econstor

A Service of

zbw
Leibniz-Informationszentrum
Wirtschaft

Make Your Publications Visible.

Leibniz Information Centre
for Economics

Picazo, Oscar F.

Working Paper
Medical Tourism in the Philippines: Market Profile,
Benchmarking Exercise, and S.W.O.T. Analysis

PIDS Discussion Paper Series, No. 2013-45

Provided in Cooperation with:

Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), Philippines

Suggested Citation: Picazo, Oscar F. (2013) : Medical Tourism in the Philippines: Market Profile,
Benchmarking Exercise, and S.W.O.T. Analysis, PIDS Discussion Paper Series, No. 2013-45,
Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), Makati City

This Version is available at:

http://hdl.handle.net/10419/126939

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use:

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your
Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes.

Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial
Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them
machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise
use the documents in public.
Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen
(insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open
gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you
genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated
licence.

www.econstor.eu
 Philippine Institute for Development Studies
Surian sa mga Pag-aaral Pangkaunlaran ng Pilipinas

Medical Tourism in the Philippines:

Market Profile, Benchmarking Exercise,
and S.W.O.T. Analysis
Oscar F. Picazo
DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES NO. 2013-45

The PIDS Discussion Paper Series

constitutes studies that are preliminary and
subject to further revisions. They are be-
ing circulated in a limited number of cop-
ies only for purposes of soliciting com-
ments and suggestions for further refine-
ments. The studies under the Series are
unedited and unreviewed.
The views and opinions expressed
are those of the author(s) and do not neces-
sarily reflect those of the Institute.
Not for quotation without permission
from the author(s) and the Institute.

September 2013

For comments, suggestions or further inquiries please contact:

The Research Information Staff, Philippine Institute for Development Studies
5th Floor, NEDA sa Makati Building, 106 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines
Tel Nos: (63-2) 8942584 and 8935705; Fax No: (63-2) 8939589; E-mail: [email protected]
Or visit our website at http://www.pids.gov.ph
 PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Medical Tourism in the

Philippines
Market Profile, Benchmarking Exercise, and
S.W.O.T. Analysis
Oscar F. Picazo
9/25/2013

This discussion paper was written with the assistance of Danica Aisa Ortiz, Melanie Aldeon, and Nina
Ashley dela Cruz. It was prepared for the Department of Trade and Industry and will also be shared with
the Department of Tourism and the Department of Health. The views expressed here are those of the
author and not those of the board, officials, and staff of PIDS, DOT, DTI, or DOH. This is a policy research
paper the contents of which are not meant to be used for individual medical or care-seeking behavior
but only as an industry background.
 Abstract
Medical Tourism in the Philippines:

Market Profile, Benchmarking Exercise, and S.W.O.T. Analysis

This report reviews the medical tourism industry in the Philippines. It discusses the global market for
medical tourism, analyzes the demand and supply aspects of the local industry, and identifies its drivers
of growth. It performs an industry benchmarking exercise by looking at benchmarks associated with
strategy setting, organization and management, service quality, care, travel and accommodation, and
financing. It also conducts an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the
industry.

Keywords: Medical Tourism, Industry Benchmarks, Market Profile, Demand for Medical Tourists, Supply
of Services and Facilities for Medical Tourism
 Abbreviations and Acronyms

AC – Accreditation Canada NSO – National Statistics Office

BOI – Board of Investments OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (shorthand for industrial
CMTR – Center for Medical Tourism Research
countries)
COE – Center of Excellence
OFW – Overseas Filipino Worker
DOH – Department of Health
PAO – Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology
DOT – Department of Tourism
PAPRAS – Philippine Association of Plastic
DTI – Department of Trade and Industry Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
EO – Executive Order PCAHO – Philippine Council for the
EU – European Union Accreditation of Health Organizations

FDA – Food and Drug Administration PEZA – Philippine Economic Processing Zone
Authority
FTZ – Free Trade Zone
PhilAsHOme – Philippine Association of Health
H2H – Hotel to Hospital Organizations in Medical Tourism
HEAL – Health and Wellness Alliance of the PHIC or PhilHealth – Philippine Health Insurance
Philippines Corporation
HMO – Health Maintenance Organization PHC – Philippine Heart Center
IMTJ – International Medical Travel Journal PHP – Philippine Pesos
INICC – International Nosocomial Infection PMA – Philippine Medical Association
Control Consortium
PMTI – Philippine Medical Tourism, Inc.
IPP – Investment Priorities Plan
PMTP – Philippine Medical Tourism Program
ISO – International Standards Organization
PPO – Preferred Provider Organization
ISQua – International Society of Quality in
Healthcare PRA – Philippine Retirement Authority

JCI – Joint Commission International PSIC – Philippine Statistical Industrial

Classification
Lasik – Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratiomilieusis
RA – Republic Act
LGU – Local Government Unit
RP – Republic of the Philippines
LSVVE – Long-Stay Visitor Visa Extension
SAPI – Spa Association of the Philippines, Inc.
NABH – National Accreditation Board for Health
SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
NAIA – Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Threats
NCDs – Non-communicable Diseases TESDA – Technical Education and Skills
NG – National Government Development Authority

NKTI – National Kidney and Transplant Institute TMC – The Medical City

NSCB – National Statistical Coordination Board UAE – United Arab Emirates

i
UK – United Kingdom WHO – World Health Organization
US – United States WTO – World Trade Organization
US$ - United States Dollars

ii
 Table of Contents

Abbreviations and Acronyms ......................................................................................................................... i

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. v
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... vi
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................................... vii
A. Market Demand and Drivers of Growth ............................................................................................ vii
Top 15 Destinations of Medical Tourists, 2010 ................................................................................. viii
B. The Domestic Industry ......................................................................................................................... ix
Hospitals Under the Philippine Medical Tourism Program, 2013........................................................ ix
Comparison of Price Range for Sample Procedures in the Philippines and in the U.S. and Thailand, in
US$, Early 2010s................................................................................................................................... ix
Revenue and Cost Trends of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, PHP Billion,
1999 to 2009 ......................................................................................................................................... x
C. Benchmarking Analysis ......................................................................................................................... x
Benchmarking of the Philippine Medical Tourism Industry, 2013....................................................... xi
D. S.W.O.T. Analysis ...............................................................................................................................xiii
E. Next Steps ..........................................................................................................................................xiii
S.W.O.T. Analysis of the Philippine Medical Tourism Industry, 2013 .................................................xiv
F. Concluding Notes ...............................................................................................................................xiv
Chapter I. Background .................................................................................................................................. 1
Chapter II. The Global Market for Medical Tourism ..................................................................................... 3
A. Definition and Scope of the Trade in Health Services ......................................................................... 3
B. Demand, Revenues, and Market Opportunity..................................................................................... 7
Chapter III. Philippine Medical Tourism: Demand Aspects......................................................................... 16
A. Originating Countries of Medical Tourists ......................................................................................... 16
B. Price Competitiveness........................................................................................................................ 18
Chapter IV. Philippine Medical Tourism: Supply Aspects ......................................................................... 21
A. Hospitals ............................................................................................................................................ 21
B. Stem Cell Therapy .............................................................................................................................. 23
C. Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty Clinics ................................................................................................. 30
D. Dental Clinics ..................................................................................................................................... 30
E. Eye Clinics ........................................................................................................................................... 31

iii
 F. Spas .................................................................................................................................................... 32
G. Size of the Health and Wellness Industry .......................................................................................... 33
Chapter V. Benchmarking Exercise ............................................................................................................. 35
A. Rationale ............................................................................................................................................. 35
B. Strategic Benchmarks ........................................................................................................................ 36
C. Marketing Benchmarks ...................................................................................................................... 38
E. Organization and Management Benchmarks ..................................................................................... 40
F. Service Quality Benchmarks ................................................................................................................ 43
G. Care Benchmarks ................................................................................................................................ 45
H. Travel and Accommodation Benchmarks ........................................................................................... 46
H. Financing Benchmarks ....................................................................................................................... 47
Chapter VI. S.W.O.T. Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 50
A. Strengths ............................................................................................................................................ 50
B. Weaknesses ....................................................................................................................................... 51
C. Opportunities ..................................................................................................................................... 53
D. Threats ................................................................................................................................................ 54
Chapter VII. Conclusions and Next Steps .................................................................................................... 58
References .................................................................................................................................................. 60
Annex 1: Draft Scope of Work for Consultancy to Formulate the Roadmap of Expanding Medical Tourism
in the Philippines......................................................................................................................................... 67
Annex 3: Comments on the Draft Senate Bill on Medical Tourism ........................................................... 70

iv
 List of Tables

Table 1. WTO’s Modes of Supply and Examples in the Trade of Health Services........................................ 4
Table 2. Major Products of the Medical Tourism Industry, Late 2000s ........................................................ 6
Table 3. Price Comparison of U.S. vs. Foreign Surgical Procedures, US$, 2008........................................... 8
Table 4. Medical Tourists by Source and Destination, Mid/Late 2000s ..................................................... 12
Table 5. Top 20 Medical Tourist Destinations, 2010.................................................................................. 13
Table 6. Destination Countries of Medical Tourists ................................................................................... 14
Table 7. Proportion of Medical Tourists Out of Total Tourists in Selected Asian Countries, Late 2000s .. 17
Table 12. Price Comparison of Selected Medical and Surgical Procedures by Country Using Deloitte’s
Study as Basis, in US$ .................................................................................................................................. 18
Table 13. Price Comparison of Selected Medical and Surgical Procedures by Country Using KPMG’s
Study as Basis, US$...................................................................................................................................... 18
Table 14. Average Prices for Selected Health and Wellness Services, in US$, in the Philippines, the U.S.,
and Competing Countries, 2011 ................................................................................................................. 19
Table 8. Hospitals Under the Philippine Medical Tourism Program, by Location, Ownership, Number of
Beds, and Accreditation Status ................................................................................................................... 21
Table 9. Other Hospitals and Clinics Catering to Medical Tourists, by Location, Ownership, Number of
Beds, and Accreditation Status ................................................................................................................... 23
Table 10. Philippine Hospitals Involved in Stem Cell Therapy, by Stem Cell Application, Source of Cells,
Origin of Technology, and Duration of Treatment ..................................................................................... 24
Table 11. Stand-alone Clinics and Laboratories Involved (or About to be Involved) in Stem Cell Therapy,
2013 ............................................................................................................................................................ 26
Table 15. Revenue Data of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, in PHP Billion,
1999 to 2009 ............................................................................................................................................... 33
Table 16. Cost Data of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, in PHP Billion, 1999 to
2009 ............................................................................................................................................................ 33
Table 17. Revenue to Cost Ratio of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, 1999 to
2009 ............................................................................................................................................................ 34
Table 18. Number of JCI-Accredited Hospitals in Countries Involved in Medical Tourism, as of 2012 ..... 43
Table 20. PMTP Hospitals Providing Non-medical Services to Patients, by Type of Service, 2011 ........... 47
Table 21. Individual vs. Institutional Payor in Medical Tourism Industry, 2013 ........................................ 48
Table 22. Hospital Tieups with Related Services, 2012 .............................................................................. 49

v
 List of Figures
Figure 1. Number of Doctors Per Eye Clinic, 2013 ..................................................................................... 31
Figure 2. Growth of Revenues (PHP Million) of the Spa Industry in the Philippines, by Type of Spa, 2006
to 2012 ........................................................................................................................................................ 32
Figure 3. Price Variation Among Selected Medical Procedures for Medical Tourists in Three Philippine
Hospitals, in PHP, 2012 ............................................................................................................................... 48
Figure 4. Classification of Patients by Requirement for Follow-up Care Versus Complexity of Treatment56

vi
 Executive Summary

Medical tourism is poised to continue growing globally in the next few years due to combined
economic, demographic, epidemiological, communication, and transport trends. The Philippines out-
prices its Asian competitors in surgical procedures among JCI-accredited facilities, and yet it continues to
get a minuscule share of the medical tourism market. Why? What needs to be done to change this
status?

This discussion paper aims to provide a comprehensive view of the industry. It discusses the
global market demand and the drivers of growth. It then tries to understand the domestic industry by
(a) exploring its demand and supply aspects, (b) undertaking an industry benchmarking exercise, and (c)
examining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The discussion paper was based on a
review of available materials from the Internet. Due to the tight deadline (March 2013) and lack of
resources, the findings were not validated with industry stakeholders and relevant government offices.
It is hoped that this can be done in the near future.

A. Market Demand and Drivers of Growth

Medical travel has been going on since time immemorial, but modern medical tourism emerged
as a discernible phenomenon in the late 1990s and took off in a dramatic manner in the mid-2000s
(2006 to be exact, according to industry observers).

There is no agreed-upon definition of medical tourism which leads to extreme confusion

especially about the size of the market (number of medical tourists) and its revenue potential. Current
estimates of people receiving care abroad vary widely. Moreover, most reputable estimates were done
before the global economic crisis (2006-2007). While some have been adjusted for the global recession,
others were not.

The data on cross-country cost comparisons is also deceptive as they implicitly assume out-of-
pocket payments at the point of service and neglect the (potential) role of third-party financing and
negotiation in either reducing or inflating costs. These medical costs also do not take account of
transport, hotel, subsistence, and other associated costs that the medical tourist bears in accessing care
abroad. So far, true access costs have not been calculated across countries. This is an analytic area that
international agencies could take on.

Despite these difficulties, analysis of the drivers of growth of medical tourism shows very
positive prospects:

a. Economically, the high medical costs in OECD countries are not going down any time soon. If
anything, the anticipated more stringent regulatory requirements of health reforms (say,
Obamacare) can lead to costs there even escalating.

b. Demographically, OECD countries’ populations are aging, and this will require more intensive
use of medical care.

vii
 c. Epidemiologically, the disease burden of the entire world has dramatically shifted to non-
communicable and chronic diseases, necessitating greater hospitalization.

d. Technologically, some procedures that in the past can only be done in OECD countries are now
available in emerging economies as well, of comparable quality but at a lower cost, even adding
the cost of travel.

e. Communication media, especially the Internet, has empowered citizens all over the world that
they are now taking matters into their own hands, looking for health providers with lower costs
and traveling there if need be.

f. Transport costs have made it affordable for many people to travel for holiday or for
homecoming or for health care and wellness, and increasingly for combined purposes.

The Philippines trails Thailand, Singapore, India and Malaysia among Asian countries involved in
medical tourism (see figure below). Taiwan, South Korea, and China are also poised to grab a larger
share of the market in the near future.

Top 15 Destinations of Medical Tourists, 2010

Thailand 1,200,000
Singapore 600,000
U.S.A. 400,000
India 370,000
Malaysia 350,000
Hungary 330,000
Poland 300,000
Slovenia 300,000
Jordan 210,000
U.K. 100,000
Philippines 80,000
Germany 70,000
South Korea 60,000
Taiwan 60,000
Belgium 60,000

0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000

Source: Youngman (2010)

viii
B. The Domestic Industry

Medical tourism gravitates around 21 premier hospitals included under the Philippine Medical
Tourism Program (PMTP). The table below shows their location, ownership, and total number of beds.

Hospitals Under the Philippine Medical Tourism Program, 2013

Location Private Public Total

Number Beds Number Beds Number Beds
Metro Manila 11 4,371 5 2,107 16 6,478
Batangas Province 1 220 - - 1 220
Cebu 3 1,210 - - 3 1,210
Davao 1 250 - 1 250
Total 16 6,051 5 2,107 21 8,158
Source: This study

The domestic industry is very price-competitive relative to the origin-countries of medical

tourists and relative to its leading competitors in Asia. This is shown in the table below which compares
Philippine prices for a sample of procedures with those obtaining in the U.S. and Thailand.

Comparison of Price Range for Sample Procedures in the Philippines and in the U.S. and
Thailand, in US$, Early 2010s

Procedures Philippines U.S. Thailand

Dental bridge 360 – 600 5,500 290 – 430
Lasik eye surgery 1,000 – 1,500 3,000 650 – 900
Heart bypass 11,000 – 25,000 90,000 – 144,300 23,000 – 25,000
Nose lift 400 – 1,000 4,000 – 12,000 600 – 2,500
Spa services 11 - 100 100 - 200 45 - 100
Source: HealthCORE (2011)

The industry has also been growing for over a decade, as shown in the figure below. Except for
a dip in 2006, which probably reflects stalled demand arising from the impending recession1 in most
Western countries, health and wellness activities (inclusive of domestic and tourist-oriented services)
have expanded apace. Specifically, revenues have consistently outpaced costs. The industry had gross
revenues of about PHP 80 billion in 2009, compared to gross costs of about PHP 53 billion.

1
It would seem from this observation that medical tourist arrivals and expenses are a leading economic indicator as household
behavior signals that the economy is going down. It was not until 2008 that the recession in the U.S. actually hit. Note,
however, that the industry bounced quickly back the following year.

ix
Revenue and Cost Trends of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, PHP
Billion, 1999 to 2009

90

80 79.96

70 68.51
60

50.34 52.45
50 50.28
43.83 42.88 Revenues
40 40.24
Costs
30 30.49 31.64
25.54
20 21.6

10

0
1999 2001 2003 2005 2006 2009

Sources: 1999 to 2005 from Virola and Polistico (2007); 2006 and 2009 from this study.

A major industry problem is the paucity of data to determine the parameters of the local
industry and to establish baselines. While this problem has been recognized as early as 2007, it has not
been acted upon. Key data such as medical tourist arrivals, expenditures, and services availed of are
not readily available. There are also very few formally written accounts of the industry and its sub-
sectors, with the possible exception of the spa sub-sector. There are many news items and blogs, but
these are less reliable. Industry studies were not located for the medical sub-sector, and the completed
reports by consultancy firms were proprietary and expensive.

