mark on international surf-lore.

This is a whole new tourism wave that will bring a different segment of tourists to Philippine shores, Gonzales says.

The Philippines is already a unique tourist destination unto itself surfing is an opportunity to broaden its inherent potential to be recognized by a rising new global tourism sub-culture,” he adds.