C. Benchmarking Analysis
Benchmarking is the process of comparing one’s business processes and performance metrics to
industry best practices or to other industries’ or countries’ practices. In benchmarking, the best firms,
industries, or countries where similar processes exist are chosen, and the results are then compared to
the results of one’s own firm, industry, or country. Conducting this benchmarking analysis is motivated
by the need to find out where the local industry is relative to its leading competitors.

The medical tourism industry is very young, and very little published literature exists in peer-
reviewed journals. As in the domestic market, the global market is also marked by scarcity of formally
written literature. There are many blogs and industry press materials, often marked by hype, some of
which are marked by careless analysis. Quantitative data that can be useful for metrics are scarce.

In the absence of a commonly accepted set of standards to measure the industry, Todd’s (n.d.)
“30 Key Findings from Medical Tourism Research” was used to assess the domestic industry relative to
its counterparts in leading countries. The results are summarized in the matrix below, which shows that
although the Philippines meets most of the competitive yardsticks, there are glaring deficits, notably:

x
 a. Strategy – There is no formal coordinating body (council or board) as in competitor countries;
lead coordination is poor.

b. Marketing – Market niching is weak, sustained promotion campaign is lacking, and local website
are less attractive compared to competitors in the region.

c. Organizational and management – Industry clustering is weak. Critical industry data are lacking.

d. Service quality and care – There are few internationally accredited health facilities although
their number is increasing.

e. Travel and accommodation – Medical tourism airline packages from local carriers (PAL, Cebu
Pacific) have not yet been developed.

f. Financing – Pricing of services by providers is not transparent.

Benchmarking of the Philippine Medical Tourism Industry, 2013

Benchmarks Status
Strategic Benchmarks
1 Development of a clear industry 20 top-echelon hospitals are involved in PMTP; lackluster
vision and strategic objective performance of PMTP due mainly to its lack of marketing
campaign
2 Coordination among relevant No medical tourism council or board; weak and informal
authorities coordination; many offices and agencies involved (48), not
counting private providers
3 Provision of tax and other Fiscal incentives available from IPP but investment uptake is
incentives low; hotel and social work represents only 1 percent of total
investment commitments in BOI between 2003 and 2011
Marketing Benchmarks
4 Use of “competitive advantage” Lacks focus and tends to cover all the bases; spoiled by Filipino
approach diaspora captive market; efforts focused on Micronesia and
East Asia; large non-balikbayan market in the U.S. and Europe
remains to be tapped
5 Positioning for excellence in Weak market niching; Philippines tends to cover all the bases
specific treatments and medical
products
6 Holding marketing campaigns Lack of sustained and vibrant marketing campaign; innovative
approaches lack scale
7 Using websites to promote Less attractive websites relative to those of competitor
medical tourism countries
8 International affiliation for QA Some affiliations between local and international institutions
and marketing exist but their full scale cannot be determined
9 Attendance at international Minor presence and visibility
medical tourism events
Organizational and Management Benchmarks

xi
 Benchmarks Status
10 Adoption of “hospital Hospital chains and consortia not yet well established; leading
management” concept that hospitals branding themselves individually
allows formation of more
competitive entities that brand
the country as a destination
11 Learning the lessons of “medical Similar endeavors in other sectors wracked with difficulty; PPP
cluster” concept initiatives struggling along
12 Consortium training Not enough being done; cultural skills not being given enough
prominence; new skills needed
13 Standardized database system Very weak; absence of key data; hesitance of private sector to
share sensitive data
14 Advancement in technology and No research center; stem cell research and application done in
research a few places, but highly localized; PHL lagging behind in CME;
no research center
15 Well established ambulance Very uneven across LGUs
system and traumatology centers
Service Quality Benchmarks
Benchmarks Status
16 International safety and quality PHL lags behind competitors in the number of JCI-accredited
accreditation hospitals
17 Development of national ISQua HealthCORE has been given local training; PHIC Benchbook 57
accreditation system COEs; PCAHO accrediting special needs
18 International credentials of Philippine medical education patterned after the U.S.; many
physicians doctors have foreign credentials
19 Strong ties with international Number and scale of relationships not known
medical institutions
Care Benchmarks
20 Good quality of nursing staff Filipino nurses are known the world over for their technical
and caring skills
21 Good base of skilled therapists in To be determined.
spas and health resorts
22 Use of local and natural DOT promoting 7 areas with natural endowments; indigenous
approaches to health and healing healing practices (hilot deep tissue massage and dagdagay
foot massage) are not universally offered; use of indigenous
plants and organic ingredients need to be promoted.
Travel and Accommodation Benchmarks
23 Special visa for medical tourists Philippines announced in 2011 that a medical travel visa will be
introduced
24 Airlines providing models for best Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and other carriers slow to take
medical tourism packages up the challenge
25 Specialized medical services and Highly inadequate relative to competitor countries
facilities in airports
26 Specialized travel agencies with PMTI provides a local model
medical tourism logistics
27 Providers’ good ability to respond Hospitals involved medical tourism are in or near central
to the special needs of clients business districts; PMTP hospitals are increasingly providing

xii
 non-medical services (Internet, tour and travel, restaurants,
halal food); a significant proportion (43.8 percent) have
international patient centers and language translation services
Financing Benchmarks
28 Transparent and responsive Lack of transparency in pricing
pricing of services
29 Moving from individual tourists Not known
to corporate tieups with
employers
30 Strong ties with international 20 PMTP hospitals have health insurance tieups with 32
health insurance companies international HMOs, PPOs, and other health insurance firms
Sources: This study; see body of this report for details. See also accompanying paper, “The Emerging Trends in Medical
Tourism.” Note: The findings in this table were based solely on the review of the literature. They need to be validated by the
industry stakeholders.

D. S.W.O.T. Analysis
The matrix below summarizes the results of the S.W.O.T. analysis.

E. Next Steps

To invigorate the industry, the following are the suggested next steps:

a. Commission an international consulting firm, with local counterparts, to conduct a

comprehensive study on the medical tourism industry covering its global competitive advantage
and market niches, the binding constraints, its future prospects, and needed policy thrusts 2.

b. Undertake follow-on information gathering and analytical work that can be included for funding
under any of the three departments’ (DOT, DTI, DOH) research programs, including a standard
set of data that need to be produced on a regular basis.

c. Based on the results of the study, prepare a sector-wide business strategy and plan.

d. Mount a media campaign abroad to promote medical tourism in the country.

2
The draft scope of work is in Annex 1.

xiii
S.W.O.T. Analysis of the Philippine Medical Tourism Industry, 2013

Strengths Weaknesses

1. Good quality care through internally driven 1. Lack of data to determine the parameters of
quality improvement programs in top-notch health the industry
facilities 2. Lukewarm cooperation of some of the major
2. Clear price advantage in many medical and industry stakeholders
surgical procedures 3. Lack of strong brand recognition abroad
3. Large pool of qualified, English-speaking, and 4. Long and costly international travel to Manila
caring health and tourism professionals and airport infrastructure deficits
4. Captive market consisting of the Filipino 5. Lack of portability of insurance plans among
diaspora OECD medical tourists
5. Proximity to the Pacific and Micronesia 6. Downside of a strengthening peso
6. Tropical climate/environment and cultural 7. Administrative barriers to entry in LGUs and
openness CHDs
8. Weak synergy between medical and travel-
service providers

Opportunities Threats

1. Improving global perception of the Philippine 1. Intense competition from current market
economy and tourism leaders as well as rapidly emerging destinations
2. Continued aging of the population in originating 2. Lack of price transparency and wide variation in
countries, thus increasing demand local prices in hospital and clinic procedures
3. Continued high-cost care in advanced countries 3. Slow prosecution of medical malpractice cases
that engenders medical outsourcing and lack of malpractice framework for cutting-
4. Many segments of care can be exploited edge procedures
5. Government commitment to PPP as an 4. Pre- and post-operative risks of combining
approach to develop sectors including health and health + holiday, and possible discontinuity of care
tourism 5. Potential crowding out of domestic poor
patients and other adverse equity effects
6. Who will keep the savings – patients, providers,
or intermediaries?

Source: This study; see body of this report for details. Note: The findings in this matrix were based solely on the review of the
literature. They need to be validated by industry stakeholders.

F. Concluding Notes
Medical tourism is a complex multisectoral endeavor encompassing medical care, health care
financing, travel, tourism and accommodation, trade and industrial clustering, communication including
social media, and nonmedical service delivery and facilitation. It presents vast opportunities for growth,
for creating local employment, for industrialization and skill-building, and for reversing the brain drain.
Careful cross-subsidization can bring immense benefits to poorly funded government health facilities.
Potential ripple effects exist of higher-end care improving quality in lower-end care. Finally, medical
tourism provides a wonderful opportunity for global caring and multicultural exchange.

xiv
 But medical tourism as a national strategy poses risks. The gains from trade realized through the
exploitation of comparative advantage can be cornered by influential intermediaries who are entering
the market, leaving patients and providers short-changed. ‘Outsourcing of care’ has a scary ring to it,
especially among skeptics (here and abroad) who resist change from the status quo. Quality and
continuity of care are medical concerns that providers, financiers, and regulators – and the patient
himself – should thoughtfully consider. Ethical and legal issues come to the fore for procedures not yet
approved, or considered illegal, in the patient’s originating country. Public subsidies to invigorate the
industry can end up with, and cornered by, the wrong parties, if these types of incentives are not
targeted well. White elephants can ensue from poorly designed and implemented industrial clustering
initiatives.

Because medical tourism is a game-changing opportunity, more open conversation is needed on

its prospects and concerns, even as the Philippines and the rest of the world race to embrace this
phenomenon. The conversation, however, has to be informed by data, analysis, and logic rather than
hype.

xv
 Chapter I. Background

“Once your treatment is over, you will be able to pamper

yourself in a tropical locale of your choice. And there are many
to choose from: the Banaue Rice Terraces, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol,
the world’s longest Underground River in Palawan, unique wildlife…
Nor do you have to recuperate on your own –
Bring your family with you and let them watch over you
as you recover. Now you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Philippine health tourism lets you avoid the high cost
of treatment and the long wait, and you can still
have the holiday of a lifetime with your family.”

Allan E. Miller, retired airline pilot

writing from Bali Hai Resort, Bauang, La Union
http:www.balihai.com.ph

This discussion paper responds to a request by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for an analysis
of the medical tourism industry in the Philippines. The report acquaints policymakers in the DOT, the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Health (DOH) with the key industry
issues and prospects for the purpose of initiating a longer-term effort of strategic planning that will
underpin its future growth and improve its market share. Given the tight deadline, the report simply
provides a quick review of the relevant literature.

Section II of the paper analyzes the market for medical tourism; section III analyzes the demand
aspects of the Philippine industry; section IV analyzes the supply aspects; section V performs a
benchmarking exercise; Section VI conducts an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats (SWOT) of the industry; and section VII discusses next steps.

The paper was presented to the technical working group on medical tourism at the Board of
Investment (BOI), Department of Trade and Industry on April 16, 2013 and was attended by Mr. Romulo
Manlapig, DTI Assistant Secretary; Ms. Evariste M. Cagatan, Director, DTI/BOI; Ms. Cynthia Lazo,
Director, DOT; Ms. Joy Lachica, DTI/BOI; Ms. Reggie Carreon, DOT; Dr. Criselda Abesamis, DOH; Dr.
Butch Tiongson, DOH; Ms. Cherrie May Nuez, DTI/BOI; Ms. Patricia Bustamante, DTI/BOI; and Ms.
Christine Marie Mendoza, DOH. Also in attendance were Oscar F. Picazo, Danica Aisa Ortiz, Melanie
Aldeon, and Nina de la Cruz, PIDS. Subsequent meeting was held with Mr. Marc Daubencbeuchel,
executive director of the Retirement and Healthcare Coalition, at DTO on September 3, 2013.

The history of medical tourism in the Philippines can be traced as early as the 1960s when the
country became known as a destination for faith healing, with medical tourists coming from the U.S. and
Europe. In the 1970s, then President Marcos established medical centers of excellence consisting of the

1
Philippine Heart Center 3, the National Lung Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and
the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, all located within a kilometer radius of each other in the
central business district of Quezon City . The original intention of turning the country into a hub for
medical tourism in Asia was averted when Marcos was overthrown in 1986.

In the mid- to late-1980s, Dr. Alfredo Bengzon began putting together a team dealing with stem
cell therapy at the Medical City. Since the early 1990s, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and
the Lung Center of the Philippines have also pioneered the use of stem cell therapy for kidney and lung
conditions.

In the field of cosmetic surgery, in late 1990s/early 2000s, leading doctors (notably Dr. Francisco
Lucero and Dr. Carlos I. Lasa) used the Internet to market their plastic surgery services to patients in the
U.S. and Europe (Porter, et al., 2008). In 1993, Dr. Vicki Belo’s Dermatology and Laser Clinic began
catering to foreign patients particularly Filipino-Americans.

In 2004, riding on the wave of rapidly growing number of global medical tourists, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo launched the Philippine Medical Tourism Program (PMTP) under the
Department of Tourism (DOT). She then issued Executive Order 372, series 2004 which aimed to develop
the communications, logistics, and health and wellness industries involved in medical tourism. The EO
created the Public/Private Sector Task Force for the development of globally competitive Philippine
service industries. She then issued Executive Order 571, series 2006 which created a Public/Private Task
Force on Philippine competitiveness.

In 2005, the BOI included health and wellness products and services as preferred activities in the
Investment Priorities Plan (IPP). The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) also issued Board
Resolution No. 06-512 approving the guidelines for the registration of medical tourism special economic
zones (medical tourism parks/centers) and medical tourism enterprises under Republic Act 7916, as
amended.

In 2006, the Philippines held its first Medical Tourism Congress, followed in 2007 by the Second
International Medical Tourism Conference. Many observers note that medical tourism became a truly
global phenomenon starting in 2006.

3
Established in 1975, PHC became an important center for cardiac care in the Asia-Pacific region because of its
foreign-trained medical personnel, state-of-the-art facilities, and advanced medical care and research. PHC was at
the forefront of developing bio-prosthetic valves and prototype medical equipment. It was a trailblazer in
coronary angioplasty in the region (PMTI, 2010).

2
 Chapter II. The Global Market for Medical Tourism

“The aging of the population globally and the fact that

people are living longer and enjoying more retirement time
means … that there is growing number of people
with higher discretionary incomes and more
time to travel.”

Paffhausen, Peguerro, and Roche-Villareal

cited by Vequist (n.d.)

“Mercedes product at a Toyota price.”

Dr. Milstein, Bumrungrad International Hospital
Bangkok, quoted by
Libby Peacock (n.d.)

Traveling outside one’s residence to seek medical treatment in another place where care is
available has been going on for centuries. At an individual level, there is nothing new in the 21st century
phenomenon of health-related mobility. However, the upsurge in the number of medical tourists over
the past decade is new at a collective level, for it is being driven by demographic, economic, and
technological forces outside the individual patient or individual provider. While medical travelers from
poor and emerging economies have traditionally sought more sophisticated medical treatments in
advanced or industrial economies, the trend is being reversed. This reversal is the marked characteristic
of modern medical tourism.

Medical tourism has also sparked debate about the wisdom of globalizing health care through
trade. Piazolo and Zanca (2010) use conventional Ricardian model of international trade for health care
industries in the U.S. and in India to illustrate that specialization and free trade result in gains from
international trade. By adopting the model of comparative advantage to the costs of medical surgeries,
the authors show that trade between the two countries is beneficial to both of them. They conclude
that “by specializing on the type of surgery they are most efficient in producing, it {medical tourism} will
enhance the well-being of both nations.”

Of course, medical tourism is far more complex than what neoclassical economic theory
suggests, as we will show in this paper.

A. Definition and Scope of the Trade in Health Services

Health tourism was first categorized as a commercial activity by the International Union of
Travel Officials in 1973 (Paffhausen, Pequero, and Roche-Villareal, 2010). The term emerged in the
Tourism Management Journal in 1987 (cited by Ko, 2011). The World Trade Organization later identified

3
it as one of the four modes of supply (Mode 2) through which services can be traded 4 (Table 1). Under
the WTO guidelines, a country that offers medical tourism services to foreign patients (the destination
country) therefore becomes an exporter while the patient’s home country (the originating country)
becomes the importer of health services. Today, the phenomenon is more commonly referred to as
medical tourism, although there is no agreement on what the term covers.

Table 1. WTO’s Modes of Supply and Examples in the Trade of Health Services

Modes Trade in Health Services 5 Trade in Ancillary Associated Trade in

Services 6 Goods 7
Mode 1 – Shipment of lab samples, Distance medical training;
Cross-borderdiagnosis, and clinical medical transcription
supply consultation via mail or
electronic delivery (e.g.,
telemedicine)
Mode 2 – (a) Medical tourism; Hotel, restaurant,
Consumption (b) Educational services paramedical services, etc.
abroad provided to foreign students associated with medical
(c) Medically assisted tourism; training of foreign Health and health care
residence for retirees 8 nationals; foreign owned equipment,
or sponsored medical pharmaceuticals,
education or research medical waste,
facilities prostheses
Mode 3 – Foreign investment in the Foreign owned or
Commercial health services sector in sponsored medical
presence another country, education or research
establishment of hospitals, facilities
clinics, etc.
Mode 4 – Movement of health Cross border movement of
Presence of personnel, including both medical personnel for
natural temporary and permanent purposes such as training
persons flows, e.g., US hospital
recruiting foreign nurses
Sources: WTO, GATS Part I, Article I.2; Cattaneo (2009) as cited by Vequist (n.d.)

Definition and Classification – Medical tourism “refers to the act of traveling to another country
to seek specialized or economical medical care, well-being and recuperation of acceptable quality with
the help of a support system (Deloitte, n.d.) (b). Medical tourists can be classified according to the point
of reference, type of services availed of, and concerns of the patient.

4
Two other types of health services need to be mapped in the WTO matrix: (a) the increasing outsourcing by American and
European pharmaceutical firms and research institutes of clinical trials in emerging economies; and (b) medical missions from
advanced countries going to poorer countries.
5
This column was lifted from WTO.
6
Catteneo (2009) as cited by Vequist (n.d.).
7
Catteneo (2009) as cited by Vequist (n.d.).
8
From Catteneo (2009) as cited by Vequist (n.d.).

4
 A major industry weakness is the absence of an agreed upon definition and classification of
medical tourists. Deloitte (2008) classifies medical tourists on the basis of their origin: (a) outbound
medical tourists – U.S. and European patients traveling to other countries to receive medical care; (b)
inbound medical tourists – patients from other countries traveling to the U.S. and Europe to receive
medical care; and (c) intrabound medical tourists – U.S. patients traveling within the U.S. to receive
medical care outside their geographic area, typically to the center of excellence in another state/region;
these are sometimes referred to as domestic medical tourists. (The same holds true for Europeans
seeking care within Europe.)

Gonzales, Brenzel, and Sancho (2001) ignore the holiday dimension of medical travel and define
medical tourists as those going to another country to consume health care services. However, others
argue that because patients travel, medical tourism inherently includes a tourism aspect, i.e., the
consumption of associated services such as international and local transport, lodging, and hospitality
(Stackpole and Associates, 2010). Finally, post-operative rest and recuperation, whether for major
surgery or minor cosmetic or dental surgery, involves lodging and other hospitality expenditures.

Some analysts see the need to distinguish medical tourism from medical travel (Peacock, n.d.):
medical travelers travel primarily because of medical reasons while medical tourists obtain medical and
related care (e.g., cosmetic, dental, or minimally invasive procedures) as incidental to their being
tourists.

Horowitz, Rosenzweig, and Jones (2007) distinguish medical tourists by their type of motivation
for traveling to seek care:

a. Price-oriented – those who avoid the high cost of domestic medical care and search for low-cost
alternatives in other countries;
b. Non-insured – includes (i) those who lack insurance coverage and therefore search for cheaper
care elsewhere on the basis of out-of-pocket payment, or (ii) those who lack procedural
insurance, i.e., those who seek care for non-covered procedures elsewhere;
c. Displeased with medical policy – includes (i) those dissatisfied with public health care system
such as those in Canada and the U.K. , and (ii) those suffering from long waiting times in such
countries as the U.S.;
d. Controversial-issue related – those who seek care for non-FDA 9 approved novel treatments, or
for procedures which they cannot obtain from their home countries on ethical, moral, legal,
cultural or social restrictions, e.g., abortion, in-vitro fertilization; and
e. Protection of privacy – those requiring privacy regarding certain procedures, e.g., gender
reassignment or drug rehabilitation.

Other analysts have added new classifications, or are questioning these new classifications
(Youngman, 2012) including:

a. Diaspora medical tourists – those who seek treatment back in their own original country;
b. Accidental medical tourists – those who unexpectedly get sick while on a holiday;
c. Retirees – elderly expatriates in a foreign country and accessing health services there;
d. Cosmetic/leisure tourists – those who consider vacation and convenience in obtaining
procedures as key elements during travel; and

9
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

5
 e. Others – including overseas students who obtain care while schooling, long-term
expatriates, transient military personnel, and diplomats.

Cormany (2008) and several authors distinguish six types of medical tourists according to
services, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Major Products of the Medical Tourism Industry, Late 2000s

Major surgeries • Orthopedic surgeries: hip replacement, hip resurfacing, knee replacement
• Spinal procedures: spinal fusion, spinal disc replacement
• Limited cardiac procedures: angioplasty, cardiac diagnostic procedures
• Gynecological surgeries: partial, total, or radical hysterectomies
• Hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo oophorectomy
• General surgeries: vascular, stomach and bowel, kidney and urinary, gallbladder
removal, hernia repair, cataract surgery, Lasik surgery, hemorrhoid removal,
Endo-laser vein surgery
• Other medical procedures: bariatric surgery, fertility treatment, oncology,
transplants, stem cell treatments, sex reassignment, addiction treatments
Minor surgeries • Dental procedures: dental work, cosmetic dentistry, crowns, bonding, veneers,
whitening, bridges, bone grafts, root canals, tooth extractions
• Eye, ear, nose and throat treatments
Cosmetic/plastic • Facial cosmetic surgery: rhytidectomy, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, brow or
surgeries forehead lift, ear surgery
• Body contouring: liposuction including tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast
lift, thigh lift, lower-body
Diagnostic services • Annual checkups
Alternative • Chinese medicine, acupuncture, herbal treatments, ayurvedic treatments
therapy • Pancha Karma, tai-chi
treatments 10
Wellbeing/lifestyle • Spa therapy, yoga therapy, meditation therapy, holistic therapy, thermal
remodeling therapy (mineral springs, balneo therapy), thermo therapy, thalasso therapy
services • Algae therapy, aroma therapy, cryotherapy, electrotherapy, magnetotherapy,
mud healing (fango therapy), occupational therapy (stress management),
massage, diet and nutritional programs, detoxification, New Age, spiritual
tourism
Sources: Gahlinger (2008), Marsek and Sharpe (2009), Smith and Puczko (2009)

The lack of a commonly accepted definition of medical tourism and its various terminologies
(travel tourism, transient medicine, international patients, globalized medicine, and outsourced care)
has also influenced the design of survey instruments used to assess the size of the industry. Youngman
(2013) observes that a survey question asking residents of Western countries whether they would
consider going abroad for medical treatment is simplistic if not deceptive as it is highly contingent and
assumes the only reason for going for medical treatment abroad is to save money, which is rarely the
case.

10
Stem cell therapy is often included under alternative therapy.

6
B. Demand, Revenues, and Market Opportunity

The unclear measure of global demand for medical tourism follows from the murkiness of the
definition of the term, as explained above. A second source of murkiness is the timing of the study when
the demand figures were calculated. Almost all of the global or regional medical tourism studies were
done prior to the recession that started in 2006 and lasted well into 2008 and still continues in some
European countries. Some of the original studies have been recession-adjusted by their respective
analysts, but the original studies are still in the Internet and being quoted.

Some estimates of the measure of demand for medical tourism are as follows.

a. Using a restrictive definition, McKinsey (2011) estimated the number of global medical tourists
in 2008 to be between 60,000 to 85,000. The figure for outbound Americans in the same year
was only 5,000 to 10,000.

b. KPMG (2011) estimated global medical tourists to reach 3.0 million by the early 2010s.

c. Using a very liberal definition, Deloitte (n.d.b) estimated 750,000 outbound Americans who
sought medical care 11 in 2007/08. The base model showed this number to grow to 15.75 million
in 2017 with an upper bound of 23.20 million and a lower bound of around 10.43 million.
Deloitte scaled down these forecasts using a factor of -20 percent for 2007 and -10 percent for
2008, but rebounding back starting in 2009 onward.

d. Rush (n.d.) estimated U.S. outbound medical tourists in 2007 to be between 50,000 to 121,000.

e. Using international passenger survey data, Intuition Communication, Ltd. estimated the U.K.
outbound medical tourists in 2009 to be 54,000.

f. Using international passenger survey data, Keith Pollard (2012) of Treatment Abroad estimated
that 60,000 U.K. patients traveled abroad in 2010, 41 percent for cosmetic surgery, 32 percent
for dental, 9 percent for obesity, and 4.5 percent for infertility treatment.

g. Josef Woodman in his book “Patients Beyond Borders” estimated more than 2 million
international medical patients a year, of whom about 400,000 are Americans (quoted by
www.whereismydoctor.com).

Global estimates of revenues from medical tourism also show large variability. For the late
2000s/early 2010s, Deloitte (2008) estimated the revenues from U.S. outbound medical tourists at
US$2.1 billion (2008) and forecast it to grow to US$27.6 billion in 2013. HealthCORE (2011) cited a
global revenue figure of US$40 billion (2010). The NCPA (2007) cited US$ 60 billion global revenues in
2006 and projected it to reach US$100 billion in 2012. Bloomberg was cited by the media as having
estimated US$5 billion revenues in 2012. The Confederation of Asian Industry cited a figure of US$2
billion revenues in 2012.

11
Those who traveled within the US are called intrabound medical tourists. Foreigners traveling from abroad to seek care in
the US are called inbound medical tourists (Deloitte, n.d.).

7
 Factors Affecting Demand – Despite wide variations in the estimated numbers of medical
tourists and the revenues they generate, the global market for medical tourism is indeed growing
rapidly, and this can be explained by demographic, epidemiological, economic, technological,
communication, and transportation factors.

(a) Economic factors – Increasing medical costs in industrial countries is the main reason driving
medical tourism. Medical costs in emerging Asian economies can be as little as 10 percent of
comparable care in the US (Deloitte, n.d.)(b). Table 3 shows estimated price differences of 15 surgical
procedures frequently used in outbound medical tourism programs. From the point of view of
insurance plans, falling profit margins due to high cost of providers in industrial countries provides
incentives for them to seek comparable care elsewhere.

Table 3. Price Comparison of U.S. vs. Foreign Surgical Procedures, US$, 2008 12
Procedures U.S. Inpatient Price U.S. Outpatient Price Ave. of 3 Lowest
Foreign Prices 13
Knee surgery 11,692 4,686 1,398
Shoulder angioplasty 6,720 8,972 2,493
Transurethral prostate 4,669 3,737 2,698
resection
Tubal ligation 6,407 3,894 1,412
Hernia repair 5,377 3,903 1,819
Skin lesion excision 7,059 1,919 919
Adult tonsillectomy 3,844 2,185 1,143
Hysterectomy 6,542 6,132 2,114
Haemorrhoidectomy 5,594 2,354 884
Rhinoplasty 5,713 3,866 2,156
Bunionectomy 6,840 2,706 1,682
Cataract extraction 4,067 2,630 1,282
Varicose vein surgery 7,993 2,685 1,576
Glaucoma procedure 4,392 2,593 1,151
Tympanoplasty 5,649 3,787 1,427
Source: Deloitte Development LLC 2008, as quoted in Deloitte (n.d.) (b).

Lengthy waiting time for elective surgeries in industrial countries is also forcing patients to look
outside their country of residence. The publicly-funded systems of the U.K. and Canada are associated
with long waiting times in elective surgeries. In Canada, the average waiting time for patients
undergoing joint replacement surgery is 253 days; cataract surgery, 128 days; coronary arterial bypass
graft surgery, 71 days; and MRI examination, 29 days (CMA, 2008 as cited in Grail Research, 2009).
Among Canadians needing knee replacement surgery, 30 to 40 percent wait longer than the government
benchmark for acceptable care of 26 weeks (KPMG, 2011).

In the United Kingdom, the average waiting time for trauma and orthopedics is 10.9 weeks; oral
surgery, 10.5 weeks; neurosurgery, 9.5 weeks; plastic surgery, 7.5 weeks; general surgery, 7.4 weeks;

12
Last two columns of the table were added by the author.
13
Including travel costs.

8
dermatology, 6.8 weeks; and cardiology, 5.2 weeks; most other specialties record average waiting times
in excess of 2-3 weeks (Alten, Singal, and Kara, n.d.).

The U.S., with a largely private system of funding, performs better. Only 8 percent of surveyed
American patients in the 2007 Commonwealth Fund study of 6 OECD countries (cited by Doherty, 2010)
reported a waiting time of four months or more for elective surgery, compared to 33 percent in Canada
and 41 percent in the U.K. However, the U.S. had the largest percentage of patients (61 percent) who
said that getting care on nights, weekends, or holidays without going to the emergency room was very
difficult or somewhat difficult.

Waiting time has high opportunity costs in industrial countries because of the higher salaries
and standards of living. In contrast, in the Philippines, one hospital reported no queue time, i.e., the
patient is cared for immediately, while another hospital reported a queue time of only 3 days to 1 week
depending on the procedure to be done (BOI TWG, 2012).

The size of the uninsured and underinsured populations also accounts for some of the medical
tourists’ surging number. Prior to Obamacare 14, it was estimated that 47 million American residents
(including illegal aliens) were uninsured. In Western Europe where the immigrant population is also
growing, the proportion of uninsured population may also be growing. For this population segment,
out-of-pocket spending is the only recourse to health care financing, forcing uninsured people to be
cost-conscious and to seek less expensive providers outside their residences.

Under-insurance can also drive patients to medical tourism. Elective surgery is not usually
covered by basic health insurance. Cosmetic surgery and some dental procedures are not covered
either. These procedures have to be paid for through out-of-pocket means, and the patient needs to
seek inexpensive providers to economize.

Interestingly, health reforms are being cited as a key driver of medical tourism. In a survey done
by ExHealth and reported by Stephano (2011), 31 percent of the key informants interviewed said that
the U.S. health care reform will greatly increase outbound patients, while 21 percent opined that the
E.U. directive on health care reforms will see increased movement of patients outside the European
Union.

Teh and Chu (2005) noted that the tightening of immigration rules and security checks in the
U.S. contributes to increasing medical tourism in emerging economies. According to them, “the U.S. has
seen a decline in the number of foreign patient visits. More patients especially those in the Middle East
are moving to other alternatives,” initially to Europe and lately to Asia and other Middle Eastern
countries.

The changing dynamics of demand and greater consumer role in health care decisions is an
under-appreciated factor driving medical tourism, which used to be limited to the wealthy. Today, the
middle classes in advanced and emerging economies also travel for care as airfare has become more
affordable, and as less expensive medical care of comparable quality became available in middle-income
countries. Because of this trend, consumers now have a greater say in health care decisions than they
were in the past. In a survey of Americans done by Deloitte (n.d.), almost 39 percent said they would go

14
The U.S. health insurance reform initiated by U.S. President Barack Obama mandating all Americans to obtain
health insurance coverage.

9
abroad for an elective procedure if they could save half the cost and assured quality was comparable.
This figure is as high as 56.8 percent among Asian-Americans.

Total economic savings from medical tourism are significant. The 2008 study done by McKinsey
estimated 710,000 procedures performed outside the U.S. with an average savings per procedure of
US$15,000, which yielded US$10.7 billion total estimated savings for patients, payors, and employers.
Because of outsourcing, the total loss for US hospitals was estimated to be US$35 billion. Because
savings to the patients, payors, and employers translate to losses of U.S. hospitals, medical tourism
would have major political repercussions in the health sector of industrial countries.

(b) Demographic and epidemiological factors – The aging population in industrial countries is
feeding the growth of global medical tourism. The baby boomer generation has aged; in the U.S., there
were 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964. By 2030, this population (age 66 to 84) will reach
61 million and in that year, there will be an estimated 9 million Americans born prior to 1946. By 2030,
19 percent of the American population will be 65 years or older. The same aging trend is also occurring
in Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (Wendt, 2012). This baby boomer population
will require expensive medical treatment and care, much of which has become prohibitive in advanced
countries.

Generations X and Y – those born in the latter 1960s and in the 1970s – have also gotten old.
They are now in their 50s and 40s, and will reach retirement age in a decade or two. Thus, Generations
X and Y will continue to feed the growing medical tourist market well into the next two decades.
Indeed, some observers note that Generations X and Y may well dominate medical tourism market in
the next few years, rather than the baby boomer generation.

Studies have confirmed the willingness of these American age cohorts to seek care abroad.
Karuppan and Karuppan (2010) found that 81 percent of medical travelers were under the age of 50. In
their survey, Keckley and Underwood (2009) found that 37 percent of baby boomers, 42 percent of
Generation X, and 51 percent of Generation Y were willing to undergo surgery abroad.

Add to these is a little known fact that more than half of the U.S. workforce will be of second- or
third-generation foreign descent in the next 25 years (Deloitte, n.d.)(b). For foreign-descent residents in
the U.S. and Europe, homecoming visits are often planned with elective or cosmetic surgeries. Filipino
residents in the U.S. alone are estimated to number more than 2 million.

The aging population in Western countries also means increasing health-service supply
constraints because of (a) large number of retiring health workers, and (b) increasing number of health
workers who are leaving the health profession much earlier than expected. The U.S. is currently
experiencing a severe doctor shortage, and one study in 2010 found that 14 percent of U.S. physicians
will retire in the next five years while 34 percent will do so in the next ten years (Wendt, 2012). The
American Dental Association also expects a significant proportion of dentists to retire over the next 20
years (Deloitte, n.d.)(b).

The changing burden of disease in the world is also contributing to movements of people
seeking care, for instance, from poorer countries to more advanced ones. Non-communicable diseases
(NCDs) have rapidly risen globally, leading to greater hospitalization. The global burden of disease study
of 2010 published in The Lancet (Volume 380, December 2012) reveals three massive shifts in health

10
trends globally since 1990 15: (1) The world has grown considerably older. (2) Where infectious disease
and childhood illness related to malnutrition were once the primary causes of death, now more people
are dying from heart disease, cancer, and other chronic disorders. (3) Disease burden is increasingly
defined by disability instead of premature death, with more of the burden now being caused by
muscoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions, back and neck pain, and injuries.

(c) Technological, communication, and transport factors – New medical and health technologies
have allowed patients greater leeway in sourcing care, and not being limited to their residential cities
and towns. For instance, many medical procedures have become less invasive (e.g., lithotripsy),
decreasing the discomfort of recovery and thereby allowing patients to travel for care. Moreover, many
former inpatient procedures can now be done on an outpatient basis. Between 1996 and 2006, the
number of outpatient procedures in the U.S. tripled (Deloitte, n.d.)(b), and some patients are finding
that it is cheaper to have these procedures in emerging economies.

The easy availability of information from the Internet and social media has empowered
consumers to seek care where they can. Vequist (n.d.) reports a 2009 Pew study finding that 55 percent
of American Internet users in 2008 looked for online information about treatments and procedures, up
from 47 percent in 2002. In the same study, 60 percent of e-patients (or 37 percent of American adults)
have done at least an Internet search related to health. Vequist (n.d.) also reports a 2010 study of the
Center for Medical Tourism that among medical tourists, the overwhelming majority (75 percent)
sourced their information from the Internet; the competing sources of information were minor, e.g.,
friend (25 percent), family members (16 percent), magazines (15 percent), doctor (14 percent),
newspapers (12 percent), advertisements (11 percent), colleague (11 percent), and medical tourism
facilitator (7 percent). Vequist (2008) also notes that according to a 2008 Pew Trust study, the online
health tools found to be useful by medical tourists were general search engines (67 percent reporting),
health portals (46 percent), social media (34 percent), medical association sites (25 percent), and health
plans (22 percent).

The increasing sophistication of the travel industry enables patients to move. It is far easier to
travel now than decades ago. The elimination of visa restrictions among many countries as well as more
affordable airfares has also contributed to the increased volume of medical tourists.

(d) Legal, ethical, and social factors – Some medical tourists are also prompted by the availability
of certain cutting-edge technologies in destination countries, e.g., stem cell therapies, sex-change
reassignment, and organ donations, which are not approved by regulatory authorities or are difficult to
avail in their home countries. Procedures which require anonymity and discretion, e.g., drug
rehabilitation and mental health, can also push patients to travel outside their cities or countries.

(e) Rise of emerging economies as alternative providers of modern health care – The growth of
comparable care in emerging economies is one of the most dramatic phenomena in health care in
modern times. Increasing investments in the number of internationally-accredited facilities in emerging
economies have improved the quality of care and their apex hospitals and thereby improved the
perception among prospective patients. Grail Research (2009) noted that over 220 health care
organizations in 33 countries have received JCI accreditation. Deloitte (2008, n.d.) noted that supply is
the binding constraint for higher demand in the future.

15
Summary lifted from the poster published jointly by The Lancet, the University of Washington, and the International Health
Metrics and Evaluation. www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/gbd.

11
 The removal of key bottlenecks that consumers in industrial countries were formerly concerned
about literally opened the gates to large-scale migration of medical tourists in the late 1990s and
throughout the 2000s. The rapid economic growth in emerging economies has improved sanitation and
environmental hygiene as well as safety and security in these countries, issues that were foremost in the
minds of potential medical tourists in years past.

Major Destinations of Medical Tourists – According to Wikipedia (2013), 50 countries are now
involved in medical tourism, but the president of the U.S. Medical Tourism Association cites a smaller
number of 35 (Stephano, 2011).

Grail Research (2009) quotes a Malaysian hospital manager that traced the origins of modern
medical tourism in Latin American countries which “have been in it for more than 15 years…” However,
in 1997-2000 the current of medical tourists changed dramatically when they began streaming into
India, Thailand, and later to the other Southeast Asian countries (notably Singapore, Malaysia, and in the
late 2000s, the Philippines). One analyst (Peacock, 2013) observed that medical tourism hit big-time in
Thailand in 1997 as a result of the Asian financial crisis when Bumrungrad International Hospital ran out
of domestic patients and re-directed its marketing efforts abroad and struck gold. Today, Asia garners
the lion’s share in the global market for medical tourists, as illustrated in Table 4. Asian countries attract
medical tourists from all continents except Latin America.

Table 4. Medical Tourists by Source and Destination, Mid/Late 2000s

From To
Asia Europe Latin America Middle East North America
Africa 95% 4% 1% - -
Asia 93% 1% - - 6%
Europe 39% 10% 5% 13% 33%
Latin America 1% - 12% - 87%
Middle East 32% 8% - 2% 58%
North America 45% - 26% 2% 27%
Oceania 99% - 1% - -
16
Source: The McKinsey Quarterly, Health Care (2008), Mapping the Market for Medical Travel , as cited in Grail Research (2009)

Where do medical tourists go? There are so many figures floating around in the Internet about
the numbers of medical tourists going to specific destinations. However, Table 5 appears to be the most
comprehensive listing of medical tourist destinations (Youngman, 2010). It places the Philippines 11th in
the world and 5th in East and South Asia, with Taiwan and South Korea on the heels of overtaking the
Philippines. In the last column, the other estimates gathered from various sources are also shown.

16
The author was unable to obtain the original article from which this table appeared. However, reviews of the
McKinsey study by other analysts indicate the use of a restrictive definition of “medical tourists.” The Deloitte
global study appears to use a more liberal definition, but unfortunately no similar table as the one above is
available from that study.

12
Table 5. Top 20 Medical Tourist Destinations, 2010

Country Rank Rank in Number Other Estimates from

Worldwide East/South Various Sources
Asia
Thailand 1 1 1.2 million 1.25 million in 2005; 1.2
million in 2006
Singapore 2 2 600,000 410,000 in 2006
U.S.A 3 - 400,000
India 4 3 370,000 450,000 in 2007
Malaysia 5 4 350,000 300,000 in 2006
Hungary 6 - 330,000
Poland 7 - 300,000
Slovenia 8 - 300,000
Jordan 9 - 210,000
U.K. 10 - 100,000
Philippines 11 5 80,000 60,000 in 2007
Germany 12 - 70,000
South Korea 13 6 60,000
Taiwan 14 7 60,000
Belgium 15 - 50,000
Brazil 16 - 40,000
Turkey 17 - 40,000
Mexico 18 - 35,000
Israel 19 - 30,000
Colombia 20 - 27,000
Sources: Columns 1 and 4 are from Youngman (2010), as cited by HealthCORE (2011). The last column is from a variety of
sources, but not from Youngman (2010).

The above ranking is based solely on medical tourist arrivals. Forbes, a business magazine, had
made its own top-ten list for medical tourism and came up with the following: 1. Australia – for
affordable cardiology, neurology, and orthopedic surgeries; 2. China – for advanced stem cell treatment;
3. South Africa – for dental procedures and proximity to the U.S.; 4. India – for price competitiveness
especially of orthopedic and cardiovascular surgeries; 5. Israel – for some of the best doctors in the
world; 6. Japan – for extremely advanced cancer treatment; 7. South Korea – for orthopedics and
advanced cancer treatment; 8. Mexico – for dental procedures and hip replacement; 9. Singapore – for
the services of the Parkway Hospitals network; and 10. Thailand – for the services of Brumungrad
Hospital (www.forbes.com).

Another ranking, done by www.whereismydoctor.com in 2011, puts the Philippines 7th in the
top ten. The ranking is as follows:

• #1 Mexico, for bariatric surgery, plastic surgery, hair transplant surgery, dental care, and
infertility treatments;
• #2 India, for heart surgery, orthopedic surgery, infertility treatments, and surrogacy;
• #3 Costa Rica, for dental care, plastic surgery, and infertility treatments;

13
 • #4 Turkey, for eye care, hair transplant surgery, bariatric surgery, plastic surgery, heart surgery,
orthopedic surgery, organ transplants, and dental care;
• #5 Malaysia, for plastic surgery, dental care, bariatric surgery, and hair transplant surgery;
• #6 Colombia, for plastic surgery and infertility treatments;
• #7 Philippines, for dental care and plastic surgery;
• #8 Thailand, for dental care, plastic surgery (especially for gender reassignment), bariatric
surgery, heart surgery, and orthopedic surgery;
• #9 Panama, for plastic surgery and infertility treatments; and
• #10 Brazil, for plastic surgery and neurology.

In Asia, the key players in medical tourism are Thailand, Singapore, India, and Malaysia (see
Table 6).
Table 6. Destination Countries of Medical Tourists

Countries Cost Remarks on Services Offered and Remarks on Clientele

Treatment Options
Thailand Ave. 30% Alternative medicine, cosmetic Medical tourism hub in Asia owing to
of US surgery, dental care, gender its central location and well-developed
reassignment, heart surgery, tourism industry; popular among
obesity surgery, oncology, and Western Europeans
orthopedics
Singapore Ave. 35% Organ transplants, stem cell Modern state and technology
of US therapy, and other high end advantage,
procedures
India Ave. 20% Alternative medicine, bone marrow Major hub for medical tourism
of US transplant, cardiac bypass, eye centered in Pune; specializes in more
surgery, and hip replacement complex procedures due to cost
advantage
Malaysia Ave. 25% Cardiovascular surgery, cosmetic Caters to U.K. patients, Muslim
of US surgery, dental care, eye surgery, patients, and those coming from
general surgery, orthopedics, and nearby countries; relative nearness to
transplant surgery African countries provides it and
Singapore with travel cost advantage,
relative to the Philippines, which
require another leg of travel lasting 3-4
hours.
Philippines 17 n.a. Dental and cosmetic surgery, hip Has a large Filipino diaspora market;
and knee replacements, heart most foreign patients come from
bypass and other cardiac Pacific Rim and Micronesia
procedures, eye care, stem cell
therapy, cosmetic surgery
South Africa 30% to Specializes in safari tours involving Largely sub-Saharan Africans 18
40% of US cosmetic surgery
Hungary 40% to Mainly dental and cosmetic surgery Mainly Europeans, especially U.K.

17
Datum not in the original Deloitte (n.d.) study, and was added by the author.
18
Fact added by the author.

14
 50% of US
Mexico 25% to Mainly dental and cosmetic surgery Mainly US
35% of US
Brazil 40% - 50% Reliable cosmetic surgery Attractive to US due to proximity
of US
Costa Rica 30% - 40% Mainly dental and cosmetic surgery Mainly US
of US
Sources: Figure 5, Medical Tourism and Medical Traveling, of Deloitte (n.d.)(b) and Grail Research (2009) for column 3; other
sources.

Factors Influencing a Patient’s Destination Choice – Jotikasthira (2010) developed an empirical

model to analyze potential patients’ choice of medical destination, and then compared Thailand with its
Asian competitors (India, Singapore, Malaysia) on these factors. The study finds the following factors
critical:

a. Quality of medical care – This is the most important criterion, and patients set a threshold
level for quality (a non-compensatory level).
b. Cost savings – Beyond the threshold level of quality of care, patients begin to balance
additional quality attributes versus cost savings. This is particularly true for price sensitive
medical tourists.
c. Environmental hygiene and safety/security – These are additional two factors that come
into play once patients have settled on the first two criteria.

2. It appears from Jotikasthira’s model that touristic/hospitality-industry attributes matter less to

the individual patient than medical quality, cost savings, environmental hygiene, and safety/security of
the destination.

15
 Chapter III. Philippine Medical Tourism: Demand Aspects

A. Originating Countries of Medical Tourists

The top country-origins of medical tourists in the Philippines are East Asia (China, Japan, Korea,
Taiwan), Australia, Americas, Europe/United Kingdom, Gulf States, other Asian countries such as Sri
Lanka, and the Pacific Islands (Guam, Palau, Marshall Islands, and Micronesia). These are based on the
data provided by three local hospitals in the study by BOI TWG (2012),

The sources of demand for medical tourists in the Philippines include:

a. Filipino balikbayans – residents in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and other advanced
countries who come home as returning Filipinos. The Department of Foreign Affairs estimates
that permanent Filipino migrants numbered 4.86 million in 2011. Balikbayans as tourists
numbered 197,824 in 2011, up 100.2 percent from 98,831 in 2001.

b. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimated 10.44
million OFWs in 2011 19.

c. Foreign medical tourists looking for less expensive medical care for elective procedures and
wellness services – There are no reliable data on foreign medical tourists. However, foreign
nationals arriving as tourists in the Philippines numbered 3,998,109 in 2010, up 135.5 percent
from 1,698,062 in 2001 20.

Estimates of medical tourist arrivals vary widely. Youngman (2012) estimated that in 2010,
80,000 medical tourists came to the Philippines, but this number includes both balikbayans and
foreigners. Renub Research (2012) claims a much higher figure of 100,000 medical tourists in the
Philippines. Medical Tourism (2013) provides a very high approximate of 250,000 non-resident patients
in 2006, but cites 100,000 arrivals for the succeeding years, with little explanation for the decline. Local
media have variously estimated annual medical tourist arrivals between 60,000 (2007) to 100,000 (2008,
2009), although it is not clear where these estimates come from.

Citing a 2005 DOT visitor sample survey, DTI (2007) cited 0.4 percent as the proportion of
tourists who visited the Philippines for health reasons. This proportion certainly looks low; it may be
due to the way the question was asked, because many medical tourists combine health with other
reasons, e.g., homecoming (OFWs), return (balikbayans), or holiday (most tourists). In addition, it is
possible that non-balikbayan medical tourists will not admit medical tourism as a reason for traveling to
the Philippines for fear that immigration authorities may not approve their entry for health reasons.

Using Youngman’s (2012) estimate of medical tourists (80,000) and dividing this by the total
number of visitors (foreigners and balikbayans) of 4,195,933 in 2010 yields a proportion of 1.9 percent,

19
It is debatable whether OFWs should be included as medical tourists since some analysts regard them as returning residents
of their country of birth and, therefore, not tourists.
20
President Aquino has raised the tourist arrivals target (foreigners + balikbayans) for the period up to 2016 to 56.1 million, up
from the original target of 35.5 million.

16
which is very close to the 2 percent assumed by HealthCORE (2011) in forecasting the demand for
medical tourism in the Philippines.

What is the proportion of medical tourists from total tourist arrivals? Data used by the German-
Philippine Chamber of Commerce (2010) show that out of the 3.1 million tourists who arrived in 2008,
the 100,000 medical tourists translated to 3.2 percent, lower than the proportion recorded in India,
Thailand, and Singapore (Table 7). The Philippine proportion would even go lower to 2.6 percent if one
uses 80,000 medical tourists.

Table 7. Proportion of Medical Tourists Out of Total Tourists in Selected Asian Countries, Late 2000s

Country Total Tourists Medical Tourists % of Medical Tourists

(Millions) (Millions) to Total Tourists 21
Thailand (2007) 14.46 1.20 8.3%
Singapore (2007, 2008) 10.12 0.41 4.0%
Malaysia (2008) 22.05 0.34 1.5%
India (2005, 2007) 3.90 0.45 11.6%
Philippines (2006, 2008) 3.10 0.10 22 3.2%
Source of basic data: German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce (2010)

Medical tourist receipts are also a matter of conjecture in the Philippines:

a. For 2006, Porter et al. (2008) cited US$350 million in receipts (or 14 percent of the Asian
market), based on estimated medical tourists of 250,000. This reflects an average spending of
US$1,400 per medical tourist. (High assumed volume but low assumed per tourist spending, as it
turns out.)

b. For 2007, then-undersecretary of the DOH Jade del Mundo 23cited PHP1.056 billion in revenues,
from a count of 28,143 medical tourists obtained from a survey of 17 hospitals. This implies an
average expense per medical tourist of PHP37,523, or about US$833 (at the then prevailing
exchange rate of US$1=PHP45). He also reported revenues of PHP1.854 billion from drug
rehabilitation services. If these two amounts are added, then total revenues for that year would
be PHP2.91 billion, or an average spending of PHP103,400 (equivalent to US$2,300 per medical
tourist).

c. For 2008, DOT estimated that a medical tourist spent an average of US$2,000.

d. For 2009, Pinoylifestyle.com reported that each tourist spent an average of US$3,500 during
his/her stay in the country. No source was provided for the figure.

e. In 2007, DTI forecasted the medical-tourism receipts in Central Luzon (DTI, 2007) assuming 10
days’ stay of PHP1,000 spending per day, which seems low for medical tourism.

21
Data on this column was calculated by the author and was not in the original presentation.
22
This figure is higher than the 80,000 medical tourists in the Philippines reported by Youngman (2012) for 2010. If Youngman’s
figure is used, the proportion of medical tourists to total tourists would go down to 2.6 percent.
23
DOH Undersecretary, based on consolidated data of 17 Metro Manila hospitals, as reported by ABS-CBN News (2008).

17
 f. HealthCORE’s (2011) estimate of the per capita medical tourist spending ranged from
US$3,213.28 in 2000 to US$1,780.46 in 2010, a consistent decline, which was not explained.

The wide variation in these figures (US$1,400 to US$3,500) shows either a real change in the
types of tourists or procedures availed of by medical tourists through the years, or just sheer guessing.
To resolve this problem, a thorough study should be done on departing medical tourists. The use of an
average figure is also ill-advised as the range of services offered in the Philippines is very wide, and their
attendant costs also exhibit wide variance.

B. Price Competitiveness
Naïve Price Comparisons – Tables 8 and 9 show the price comparison 24 of selected surgical
procedures between the Philippines, the U.S. and competing destination-countries. In both tables, the
Philippine data were sourced from two top-rated hospitals involved in medical tourism (BOI TWG, 2011),
and were compared to the Deloitte data and the KPMG data. Clearly, the lower-priced hospital in the
Philippines is the lowest-priced in the region in all the four surgical procedures considered (Table 9). For
hip replacement, the two Philippine hospitals had the lowest cost (US$5,000), lower than India’s
(US$5,800), about half that of Singapore’s (US$9,200), and 60 percent cheaper than Thailand’s. The
price of knee replacement procedure is also cheaper in the Philippines. Thus, excluding airfare costs,
Philippine hospitals involved in medical tourism are price-competitive with their Asian counterparts.
Table 8. Price Comparison of Selected Medical and Surgical Procedures by Country Using Deloitte’s
Study as Basis, in US$

Procedures U.S. India Thailand Singapore Philippines,

2012
Heart bypass 80,000 – 130,000 6,700 – 9,300 11,000 16,500 5,000 – 22,200
Angioplasty 57,000 5,000 – 7,000 13,000 11,200 3,200 – 21,000
Hip 43,000 5,800 – 7,100 12,000 9,200 5,000
replacement
Knee 40,000 6,200 – 8,500 10,000 11,100 5,000 – 7,400
replacement
Sources: Philippine data were computed on the basis of BOI TWG (2012) using information from two hospitals and using an
exchange rate of US$1=PHP40.5. The data for the rest of the table were lifted from Deloitte (n.d.)(a), citing original data from
Medical Tourism Magazine, Issue 2.

Table 9. Price Comparison of Selected Medical and Surgical Procedures by Country Using KPMG’s
Study as Basis, US$

Procedures U.S. 25 India Thailand Singapore South Taiwan Philippines,

Korea 2012
Heart 70,000 – 133,000 7,000 22,000 12,900 31,750 27,500 5,000 – 22,200
bypass
Hip 33,000 – 57,000 10,200 12,700 15,000 10,600 8,000 5,000
replacement
Knee 30,000 – 53,000 9,200 11,500 13,000 11,800 10,000 5,000 – 7,400
replacement

24
Most of the medical tourism literature refers to it as “cost comparison” but it is actually “price comparison,” or more
specifically, “fee comparison” as the figures quoted are fees charged by physicians and hospitals, not their actual costs.
25
U.S. hospital prices for patients without insurance coverage.

18
Sources: Philippine data were computed on the basis of BOI TWG (2012) using information from two hospitals and using an
exchange rate of US$1=PHP40.5. The data for the rest of the table were lifted from KPMG (2011).

A third illustration of the country’s price competitiveness is shown in Table 10 using data
collected by HealthCORE (2011). Again, the Philippines out-prices its North American and Asian
competitors in spa services and nose lift, has the second lowest price in Lasik eye surgery and dental
bridge after Thailand, and comes close to beating India in heart bypass.

Table 10. Average Prices for Selected Health and Wellness Services, in US$, in the Philippines, the
U.S., and Competing Countries, 2011

Countries Spa Services Nose Lift Heart Bypass Lasik Eye Dental Bridge
Surgery
Philippines 11 – 100 400 – 1,000 11,000 – 25,000 1,000 – 1,500 360 - 600
U.S. 100 – 200 4,000 – 12,000 90,000 – 144,300 3,000 5,500
India 150 – 200 1,700 – 2,000 8,500 – 10,500 1,900 – 2,500 100 - 600
Thailand 45 - 100 600 – 2,500 23,000 – 25,000 650 – 900 290 - 430
Mexico 100 - 300 3,900 – 4,000 30,000 – 33,000 650 – 900 235 - 440
Source: HealthCORE (2011).

Caveats in Price Comparisons – Price comparisons across countries involved in medical tourism
are not standardized, and do not take full account of the total financial costs shouldered by the medical
tourist in obtaining care abroad. Three factors must be taken into account in this regard:

a. Other patient-incurred costs – Youngman (2012) notes that the price quotations in destination
countries rarely include all hospital extras, travel and accommodation for the patient and his
companion, and other sundry expenses that may double or triple the actual direct cost of the
procedure. The non-medical and airfare costs of medical tourism are important considerations
that should be taken into account.

b. Type of financing – Prices vary by type of financing (out-of-pocket, social health insurance,
private health insurance, employer-based self-insurance) and the expected level of copayment
from the patient who is insured; these factors are not clearly spelled out in the price comparison
tables, and the implicit assumption is that the patient will pay out of pocket at the point of
service.

c. Negotiated versus non-negotiated price – An implicit assumption of the cost comparisons is that
the procedures would be paid out-of-pocket at the point of service, without prior negotiation
from the provider. (This is equivalent to the rack rate in the hotel industry.) However, if the care
is purchased under a third-party health insurance or by an employer under a self-insured
program, the purchaser usually pays only a fraction of the provider’s list price or usual,
reasonable and customary fee of the physician. The replacement of out-of-pocket financing with
health insurance payment will profoundly affect the level of prices, because the health
insurance fund has a stronger negotiating position compared to individual patients.

Even assuming a country’s cost advantage, policymakers and program managers should not
overly obsess with lower costs. According to a 2008 McKinsey and Co. report, medical tourists seek
other things aside from lower costs. Some 40 percent of them seek advanced technology, 32 percent

19
seek better health care, 15 percent seek faster medical services, and only 9 percent seek lower costs
(Yu, 2010).

Experts also warn that the focus on lower costs in marketing can give consumers the perception
of lower quality (Wendt, 2011). Medical tourists appear to have a base level of care that they expect, so
the focus on cost may send a wrong message. Moreover, affluent customers have less concern for cost,
and for these types of patients, some other aspect may need to be highlighted. In any case, the
marketing message should be that one gets good quality care equivalent to those obtaining in the U.S.
or Europe, but at a lower cost.

20
 Chapter IV. Philippine Medical Tourism: Supply Aspects

A. Hospitals

The medical tourism industry gravitates around the 21 26 hospitals under the Philippine Medical
Tourism Program (PMTP), although there are other facilities accepting tourists aside from these
hospitals. Of the PMTP hospitals, 11 have international accreditations: six from JCI, two from
Accreditation Canada, one from Trent, and three from ISO 9001.

a. Joint Commission International (JCI) – JCI accreditation is deemed the gold standard for
service quality and patient safety. JCI is the international affiliate of the Joint Commission of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) which is charged with accrediting U.S. hospitals.

b. Accreditation Canada (AC) – AC is a nonprofit independent organization accredited by ISQua

to provide national and international accreditation for health care organizations with an
external peer review process to assess and improve services provided to patients. It has
over 1,000 clients all over the world.

c. International Standards Organization (ISO) – ISO 9001 certification is an international

management quality framework applied to hospitals as a whole or to their component
service units or institutions.

PhilHealth has accredited 14 of the 21 PMTP hospitals as centers of excellence (COE). In

addition to the PMTP hospitals, PhilHealth has accredited 43 other hospitals as COE, which are the next
rung of hospitals that medical tourists are likely to go to. Table 11 shows the number of PTMP hospitals
and their number of beds, which cater to both domestic and tourist-patients. It is not known what
percentage of these beds is being used by tourists.

Table 11. Hospitals Under the Philippine Medical Tourism Program, by Location, Ownership, Number
of Beds, and Accreditation Status

Hospital Location Ownership Year Beds Int’l PHIC

Est. Accred. Accred
East Avenue Quezon City G 1978 650 - -
Lung Center Quezon City G 1981 210 - -
National Kidney and Quezon City G 1983 247 ISO COE
Transplant Institute
Philippine Children’s Quezon City G 1979 200 - COE
Philippine Heart Center Quezon City G 1975 800 AC COE
Capitol Medical Center Quezon City P 1974 300 - -
St. Luke’s Quezon City P 1903 650 JCI; COE
TEMOS
The Medical City Pasig City P 1967 500 JCI COE

26
The PMTP lists 20 hospitals, but St. Luke’s has two campuses (QC and Taguig City), so the actual number of hospitals is 21.

21
Cardinal Santos San Juan City P 1974 235 - COE
Manila Doctors Ermita, Manila P 1956 300 AC; ISO COE
UST Hospital Espana, Manila P 1945 800 - -
Makati Medical Makati City P 1969 570 JCI, ISO 27 COE
St. Luke’s Global City Taguig City p 1903 600 29 JCI 30 COE
28

Asian Hospital Muntinlupa P 2002 217 31 JCI COE

City
Las Pinas Doctors Las Pinas City P 1982 100 - -
Paranaque Doctors Paranaque City P 2007 99 - -
St. Frances Cabrini Sto. Tomas, P 1998 220 - COE
Batangas
Cebu Doctors Cebu City P 1974 300 Trent COE
Chong Hua Cebu City P 1957 660 JCI COE
Perpetual Succour Cebu City P 1950 250 Trent COE
Davao Doctors Davao City P 1969 250 ISO -
Grand Total - - - 6,051 11 14
Sources: PMTP; HealthCORE (2011) profiles; Websites of NKTI, St. Luke’s Global City, St. Frances Cabrini, Perpetual Succor, etc.

Other hospitals and clinics are also involved in medical tourism aside from the 21 formally
identified in the PMTP and these are shown in Table 12. However, it appears from cursory search in the
Internet that the government (DOT/DOH) accreditation process has moved very slowly relative to the
number of clinics advertising themselves as potential tourist destinations. Many of the original 21
hospitals targeted for medical tourism have not received DOT accreditation; only The Medical City and
St. Frances Cabrini Hospital have done so.

Indeed, it is possible that the DOT medical tourism accreditation is seen by providers as just
another bureaucratic bottleneck as there are already existing accreditation systems for health care in
the Philippines (PhilHealth, PCAHO, ongoing ISQua/HealthCORE), including international ones that carry
more weight (JCI, Accreditation Canada, ISO, Trent). What the government should be doing more
usefully is to assist local hospitals and clinics get international accreditation, rather than impose yet
another set of local accreditation that is just merely duplicative. In any case, the signaling mechanism
that the DOT/DOH accreditation system is supposed to provide does not seem to work anyway as it is
extremely difficult to get the list of these accredited facilities, and it does not convey enough
information to the potential medical tourist.

27
Specific departments
28
Year of establishment of mother hospital, St. Luke’s Quezon City
29
Its profile in Medical Tourism cites 650 beds.
30
Same accreditation as St. Luke’s Quezon City.
31
Its profile in Medical Tourism cites 230 beds.

22
Table 12. Other Hospitals and Clinics 32 Catering to Medical Tourists, by Location, Ownership, Number
of Beds, and Accreditation Status

Hospital Location Owner- Year Est. Beds DOT

ship Accred.
Cinta Derma Clinic and Spa Angeles City, P 2009 n.a. Yes
Pampanga
Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Dagupan City, P 1980s 100 Yes
Memorial Hospital Pangasinan
Ivision Cataract and Lasik Metro Manila P n.a. n.a. Yes
Center
Lorma Medical Center San Fernando City, P 1934 136 Yes
La Union
Mary Mediatrix Medical Lipa City, Batangas P 1994 100 Yes
Center, Inc.
Metropolitan Medical Sta. Cruz, Manila P 1962 n.a. -
Center (*)
Sacred Heart Dental Center Coloocan City P n.a. n.a. Yes
San Juan de Dios Educational Pasay City P 1578 33 n.a. -
Foundation (*)
World Citi Med 34 (*) Quezon City P n.a. 276 -
Sources: DOT list of accredited hospitals and clinics; (*) In Health-Tourism.com website;

B. Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy treats diseases by introducing new adult stem cells into the damaged tissue of
a patient. “The ability of stem cells to self-renew and give rise to subsequent generations with variable
degrees of differentiation capacities offers significant potential for generation of tissues that can
potentially replace diseased and damaged areas in the body, with minimal risk of rejection and side
effects” (Wikipedia, 2013). Most stem cell therapies are experimental 35 and costly, but the adoption of
these technologies in emerging economies dramatically reduces their costs, and their potential wide
application across a range of disease interventions dramatically increases their benefits, hence, their
importance as a niche service in medical tourism.

Hospital-based – Five hospitals in the Philippines have departments dedicated to stem cell
therapy: NKTI in collaboration with the Lung Center of the Philippines, the Makati Medical Center, St.
Luke’s Medical Center, and The Medical City 36. Table 13 provides a profile of each of these centers or
laboratories. According to the article ‘Unlocking the Powers of Cell Therapy from Aesthetics to Cancer
Cure’(2013), “stem cell facilities of these five Philippine hospitals use stem cells from the safest known

32
Excludes spas except where a spa is connected to a hospital or clinic.
33
The oldest hospital in the Philippines, and possibly in Southeast Asia.
34
The first and only medical hotel in the Philippines (www.health-tourism.com).
35
ALS (2010) lists the questionable and notorious stem cell facilities and clinics around the world. None are from the
Philippines.
36
Two other local hospitals – Asian Hospital in Muntinglupa, and Metropolitan medical Center in Santa Cruz, Manila – are listed
by www.medical-tourism.com as providing stem cell therapy.

23
sources, bone marrow and peripheral blood from the patient himself or herself, or from human
umbilical cord blood. In cases where the patient cannot use his/her own stem cells (the patient is too
you or too old), donor stem cells are harvested usually from siblings, parents, and other close relatives.”

Table 13. Philippine Hospitals Involved in Stem Cell Therapy, by Stem Cell Application, Source of Cells,
Origin of Technology, and Duration of Treatment

Hospitals Stem Cell Source of Cells Origin of Duration of

Applications Technology Treatment
The Medical City • Dendritic cell Bone marrow U.S., Europe, Typically 6 months
(Dr. Samuel therapy stem cells Globe Tek Pro and long-term
Bernal, et al.) 37 • Autologous and Peripheral blood International 38 followup
allogeneic stem hematopoietic
cells stem cells
transplantation Brain, nerve and
• Stromal cell muscle stem cells
collection, Skin and fat stem
processing, cells 39 for cosmetic
expansion uses
• Umbilical cord Umbilical cord
blood stem cell blood and stem
treatments cells from
• Aesthetic and Wharton’s jelly,
dermatology, umbilical arteries
disease and veins, and
prevention, placenta
wellness Amniotic cells
NKTI Cellular and • Blood and bone Patient’s bone U.S., Canada, Months to years
Molecular marrow marrow Japan and Wake depending on
Therapeutics transplantation Bloodstream Forest Institute of patient’s sickness
Laboratory (Dr. • Dendritic cell Regenerative as well as stage of
Dante Dator, et vaccine therapy Medicine the disease
al.) 40 in • Clinical trial on
collaboration autologous
with LCP 41 dendritic cell
vaccine for cancer
• Clinical trial on
tissue-engineered
urinary bladder

37
The Medical City specialists are Drs. Alfredo Bengzon, Samuel Bernal, Rolando Berbumias, Mercedes Cancio-Cruz, Menina
Chua-Tan, Denise Laviles, Catherine Rosales, John Jerusalem Tiongson, and Michelle de Vera.
38
Globe Tek Pro (Global Technology Professionals) International is a Filipino multinational company leading the way on stem
cell therapy in the Philippines and worldwide (Bernal, 2009).
39
Also known as adipose stem cells.
40
The NKTI specialists are Drs. Dante Dator, Honorata Baylon, Florecita Padua, Gloria Cristal Luna, Beatrice tiangco, and Sigrid
Agcaoili.
41
The Lung Center of the Philippines specialists are Drs. Teresita Barzaga and Nelia Tan-Liu.

24
 substitute
Makati Med, • Dendritic cell Primarily U.S. Varies from 3 to 6
Cellular vaccination for autologous, i.e., months
Therapeutics cancer donor receives
Laboratory 42 • Neurological own cells
diseases, diabetes (autograft)
type 1,
cardiovascular
diseases, joints
St. Luke’s (Dr. • Ocular surface Patient’s Singapore Eye Transplantation
Francis Lopez, et reconstruction uninjured eye Research Institute performed only
al.) 43 • Clinical trials on once; months to
amyotrophic recuperate
lateral sclerosis Allogenic, StemCord, Depends on
• Clinical trial on matched bone Singapore severity of
repair of spinal marrow condition
injury Patient’s bone TICEBA, Germany Depends on
• Bone marrow marrow severity of
transplantation condition
for leukemia and
lymphoma
• Clinical trial for
the treatment of
arthritis,
Alzheimer’s
disease, and
others
Source: Anonymous (2013), “Unlocking the Powers of Cell Therapy from Aesthetics to Cancer Cure”

Adult stem cells have many facets pertaining to their origin and application. This field is
extremely complex; to simplify matters, the following definitions were taken from the report, “A
Patient’s Path Through the Maze of Stem Cell Transplantation” which received the 2010 advocacy award
from the World Stem Cell Summit and the grassroots advocacy award by the Genetics Policy Institute
(ALS, 2010):
a. Autologous refers to the stem cells found in most adult tissues such as bone, skin, and blood
and which are also present in placentas and umbilical cords. Autologous stem cells are called
“somatic,” meaning “of the body.” This means that stem cells found in the bone marrow of an
adult have the potential to become other kinds of cells that pose no risk of rejection if they are
utilized in another place in the donor’s body (ALS, 2010).

b. Allogeneic stem cells are those derived from healthy donor and transplanted into the patient
recipient. In contrast to using autologous cells, the genetic match between donor and recipient
is critical so that the risk of rejection of the stem cells is minimized. The best matches are often

42
The Makati Medical Center specialists are Drs. Eric Flores and Francis Chung.
43
The St. Luke’s specialists are Drs. Francis Lopez, Jessica Abano, Jacqueline Dominguez, and Joven Quanang.

25
 found between siblings, but even then, rejection is not always avoided. Extensive testing is
always performed to ensure that the risk of rejection is minimized (ALS, 2010).

c. Hematopoietic stem cells are adult cells obtained from a patient’s own blood, are frequently
used to treat life-threatening conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, cancer, and are now
being clinically tested for the treatment of ALS. These are cells that can be isolated from the
blood or bone marrow, renewed, and differentiated into a variety of specialized cells (ALS,
2010).

d. Mesanchymal stem cells are of particular interest because they have the capacity to
differentiate into a variety of tissues. These adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow and
are able to develop into a variety of cells, including fat, cartilage, bone, tendon, ligaments,
muscle, skin, and nerve cells (ALS, 2010).

Embryonic stem cells come from embryos that are 4 to 5 days old. At this stage these cells can
divide in more stem cells or they can specialize and develop into any type of body cell (ALS, 2010).
Variants include:

a. Amniotic fluid which produce multipoint stem cells that are extremely active and not
tumorigenic (tumor-causing). Therefore, these stem cells can differentiate into many different
types of cells including liver, skin, neurons, bone, muscle, and more (ALS, 2010). According to
ALS (2010), the Vatican has pronounced amniotic stem cells “the future of medicine.”

b. Umbilical cord blood is obtained when a mother donates her infant’s umbilical cord and
placenta after birth. Cord blood has a higher concentration of hematopoietic stem cells than is
normally found in adult blood (ALS, 2010).
Stand-alone Clinics – Table 14 shows stand-alone clinics and labs involved in stem cell therapy.
The listing is based on reports from media and Internet sites. Given the sensitivity of this industry and
the DOH administrative order on stem cell therapy, the listing is not to be taken as an endorsement of
these clinics and labs but merely as an assessment of the likely size of the industry and its key players.
Note that most of the clinics and labs are involved in cosmetic and wellness procedures, but a few deal
with other conditions as well. Also, while most of the clinics are currently in the Makati, Ortigas/Pasig,
and Taguig corridor, new clinics have sprung outside Metro Manila in Cebu City, Davao City, and soon in
Iloilo City.

Table 14. Stand-alone Clinics and Laboratories Involved (or About to be Involved) in Stem Cell
Therapy, 2013

Clinic Location Stem Cell Source and/or Origin of Technology

and Key Person Application
Acosta clinic Medical Arts Bldg., San Autologous stem cells for Equipment from
Pedro Hospital, Davao various conditions Australia and U.S.A.
City (Dr. Luz Acosta)

26
Asian Regenerative N.A. Cosmetic and wellness; Partnership with U.S.-
Center for Cellular orthopedic and reconstructive based Keller Medical
Therapies (ARCCT) 44 conditions; anti-aging Institute

Asian Plastic Surgery MATI Bldg., Ortigas Autologous stem cells from fat, Collaboration with Dr.
Center Ave., Pasig City (Dr. for cosmetic and other Bill Paspaliaris, chief
Florencio Q. Lucero) conditions executive of StemTech
Ltd., of Hong Kong
Asian Stem Cell Institute Pasig City (Dr. Cristina Autologous, tissue-derived cells, N.A.
(ASCI) Puyat) i.e., use patient’s own adipose
stroma (fat), bone marrow,
and/or blood for a variety of
conditions
Asian Stem Cell Pasig City Cosmetic and wellness N.A.
Regeneration Institute 45
Beverly Hills Medical Makati City Cosmetic and wellness within a U.S.
Group (BHMG) 46 multispecialty practice

Dermclinic 47 Makati City (Dr. Cosmetic and wellness N.A.

Vinsons Pineda)
Euro-Med N.A. Cosmetic and wellness Australia
Health & Leisure 48 Makati City Cosmetic and wellness N.A.

La Estetica 49 Pasig City Cosmetic and wellness N.A.

MEDICard Lifestyle Paseo de Roxas corner Autologous human stem cells Collaboration with Dr.
Center 50 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., from fat, for cosmetic and other Bill Paspaliaris, chief
Makati City (Dr. conditions executive of StemTech
Florencio Q. Lucero) Ltd., of Hong Kong
n-RICHLIS 51 Stem Cell Adventist Hospital, San Autologous human stem cells Harvard USA’s
Center, Cebu City Nicolas, Cebu City (Dr. from the blood, bone marrow, SmartPReP2
Jeimyko de Castro) or fat
(To be named) St. Paul’s Hospital, Adult autologous stem cells N.A.
Memorandum of Iloilo City (Proponents:
Understanding with Dr. Helen Caro
hospital being worked Pastolero and PSSCM)
out
Wellness and Health N.A. (Dr. Florencio Q. Cosmetic and wellness N.A.
Services Asia, Inc. Lucero)

44
Announced in the media to open September 2012.
45
Listed in www.StemCellList.com and Online Medical Tourism.
46
BHMG is a multispecialty group owned by an American corporation that also has clinics in Beverly Hills and Pasadena,
California, U.S.A. It is a JCI-certified ambulatory surgery center.
47
Listed in www.Novasans.com.
48
Listed in www.Novasans.com.
49
Listed in www.Novasans.com.
50
Reported to have been performing stem cell therapy since 2006 (Alano, 2012).
51
Network Regenerative Interventional Cellular Health and Lifestyle Integration Specialists

27
Zen Institute (medical Bonifacio Global City, Non-invasive procedure N.A.
spa) Taguig City (Dr. Mary involving platelet rich plasma for
Jane Torres) cosmetic purpose
Source: This study using news items and websites of the individual clinics and laboratories.

Cord Blood and Tissue Banking – Although the banking of cord blood is not oriented to medical
tourists as such, it is a critical part of stem cell therapy. Cord blood and tissue banking has been
engendered by scientific evidence showing that the use of induced umbilical cord blood stem has
successfully treated 12,000 patients involving 75 diseases (Bernal, 2009). As a result, countries are now
putting up storage centers for umbilical cord, or cord blood banks. In the Philippines, this has taken
three routes: a private one, a public one, and a hybrid system.

Private cord blood banking involves affluent families who keep their newborn babies’ umbilical
cord in a bank for a fee for future use by the person or by his/her close relatives. “It has long been
acknowledged that a perfect matching in the use of cord blood stem cells… can be more likely between
close relatives” (Bernal, 2009). Private cord blood banks only allow use of such cords among immediate
family members or other close relatives. Private banking is best represented by Cordlife which
“provides a suite of full cord blood and tissue banking services to expectant parents for the collection,
processing, and cryopreservation of cord blood stem cells and umbilical cord tissue”
(www.cordlife.com).

A public cord blood bank obtains donations from the public at large, and allows the use of a cord
blood unit in any good match, whether relatives or not. According to Bernal (2009), the Philippines is
one of the countries planning to have its own public cord bank system, with the University of the
Philippines looking at the possibility of doing so.

The Medical City cord blood bank is a hybrid system “which involves a directed donation whose
use is only for a certain family, and a nondirected donation where a donor signs that his family members
are eligible for one use, but the cells can be used for others, too” (Bernal, 2009).

Policy and Regulatory Issues – On March 20, the DOH (2013) issued the Administrative Order
containing the “Rules and Regulations Governing the Accreditation of Health Facilities Engaging in
Human Stem Cell and Cell-based or Cellular Therapies in the Philippines.” The AO prescribes minimum
quality of service and staff qualification of health facilities involved in human stem cell preparations and
cell-based therapies, and classifies which stem cell preparations and therapies will be registered and
allowed with certain restrictions. Allowed preparations include those with adult human stem cells,
human umbilical cord stem cells, and human organ-specific cells. The AO restricts the use of genetically
altered stem cells and tissues of human adults and the umbilical cord, fat-derived human stem cells, and
live animal stem cells. It also prohibits the creation of human embryos 52 and their derivatives, the use of
aborted human fetal stem cells and their derivatives, and plant parts labeled as stem cells.

Health facilities utilizing stem cell preparations and cell-based or cellular therapies are
mandated to comply with the guidelines set by the Bioethics Advisory Board composed of
representatives of relevant government and nongovernment offices as well as local and international

52
In contrast, Thailand allows this practice. In 2012, Chulalongkorn University announced that it was the first in the country to
produce human embryonic stem cells (Maslog, 2012).

28
experts. An Institutional Review Board will review and approve the stem cell therapies based on the
guidelines set by the Bioethics Advisory Board. The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
also issued guidelines regulating stem cell therapy.

The Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) was organized in 2012 and had its first
annual meeting in January 2013. The society’s active involvement in promoting and certifying legitimate
clinics, labs, and practitioners is expected to further expand the industry. In January 2013, PSSCM issued
a joint statement with the PMA that warned against the dangers of receiving stem cell transplants that
come from a source other than the patient’s body (non-autologous). The society warned that
complications arising from this type of stem cell transplantation include graft-versus-host disease, stem
cell failure, organ injury, infections, cataracts, infertility, new cancers, and even death.

Stem cell therapy is novel and controversial. It is deemed alternative and experimental medicine
in many parts of the world, even in advanced countries. In the Philippines, the following seems to be the
key issues:

• Lack of knowledge on the capacity of legitimate health facilities to undertake stem cell therapy –
TMC, Makati Medical Center, St. Luke’s, NKTI, and the Lung Center are at the forefront of
research and application, but the Filipino public (and the outside world) knows very little of
what they do and have done. For instance, a known political figure claimed in a public forum
that the Philippines can only handle two areas of stem cell therapy – hematology and
ophthalmology (Torres, 2012); the fact is that these facilities can deal with other conditions.

• Confusion over the ethical issues – Some critics of stem cell therapy oppose it on ethical
grounds. However, critics should note the differences among the stem cells. What the Catholic
church opposes is the use of fetal stem cells 53 (de la Cruz, 2012). None of the five hospitals
currently involved in stem cell therapy use fetal stem cells, as shown in the table above on the
origin of stem cells. Also, the DOH AO regulating stem cell therapy in the Philippines specifically
prohibits the creation of human embryo, an issue that is often lumped with stem cell therapy in
general.

• Lack of publicly available outcomes research – Despite much literature being published on the
benefits of stem cell therapy, very little research on outcomes of this therapy is being made
available to the public.

• Unscrupulous ‘hyping’ and mislabeling – The phrases “stem cell” and “stem cell therapy” and
the words “placenta” and “cellular” have become catchy and lure many unsuspecting people,
especially in the Internet where mislabeled products (e.g., stem cell capsules, vegetable stem
cells) and opportunistic advertising abound. As many as 351 Philippine clinics and doctors (85
percent of them in Metro Manila) advertise their services as “stem cell therapy” in the website
www.whereismydoctor.com.

• Inadequate regulation – The Philippine College of Physicians, the umbrella organization of

Filipino doctors in internal medicine, has noted that the DOH/FDA guidelines are inadequate to

53
Fetal stem cells are primitive cells types in the organs of 6-week to 2-month old fetuses. When transplanted into
an adult, their immature developmental stage frequently causes them to fail as replacements for the cells that are
damaged (ALS, 2010). None of the five Philippine hospitals involved in stem cell therapy use fetal stem cells.

29
 control the dangers of poorly regulated stem cell therapy in the country. Its President has
expressed the view that “the recent guidelines released by the FDA will not stop the
proliferation of stem cell therapy for ailments that were not subjected to scientific study or
clinical trials” (Tubeza, 2013).

C. Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty Clinics

The Philippine Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (PAPRAS) is the only
organization that accepts fellowship training in its field. Fellows then undergo certification by the
Philippine Board of Plastic Surgery. The top hospitals have available state of the art technology in plastic
and cosmetic surgery. The major hospitals, notably Makati Medical Center, The Medical City, and St.
Luke’s Medical Center, offer top-of-the-line cosmetic surgeries.

There is no available inventory of stand-alone cosmetic and dermatological clinics involved in

medical tourism. Specialist clinics in cosmetic surgery and care include Belo Medical Clinic, Beverly Hills
Medical Group, Calayan Surgicenter, Dermclinics, Euro-clinic, Home Health Care, Dr. Carlos I. Lasa clinic,
Medicard Lifestyle Center, Dr. Jorge B. Neri clinic, and A.T. Reyes Dermatology Center. Wikipilipinas
(2013) lists 17 top Philippine beauty doctors 54 who have gained prominence in the country as well as
abroad. Many of the cosmetic and dermatological clinics are located in malls and heavy-traffic urban
areas and are patronized mostly by upper- and middle-class households as well as medical tourists.

D. Dental Clinics
The Philippines is known in the dental field because of Filipino dentists abroad as well as its 17
dental schools that attract a sizeable number of foreign students, especially from the Middle East.
Contemporary technologies are well integrated in local dental practice including dental implants, dental
cosmetics, orthodontics – braces and dentures – and teeth whitening. The Philippine Dental Association
has a dental tourism committee that has actively created its market. Many dental practices (e.g., Sacred
Heart, Dental World, Manila Dental Services) have vibrant websites advertising dentistry and tourism.
Most of the dental clinics have ISO 9001:2000 certification which is proof of a high standard of dental
services and strict sterilization procedures.

Dental tourism is getting more geographically diffuse compared to the other segments of
medical tourism. Although most of the dental tourism providers are still concentrated in Metro Manila
(270 of the 310 dentists listed in www.whereismydoctor.com are in the National Capital Region),
dentists from major cities (Cebu, Davao, Bacolod) have also emerged. Many of the local dentists are
endorsed by Treatment Abroad, an influential U.K. tourism website, U.K. being the source origin of
many dental tourists. The industry appears focused on procedures that can be done quickly (five days or
shorter); some target to “fly in, fly out” clients. The most common procedures appear to be dental
inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers, Laser surgery, and Laser tooth whitening
(www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk.)

54
Cherie Abaya-Blas, Aser Acosta, Vicky Belo, Manny Calayan, Pie Calayan, Angel Cumagun, Gio Dimayuga, Elsie
Floreza, Marlon O. Lajo, Vinson Pineda, Sylvia Huang, Jasmin Jamora, Rino Lorenzo, Atoy Manalo, Filomena
Montinola, Isabel Nazal, and Margaret Plaza-Corcoran.

30
E. Eye Clinics
Medical doctors wanting to pursue ophthalmology in the Philippines have to take residency
training in hospitals and clinics regulated by the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology (PAO). Licensing
(board certification) is done by the Philippine Board of Ophthalmology. Many Filipino eye doctors are
also accredited by international bodies including the International Society of Refractive Surgery, the
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
There is no available count of the number of eye care specialists in the country. In December 2012
when PAO had its annual meeting, it expected “to attract 1,400 participants” but this number probably
includes non-ophthalmologists.

Philippine eye clinics cater to multiple refractive errors and their correction (nearsightedness or
myopia, farsightedness or hyperopia), regular and irregular astigmatism, and presbyopia. Filipino
doctors have gained reputation in Lasik (Laser-assisted in situ keratomilieusis), a bloodless surgical
procedure that corrects hyperomia, myopia, and astigmatism. Top-notch clinics also render high-quality
clinical procedures such as cataract removal; corneal transplant; PRK surgery; conductive keratoplasty;
refractive lensectomy; ocuplastic, orbital, lachrymal and reconstructive surgery; and low-vision
rehabilitation. The Philippine Academy of Ophthalmologists confers board certification through the
Philippine board of ophthalmology. Top-notch eye doctors are also accredited by the International
Society of Refractive Surgery, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the
American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Prominent ophthalmology centers that cater to tourists include hospital-based and stand-alone
clinics. (a) Among the hospital-based eye clinics are those at Asian Hospital, Capitol, St. Luke’s (QC), the
Medical City, and Makati Medical Center. (b) The notable stand-alone eye clinics are: the American Eye
Center in Shangri-La Mandaluyong, the Asian Eye Institute (JCI-accredited; Rockwell, Makati City),
Beverly Hills (a multispecialty group in Makati), Eye Republic (with clinics in the top medical tourism
hospitals), Intermed Group (a multispecialty center in PhilAm, Quezon City), Makati Eye Laser Center,
and QC Eye Center.

From individual practices, eye care has evolved into group practices or corporate setups, as
shown by the number of eye doctors per clinic among the more prominent clinics (Figure 1). It also
seems that a clustering of eye-care practitioners has occurred, with a handful of ophthalmology clinics
emerging in the Angeles City/San Fernando area (6 of the 18 ophthalmologists listed in
www.whereismydoctor.com are from this area), perhaps as a response to the sizeable number of retired
American veterans there.

Figure 1. Number of Doctors Per Eye Clinic, 2013

31
 American Eye Center 15
Asian Eye Institute 13
ACES 8
Asia Pacific Eye Center 8
Eye Center of the Philippines 8
Eye Republic 7
Shinagawa Lasik and Aesthetics 5
AOC Eye Center 4

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Source: This study, based on data on eye clinic websites.

F. Spas
SAPI, the spa industry organization, counts 39 members able to provide a variety of wellness
treatments (HealthCORE, 2011). The number of acclaimed spas is growing and now include The Farm in
San Benito, Lipa, Batangas; The Sanctuary Spa at Maya-Maya, Nasugbu, Batangas; Nurture Tropical Spa
in Tagaytay; Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Mactan; Cebu Paradise Health and Beauty Spa in Mactan;
and Mandala Spa in Boracay. High-end metropolitan-based spas include Club One Health and Fitness
Center (Glorietta 4, Ayala Mall, Makati), SM Kenko (Pasay City), The Ritz Spa (Adriatico St., Malate,
Manila).

The local spa industry has steadily grown in revenues since 2006, according to data released by
www.hotelandspaessentials.com (2013), as shown in Figure 2. Revenues grew from PHP2.5 billion in
2006 to PHP4.5 billion in 2011 and are expected to soar to PHP13.2 billion in 2016.

Figure 2. Growth of Revenues (PHP Million) of the Spa Industry in the Philippines, by Type of Spa,
2006 to 2012

5000
4500
400.1
4000
3500 381.1
3000 366.4
356.4 Other
2500 350 3,049.30
251.9
2000 2,459.30 Hotel/Resort
1,899.40 2,049.40
1500 1,596.90 1,775.40 Destination
1000
500 765.3 841.8 934.4 1,046.60
662.3 692
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: www.hotelsandspaessentials.com

32
G. Size of the Health and Wellness Industry 55
According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), health and wellness tourism
“refers to the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for
not more than one consecutive year for health and wellness purposes not related to the exercise of an
activity remunerated from within the place visited” (Virola and Polistico, 2007). On the basis of this
definition, the Virola and Polistico (2007) calculated the key indicators of the entities involved in medical
tourism for the years 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005. This study updated the same data for 2006 and 2009.

Readers are warned that the data presented here covers domestic and tourist-oriented services
in the health and wellness industry. It was not possible to disaggregate data pertaining only to medical
tourism as it would require special runs of the establishment survey of the National Statistics Office.
Despite this shortcoming, the gross data still provide indicative figures of the industry.

Table 15 shows the revenue data of the industry. Except for the dip in 2006, it has grown apace,
becoming a PHP 80 billion industry in 2009, twice its size a decade ago. The industry is dominated by the
medical sector (hospitals and medical and dental practices), accounting for 84 percent of total revenues
in 2009.

Table 15. Revenue Data of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, in PHP Billion,
1999 to 2009

Year Hospital Social Work Other Service All Activities Percent

Activities and Activities Activities Growth
Medical and Rate (over
Dental Practices the
previous
period)
1999 29.97 0.55 9.73 40.24 -
2001 33.46 0.52 9.85 43.83 8.9
2003 39.36 0.42 10.55 50.34 14.8
2005 53.83 1.11 13.58 68.51 36.1
2006 45.25 1.14 3.89 50.28 (36.3)
2009 67.01 3.03 9.92 79.96 37.1
Sources: 1999-2005 data are from Virola and Polistico (2007); 2006 and 2009 data were calculated in this study.

The cost data (Table 16) show a similar pattern to that of revenues. Revenues have consistently
been above costs, indicating the health of the industry (Table 17).
Table 16. Cost Data of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, in PHP Billion, 1999
to 2009

Year Hospital Social Work Other Service All Activities Percent

Activities and Activities Activities Growth

55
The data presented in this section is inclusive of domestic and tourist-oriented services. The two cannot be
disaggregated during the tight deadline of this study as it would require special runs of the establishment surveys,
from the 3-digit PSIC to the more disaggregated 5-digit PSIC data.

33
 Medical and Rate (over
Dental Practices the
previous
period)
1999 16.17 0.31 5.13 21.60 -
2001 19.57 0.32 5.65 25.55 18.3
2003 24.37 0.26 5.86 30.49 19.4
2005 34.42 0.59 7.88 42.88 40.6
2006 28.48 0.60 2.56 31.64 (35.5)
2009 44.03 1.79 6.62 52.45 39.7
Sources: 1999-2005 data are from Virola and Polistico (2007); 2006 and 2009 data were calculated in this study.

Table 17. Revenue to Cost Ratio of Selected Health and Wellness Activities in the Philippines, 1999 to
2009

Year Hospital Social Work Other Service All Activities Percent

Activities and Activities Activities Growth
Medical and Rate (over
Dental Practices the
previous
period)
1999 1.85 1.78 1.90 1.86 -
2001 1.71 1.62 1.74 1.72 (7.9)
2003 1.61 1.61 1.80 1.65 (3.8)
2005 1.56 1.88 1.72 1.60 (3.2)
2006 1.59 1.90 1.52 1.59 (0.6)
2009 1.52 1.69 1.50 1.52 (4.6)
Sources: 1999-2005 data are from Virola and Polistico (2007); 2006 and 2009 data were calculated in this study.

34
 Chapter V. Benchmarking Exercise

“Sustainable Medical Tourism – The delivery of high quality

healthcare services to local, regional and international patients
through an organized, long term strategic approach,
which relies on service development, niche marketing,
and continuous message delivery to achieve
steady growth, endure market fluctuation
and exhibit endurance in the face of increased
competition in targeted markets.”

Renee-Marie Stephano
Medical Tourism Association

A. Rationale
Benchmarking is the process of comparing one’s business processes and performance metrics to
industry best practices or to other industries’ or countries’ practices. In benchmarking, the best firms,
industries, or countries where similar processes exist are chosen, and the results are then compared to
one’s own firm, industry, or country results and processes (Wikipedia, 2013). There are various types of
benchmarking including process benchmarking, product benchmarking, functional benchmarking, and
financial benchmarking.

Leading countries in the global medical tourism industry have begun to demonstrate practices
that can be adopted in other countries. Using these good practices as benchmarks for the Philippines
permits the identification of gaps in the domestic industry, which can then be used to address lingering
shortcomings. The Philippines can learn from these practices so that it can expand its market share and
provide better services to its international clientele. It is therefore useful to benchmark Philippine
practices against these benchmarks. While there is yet no globally accepted set of standards, Todd
(n.d.) has summarized the most important items in her article, “30 Key Findings from Medical Tourism
Research.” This study uses Todd’s list as benchmarks. Her list has been used in the case of Egypt (Helmy,
2011).

The benchmarking exercise done in this study has several shortcomings. First, the industry – at
the global and even more so at the domestic level – suffers from paucity of data. While some leading
countries generate their own data, these are often not comparable with those in other countries. The
definitional differences in some key data have not been addressed. Second, there is no well-accepted
set of industry standards. Medical tourism, after all, is a very young industry, and many good practices
have not been documented in peer-reviewed journals. Moreover, the industry is rapidly evolving, and
what may be good practice today may no longer be so tomorrow. Third, many accounts of good
practices come from sponsors, consultants, or practitioners in the industry, with the obvious risk of their
having a personal stake in their being publicized (e.g., as blogs). Fourth, a few of the so-called good
practices are contentious, the most obvious example being the concept of medical “cluster” and/or free
trade zone for health.

35
 The benchmarking exercise did not benefit from focus group discussions with local players
because of the tight deadline. The exercise relied only on published literature from the Internet. Thus,
the results need to be validated with a thorough focus group discussion with key stakeholders. Finally,
given the dynamic nature of the industry, the benchmarks will evolve as better medical practices, health
technologies, and business processes emerge and as new providers and patients enter the global
market. For this reason, a separate paper on emerging practices should also be written. Despite these
obvious shortcomings, the exercise is still a useful way of taking stock of the industry.

B. Strategic Benchmarks
Benchmark #1: Development of a clear industry vision and strategic objective – This requires
the specification of goals to be achieved within a specific timeframe, and the formulation of relevant
strategies, plans and programs to reach the objectives. All leading countries involved in medical tourism
had achieved this benchmark.

The strategic objective of the medical tourism industry in the country is expressed in the
Philippine Medical Tourism Program (PTMP), a public-private partnership initiative under the DOT that
was initiated in 2006. It has four domains: full hospital care and treatment, specialty clinics (e.g., eye,
dental, and cosmetic services), wellness and spa centers, and retirement and long-term care for the
elderly. It involves 21 of the country’s top-echelon hospitals, 17 of which are in the National Capital
Region (Luzon), three in Cebu City (the Visayas), and one in Davao City (Mindanao).

Several years later, observers note that the local medical tourism industry “obviously failed to
sustain and effectively capitalize on the momentum of the PTMP” (HealthCORE, 2011). Its lackluster
performance “has resulted in huge loss of opportunities in billions of dollars in potential revenues not to
mention thousands of needed jobs for the wellness, health, and tourism sectors” (HealthCORE, 2011).

A major cause of PMTP’s lackluster performance appears to be its weak marketing campaign,
characterized as being very general, basic, and outdated – of the type: “Come to us as we are cheap/
good doctors/ friendly people/ nice beaches…” (IMTJ, 2013). Indeed, the lack of aggressive marketing
campaign is being pointed as the main culprit, even by mainstream media (Philstar, 2011).

Benchmark #2: Coordination among relevant authorities and stakeholders – PMTP lists a
whopping number of 48 organizations and agencies as partners in the program (DOH, 2013), aside from
providers. This number of stakeholders requires an infrastructure and coordinating mechanism.
However, there is no medical tourism council or board in the Philippines, unlike its competitor countries
with active industry bodies (e.g., Malaysia). In the absence of such a board, local government authorities
have set up their own, notably the Cebu Health and Wellness Council, a public-private coalition
consisting of hospitals, doctors, dentists, spas, hotels, and travel agents (IMTJ, 2009). Bacolod City is
also interested in setting up its own, and the city council has amended the ordinance on special
economic zones to include medical tourism and retirement villages (IMTJ, 2010).

In addition to the 48 PMTP organizations, several private sector groupings and public/private
sector initiatives have sprung, including (a) the Philippine Association of Health Organizations in Medical
Tourism (PhilAsHOme = “feel as home”), a private, nonprofit organization comprising of the top
hospitals in Metro Manila; (b) the Health and Wellness Alliance of the Philippines (HEAL Philippines),
which was established in 2010 as a partnership between the government and the private sector to lobby

36
for the required infrastructure and other preparations needed to elevate the country’s status in medical
tourism; and (c) the Spa Association of the Philippines (SAPI).

An industry insider noted that “It is well-known that the hospital industry is a little bit closed….
We sort of operate like a village association. We interact among ourselves and even that isn’t
something that we do as a matter of routine” (www.abs-cbnnews.com). This statement tells a lot about
the need to strengthen the steering and coordination of the industry along more professional lines.

Benchmark #3: Provision of tax and other incentives – The Philippine Investment Priorities Plan
(IPP) has classified the medical tourism industry as a priority area (RA 7916, as amended). The health
and wellness services included in the 2005 IPP are hospital/medical services, ambulatory surgical
services, dental services, other human health and wellness services such as rehabilitative and
recuperative services, retirement villages and other related services, and development of medical zones
(Adarlo, 2010). Incentives under the IPP include a 4-year tax holiday and tax and duty-free importation
of medical equipment 56 including spare parts and supplies, and non-fiscal incentives including
employment of foreign nationals and granting of special investor’s resident visa. Medical and spa
tourism facilities also enjoy reduced import tariff on selected equipment (Nelle, n.d.).

The IPP promotes the following: (a) Medical tourism economic zone 57 – a selected area that is
highly developed or which has the potential to be developed into a medical tourism park/center. The
location is fixed/delimited and declared by Presidential proclamation. (b) Medical tourism park – an
area which has been developed into a complex capable of providing medical infrastructure and other
support facilities in compliance with DOH and DOT requirements. (c) Medical tourism center – either a
medical hospital or a stand-alone building attached to a hospital that hosts specialized medical clinics
and other specialized medical related activities in compliance with DOH requirements. (d) Medical
tourism enterprise – a corporation or other form of business entity which has been endorsed by the
DOH and registered with PEZA to engage in the practice of medical health services with foreign patients
as primary clientele.

Between 2003 and 2011, Board of Investments (BOI) data show that commitments to the health
and social work industry reached PHP 20,500 million (BOI, 2011). However, this figure only represents
1.1 percent of total commitments. There are no readily available data by year, so it is difficult to assess
whether investments in the sector are increasing or not.

Some of the projects that have been approved are:

a. the Medical Tourism Park in Santo Tomas, Batangas 58;

b. the Medical Tourism Center in Bonifacio Global City 59, Taguig City;
c. the PEZA-approved integrated medical tourism zone 60 in Nasugbu, Batangas of the Global
Village Network Corp., slated for completion in November 2012 (IMTJ, 2009);

56
St. Luke’s and St. Francis Cabrini Medical Center were reported to have applied for duty-free importation of medical
equipment (www.abs-cbnnews.com). Cabrini received approval of the application in 2007.
57
A complementary topic is “clustering” dealt with below.
58
This is the St. Frances Cabrini Hospital.
59
This is the St. Luke’s Medical Center at Global City, Taguig.
60
The GVMNC facilities will occupy a 24-hectare portion of the 52-hectare medical tourism park being developed by a local
group, Camp David Investment and Holdings, which PEZA has also approved as a new medical tourism park developer subject
to presidential proclamation. Facilities within the medical tourism park will include a 100-bed tertiary hospital, 8-bed intensive

37
 d. Providence Hospital Inc., in West Triangle, Quezon City, a PHP1.2 billion 500-bed hospital
catering to medical tourists and expected to generate 278 jobs.

In addition, foreign investments are also involved in the Asian Hospital in Muntinglupa City
which is now partly owned by Bumrungrad Hospital of Thailand. An ongoing large medical tourism
project is the Centuria Medical in Makati City, a PHP2.1 billion, 28-story building facility with 553
outpatient clinics to be completed in 2014. Boxer Manny Pacquiao has also been reported as planning to
develop medical tourism facilities within the tourism economic zone in General Santos City (MTG, 2010).

C. Marketing Benchmarks
Benchmark #4: Use of a “competitive advantage approach” in optimizing unique points of
strength while minimizing weaknesses – The Philippines’ “cover all the bases” approach to medical and
wellness tourism needs to be narrowed more strategically, with a clearer message, and hinged on the
country’s natural endowments and cost advantage. The approach also has to focus on the
quintessentially Filipino experience, rather than products and services that the tourist can obtain more
authentically elsewhere (e.g., Thai, Swedish, and shiatsu massages; Balinese architecture and decor).
Service providers also appear to have been dulled by the captive market consisting of diaspora Filipinos
(OFW, ‘balikbayans’) resulting in less attention to other untapped markets.

Benchmark #5: Positioning for excellence in specific treatments or medical products – The
Philippines appears to have cast its net as widely as possible. However, more recently, HealthCORE
(2011) has recommended the following as market niches: elective surgery, specifically cardiovascular
care, joint replacement, and eye care; aesthetic and cosmetic services, covering dermatologic, plastic
and reconstructive surgery; dental care; wellness treatments including spas, executive checkups and
diagnostic procedures; and alternative therapies such as stem cell or regenerative medicine. In 2011,
www.whereismydoctor.com ranked the Philippines in the top ten (#7) destinations, principally for
dental and plastic surgery. According to the survey of three hospitals done by BOI TWG (2012), the most
common procedures performed are executive checkups, cancer/oncology, cardiology, neuroscience,
orthopedics, regenerative medicine including stem cell therapy, and surgery.

(a) Elective surgery – The Philippines appears to have comparative advantage in kidney
transplants, hip and other joint replacement, and cardiac bypass surgery. The country also has
comparative advantage in eye care (Lasik surgery and others).

(b) Stem cell therapy – Top-notch hospitals in this area include TMC, MakatiMed, St. Luke’s,
NKTI, and Lung Center (Bernal, 2009).
(c) Aesthetic and cosmetic/plastic surgery – This area was also identified by the International
Medical Tourism Journal (IMTJ, 2013) where the Philippines has notable expertise. Cosmetic surgery
practice in the Philippines is advanced, with well-qualified plastic surgeons and world-class facilities
(Porter, et al, 2008). However, this segment has not grown in medical-tourist clientele in the same pace
that its competitor-countries have done so (say, Thailand and Malaysia). The IMTJ blog (2013) notes
that the country “seems unable or unwilling to promote this niche” to medical tourists.

care unit, 8-bed cardiac care units, 10-bed hemodialysis unit, 8-bed day-care surgery, 3 fully functional operating rooms, a
cardiac catheterization lab, and a lithotripsy unit. A 5-star hotel will accommodate patients and visiting relatives. The
development also includes clustered home facilities for 1,152 elderly people with long-term medical care requirements, mainly
targeted at Japanese retirees. Other facilities in the park include wellness and cosmetic surgery and spa, country club complex,
pavilion complex, and satellite network hub facility (IMTJ, 2009).

38
 (d) Dental care – An influential website catering mostly to U.K. medical tourists promotes
Philippine dental tourism (www.treatmentabroad.com, 2013), citing the country’s Western-trained
dentists, many of whom have advanced training from the U.S. and Japan. It notes that medical
technologies are advanced and clinics have state of the art facilities, citing laminate veneer crown
(ceramic), tooth whitening, root canal, dental implants, and other restorative and prosthetic procedures
as among the key procedures where the Philippines enjoys a cost advantage. It also notes the low-cost
flights going to Manila, Cebu, and Davao where dental clinics are mostly located. The market appears to
center on the U.K. and Japan.

(e) Wellness treatments – The medical package (including executive checkup) of the Asian
Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Chong Hua Hospital illustrate the type of services being offered
to medical tourists. In addition to hospital-based wellness care, spa clinics and health resorts also offer
a range of services.

Benchmark #6: Holding marketing campaigns, whether national, joint, or corporate – The lack
of a sustained Philippine marketing campaign abroad has been pointed as a major shortcoming of
medical tourism in the country. In addition, international airports still do not have information booths61
staffed with knowledgeable guides who can provide assistance in linking tourists to their medical and
other providers 62.

Nevertheless, the Philippines has tried several innovative approaches: (b) Joint marketing – The
memorandum of understanding between Eye Republic, a consortium of Filipino eye specialists, and a
Korean travel agent, Bingo Tour, provide medical packages for Korean patients desiring eye and
cosmetic surgery in the Philippines (Porter, et al., 2008). (b) “Beauty holidays” – These have been
arranged by the Belo Medical Group (Porter, et al., 2008). (c) Medical tourism brochure – The DOH has
produced a medical tourism guidebook being distributed in originating countries.

Benchmark #7: Using websites to promote medical tourism products – The Philippines does
not have a dominant website on medical tourism and its subsectors. The existing websites (e.g.,
www.rxpinoy/medicaltourismphilippines.com, www.philmedtourism.com, www.healthandleisure.net)
have varying quality. The DOT website (www.tourism.og.ph) is not updated on the list of accredited
hospitals and ambulatory clinics (circa 2011). The spa association website (www.spaassociation.com.ph)
is spare and does not have enough pictures; another (www.sapi.org.ph) highlights foreign-looking
pictures (the Dead Sea) which do not subliminally direct the tourist to the Philippines. More time is
needed to assess the individual websites of hospitals, clinics, and spas. In mid-2000s, DOH
Undersecretary Jade del Mundo was quoted as saying that 80 percent of the medical tourism
transactions happen through websites (www.abs-cbnnews.com).

Benchmark #8: International affiliations and partnerships for quality assurance and marketing
– Affiliations with medical tourism facilitators started around 2008. Both the Medical City and St. Luke’s
Medical Center are now in partnership with Healthbase, a Boston-based company that markets these
hospitals to American, Canadian, and other clients (www.healthbase.com). Healthbase is an award-
winning company (“Best Website for Accessing International Medical Information for

61
Experience with medical tourism booths in airports is mixed. Bumrungrad Hospital’s kiosk inside Bangkok’s international
airport has produced very limited results since “leisure travelers are not necessarily medicare seekers (Peacock, 2013). The
exception to this rule seems to be the combination of low-cost annual company check-up with a round of golf (Peacock, 2013).
62
Interestingly, several months back, the Philippine media pilloried Belo Group’s advertisement of cosmetic services at the back
of the tourist’s arrival card. Note the overly-sensitive public perception of this and similar business and entrepreneurial ideas.

39
Patients/Consumers”) with 41 years of experience and has 40 hospital partnerships in 14 countries.
Similar partnerships still have to gain ground between local hospitals and medical facilitators.

Benchmark #9: Attendance at international medical tourism events – Filipinos’ attendance in

these conferences through Internet searches indicates minor presence. Filipinos are not routinely
invited as speakers or presentors in these events. The country staged its first Philippine Medical
Tourism Congress in November 2006. The Second Annual Medical Tourism Conference in 2007 was held
in Manila and attracted representatives from 16 countries, but it has not been followed by another large
event.

E. Organization and Management Benchmarks

Benchmark #10: Adoption of a hospital management business concept that allows formation
of more competitive entities that collaborate to brand the country as a medical tourism destination –
Because hospital chain and “cluster” concepts are highly capital intensive and involve large investments
and financing, the Philippines has lagged behind in adopting these models. However, over the past
decade, the Hongkong-based Metro Pacific Investment Corp. led by local businessman Mr. Manuel V.
Pangilinan, has acquired several hospitals 63, making it the largest private hospital operator in the
country (Rimando, 2011). Mr. Pangilinan has been quoted in 2011 as saying that in the next 3-5 years,
the company wants to create the first nationwide chain of 15 hospitals with 3,000 beds generating
PHP10 billion in revenues. It is not known whether this business strategy takes into consideration the
burgeoning trend in global medical tourism.

The Medical City (TMC), one of the pioneers of medical tourism in the country, also appears to
be consolidating hospitals. IMTJ (2010) reported that “it has assumed the management and operations
of the Great Savior International Hospital and the Global Medical Network in Iloilo… At the same time,
TMC has acquired existing sister sites in Luzon, including the Mercedes Medical Center in Pampanga and
a network of outpatient clinics in Dagupan, Olongapo and Cavite.” According to IMTJ (2010), “ TMC is
increasing its presence in Luzon and Visayas as part of a national expansion strategy, aimed at offering
its distinct brand of health care to a broader patient base.”

Benchmark #11: Learning the lessons from the medical cluster concept – The medical cluster
concept is akin to the idea of industrial clustering or industrial ecology. The most visible examples are
Silicon Valley for information technology, and Hollywood for films. In the Philippines, clustering is being
demonstrated in the highly successful business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

BOI’s promotion of medical tourism parks and zones under the IPP recognizes the economic
efficiencies that can be generated with industrial clustering. However, there are also risks, notably the
obsessive focus on infrastructure-building without the requisite relationship building with doctors and
other providers, and the equally important demand-generation. The Philippines itself has had a long
experience with white elephants in other sectors, and therefore, a gradualist, risk-minimizing approach
is certainly more realistic. Where large investments are called for, a PPP approach should be resorted to,
with clear planning, funding, and implementation roles defined for each party.

63
Asian Hospital, Inc., Makati Medical Center (acquired in 2007), Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Our lady of
Lourdes Hospital in Santa Mesa (Manila), Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City, and Davao Doctors Hospital, with combined
beds of 1,800. In 2012, it also acquired De los Santos General Hospital in Kamuning, Quezon City, the seventh hospital, raising
the group’s total bed capacity to 2,000.

40
 Constantinides (2013) observes that starting a free trade zone (FTZ) where a medical “cluster”
can be developed “does not necessarily require millions of dollars” as the enterprise tends to be more
effort- intensive rather than capital-intensive, i.e., it requires multiple business pitches to, discussions
with, and approvals from, multiple government departments and private partners. If one has to go by
similar efforts in other Philippine sectors in the past, an investor in a medical cluster/FTZ has to have the
psychological wherewithal to last over the long haul.

Benchmark #12: Consortium training, either through the government, the private sector, or a
PPP arrangement – While the Philippines is one among very few medical tourist destinations able to
produce enough health workers and even export them, it needs to face the following issues:

a. As the medical tourism industry grows exponentially, the labor market for skills will loosen,
precipitating “nomadic transfers among staff” (Todd, n.d.) or outright migration as other
destinations also require their skills.

b. Medical tourism requires not only clinical skills but increasingly, cultural skills as well. In this
regard, Millar and Munro (2012) recommend inclusion of hospital and clinic staff’s familiarity
with cultural and ethnic differences as part of their training and orientation. According to them,
“few institutions train or educate their personnel about attitudes toward death, family, humor,
marriage, sexuality, pain, justice, or gender differences.”

c. New business processes (insurance processing, medical transcription, personal assistance,

medical facilitation, etc.) underpin the medical tourism market. These are new skills for which
local providers may not have prepared for. Todd (n.d.) recommends that providers should
crowd-source insights from these new fields, which can only be achieved more cost-effectively
through economies of scale under consortium arrangements.

Consortium training is not a major thrust of Philippine players; each health facility seems to be
content recruiting and training its own cadre of workers. This is also an indication of the continuing
absence of an ecological cluster mindset among the industry stakeholders.

Benchmark #13: Standardized database systems – This is one of the weakest areas in the
Philippines. At the macro level, “the Philippine statistical system does not generate the necessary
information that can provide a meaningful assessment of the health and wellness industry” (Virola and
Polistico, 2007). Because of this, an overall national strategy and business plans for the sector and its
subsectors have not been developed. At the micro level, individual hospitals have been late in adjusting
their information systems to take account of medical tourism. Moreover, hospitals still do not trust
regulatory agencies well enough to freely provide information about their activities. The low rate of
response to the BOI survey on medical tourism reflects this distrust.

The following data need to be gathered on a regular basis: (a) number of inbound and outbound
medical tourists and their incurred costs; (b) number of institutions and professional providers; (c)
outputs and intermediate inputs engaged in the industry; (d) costs of key services and procedures
performed; (e) revenues derived from resident and non-resident users of health and wellness services,
including foreign exchange earnings; (f) employment and compensation of those working in the
industry; and (g) per capita visitors’ consumption expenditures on health and wellness; and (h) gross
fixed capital formation.

41
 Benchmark #14: Advancement in technology and research – In the Philippines, top private
medical institutions have been investing heavily in expanding services through buildings, purchase of
new equipment, and technology (Porter, et al., 2008; IMTJ, 2013). Notable investments have been in the
area of stem cell therapy, e.g., Medical City’s Institute for Personalized Molecular Medicine,
MakatiMed’s Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory (IMTJ, 2013), and St. Luke’s Hospital in Taguig City. Two
government hospitals, NKTI and the Lung Center, are also at the forefront of stem cell therapy and
research.

Maslog (2012) assessed the stem cell research capability in Southeast Asia and concluded that
Singapore leads the way, followed by Thailand. On the one hand, Singapore has set up Biopolis, a
biomedical research center on stem cell science, which is a government subsidized effort. Singapore has
also organized a stem-cell consortium with the aim of ensuring a coordinated R&D program on stem
cells. On the other hand, Thailand has a free enterprise model with funding coming from various private
and public sources. Three Thai institutions are actively involved: Chulalongkorn, Police General Hospital,
and Mahidol University’s Siriraj Hospital.

Filipino leaders in stem cell therapy may disagree with Maslog’s assessment, for there are
cutting-edge procedures and clinical trials being done in the Philippines. However, it is clear that
government support in this area has been lackluster. During the 15th Congress, Senator Manny Villar
introduced Resolution 159 urging the Committee on Health and Demography “to conduct a
comprehensive report on the feasibility of massive government support to stem cell research,
intervention and application with the end objective of making health policies responsive to the citizens’
needs.” So far, this has not been done.

Advancement in other areas of the medical tourism industry is difficult to rate as there are no
readily available assessments. NKTI is the leading kidney transplant center in Asia, with over 5,000
kidney transplants performed in its 30 years of existence. NKTI performed the first kidney-pancreas
transplant in Asia in 1988 and the first kidney-liver transplant in Asia in 1990. St. Frances Cabrini
Hospital has acquired the Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) for cancer, only the third in Asia to
have this technology. Makati Med has also established the first Tomo Therapy radiation treatment
facility. Despite these technological edges, however, the clientele of these hospitals is still largely local,
and weak international campaign has constrained more medical tourist inflows.

The Philippines also seems to be lagging behind in research and continuing medical education
(CME) on medical tourism. Relative to leading countries in this industry, the Philippines sends few
Filipinos to international conferences. There have been a flurry of local learning events, and these are
usually counted as CME, e.g., the First Philippine Global Healthcare Forum held at NKTI was accredited
with 35 units by the Philippine Medical Association.

Benchmark #15: Well-established ambulance system and traumatology care – Philippine

ambulance and rapid response systems are highly variable across cities and towns. Metro Manila and
Metro Cebu consist of independent smaller local government units having responsibility for devolved
services, and this has precluded the development of a more organized accident response system in
metropolitan areas. In Metro Manila, Makati City and Marikina City have well developed ambulance
systems with quick response times. The “Pamilya Mo, Lingap Ko” ambulance services for OFWs, staffed
by volunteers of the Philippine National Red Cross and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., was cited in one
review (Lion Rock, 2005) as a good model. Ambulance medical priority dispatch services are one area
that health authorities and LGUs in the Philippines need to focus on.

42
F. Service Quality Benchmarks
Benchmark #16: International safety and quality accreditations – The Joint Commission
International (JCI) has accredited 5 Philippine hospitals – St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City
(accredited in 2003, one of the earliest in Asia 64), St. Luke’s Global City 65 (Taguig City), The Medical City 66
in Quezon City (accredited in 2005), Makati Medical Center67, and Chong Hua 68 in Cebu City. St. Luke’s
Medical Center is also TEMOS-accredited69. In addition, two other hospitals - the Philippine Heart
Center and Manila Doctors Hospital - have received the stamp of approval from Accreditation Canada
International. Accreditation Canada has also accredited two clinics (Asian Eye Institute in Rockwell,
Makati and Clinica Manila in Mandaluyong City.) Trent has accredited two hospitals: Cebu Doctors
University Hospital and Our Lady of Perpetual Succor Hospital. Note that the Philippines equals Thailand
in the number of JCI-accredited hospitals, and Malaysia has only 2 hospitals with JCI accreditation (Table
18).

Table 18. Number of JCI-Accredited Hospitals in Countries Involved in Medical Tourism, as of 2012

Countries JCI Accredited Hospitals Services Offered by the Respective Countries’

Industry
Thailand 5 All range of services
Singapore 15 All range of services
India 11 Focuses on cardiac care
Malaysia 2 Mainly cosmetic surgery and alternative medicine
Philippines 5 70 + 2 71 All range of services
Gulf States 38; 17 in Saudi Arabia
South Africa 0 Specializes in safari medical tourism focusing on
cosmetic surgery
Hungary 0 Mainly dental and cosmetic surgery
Mexico 3 Mainly dental and cosmetic surgery
Brazil 12 Mainly cosmetic surgery
Costa Rica 1 Mainly dental and cosmetic surgery
Source: Figure 5, Medical Tourism and Medical Traveling, Deloitte (n.d.b), updated with newer JCI data obtained from Grail
Research (2009).

Benchmark #17: Development of national ISQua accreditation system – The International

Society for Quality in Healthcare’s (ISQua) first locus of work was the Philippines (Rana, 2011). Its local
affiliate, HealthCORE, has been giving workshops to local hospital administrators on how to meet ISQua
standards and assist them in the actual process of ISQua accreditation (Digal, 2013). The Philippine
64
First accredited in 2003; reaccredited in 2006, 2009, and 2012.
65
First accredited in 2012.
66
First accredited in 2006; reaccredited in 2009 and 2012.
67
First accredited in 2011.
68
First accredited in 2009.
69
TEMOS, introduced in 2010, certifies the quality of the services at hospitals, health clinics, and dental clinics worldwide. It is
meant to provide additional certification of quality above the JCI or other accreditation, and provides a consultancy-style
service to help providers improve their standard of care (Ratner, 2012).
70
Datum on hospitals not in the original Deloitte (n.d.b) study and was added by the author of this study.
71
Two other ambulatory clinics have also reportedly received JCI accreditation: (a) the Asian Eye Institute, and (b) the Beverly
Hills Medical Group, a multispecialty center.

43
society for Quality in Healthcare already exists. By 2013, NABH International is expected to accredit the
Belo Medical Group, the first small healthcare organization and ambulatory network to be granted
international accreditation (Guille, 2012).

In addition, PhilHealth has developed Benchbook 72 hospital accreditation for facilities receiving
reimbursement from the social health insurance program. At present, 57 hospitals are accredited as
centers of excellence based on the standards of PhilHealth 73. This means that these hospitals have
complied with at least 90 percent of the requirements for quality in the areas of patient rights,
organizational ethics, patient care, safe practice and environment, leadership and management, human
resource management, information management, and improving performance.

The Philippine Council for the Accreditation of Health Organizations (PCAHO) also accredits local
health facilities but focuses on the special needs of patients, e.g., interpreters and tour packages for
medical tourists. The industry organization (HEAL) is also involved in accreditation, having on its list 44
hospitals and designated clinics (www.globalsurance.com). The DOT and DOH have also accredited 44
hospitals and health facilities for medical tourism by the DOH and DOT.

Benchmark #18: International credentials of physicians – Philippine medical education is

patterned after the U.S. system, and many doctors in the top hospitals have credentials abroad.
Moreover, the Philippines has historically exported physicians, both to emerging economies (mainly
Middle East) and even earlier, to advanced countries notably the U.S. Health Tourism (2013) highlights
that “60 percent to 80 percent of medical professionals would eventually work or train abroad and get
international medical diplomas” and that “Filipinos constitute the second largest foreign students that
graduated in the medical field from U.S. institutions.” Although the specific data need to be confirmed,
the general impression is that Philippine medical education is outward oriented, and this is an advantage
that the Philippines has exploited in medical tourism.

Although international physician credentialing is important, some industry insiders think that
the more critical aspect is gaining the trust of foreign patients, and this can be achieved mainly by
having publicly available profiles of physicians, including their training and experiences and, hopefully,
their track record. This is a well-established practice in advanced economies operating under health
insurance, but is yet to take hold in the Philippines.

Benchmark #19: Strong ties with international medical institutions – Top Philippine hospitals
have international affiliations, e.g., St. Luke’s with New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell University,
and Columbia University; MakatiMed with Stanford University. The Manila Adventist Medical Center is
affiliated with the Adventist Hospitals Abroad. The Asian Hospital and Medical Center has past
affiliation with the Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand. St. Frances Cabrini is affiliated with Kissito
Healthcare, operator of more than 10 long-term/acute care facilities in the U.S. Given the expected
increase in medical tourists, however, more Philippine hospitals should seek greater international
affiliations.

72
This is an accreditation system sponsored by a social health insurance fund. However, the plan is to contract out the
accreditation to a third-party (Guille, 2012).
73
PhilHealth started implementing the Benchbook accreditation standards in 2010. In that year, 40 hospitals were granted the
center of excellence (COE) accreditation. Another batch of 14 hospitals made it to the COE list by July 2011. COE is the highest
of the three awards of accreditation that a hospital can obtain in PHIC.

44
G. Care Benchmarks
Benchmark #20: Good quality of nursing staff – The Philippines is the world’s largest producer
and exporter of nurses. They are known the world over for their caring and nurturing attitude. While
the quality of nursing staff varies by work setting, those in the top-rated health facilities involved in
medical tourism are able to pay nurses a higher rate than their counterparts in other settings, thus
incentivizing provision of quality of care. The queue of nursing trainees at these facilities is also long,
providing a stable cadre of workers. The threat in these positive aspects is the outmigration of nurses,
either on a permanent or temporary basis.

Benchmark #21: Good base of skilled therapists in spas and health resorts – In general, English
proficiency is not a problem in the Philippines. The large labor pool of the Philippines and the trainability
of its workforce are assets that can be tapped. TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority) is already doing some of the training, in partnership with private entities. More sophisticated
procedures and techniques should be added to the training programs in medical and wellness tourism.

Benchmark #22: Use of local natural approaches to health and healing – In 2007, the report
“Spa Industry Profile Philippines 2003-2007” (Intelligent Spas, 2006) identified 87 spas in the country, 54
percent of which responded to the survey. Some 76 percent of the spas were stand-alone day spas and
20 percent were located in hotels and resorts. The spas contained 10.9 treatment rooms on average,
making them the largest across the Asia Pacific Region. Some 70 percent of the spas provided a
relaxation room. Baths with water and/or air jets were offered by 54 percent of the respondents.

The DOT is promoting the development of seven areas with natural endowments (e.g., hot
springs, waterfalls) as spa resort destinations. These are: Bay, Laguna; Tiwi, Albay; Sta. Lourdes, Puerto
Princesa, Palawan; Coron Island, Palawan; Mambucal, Murcia, Negros Occidental; Malabuyoc, Cebu; and
Camiguin Island.

Given the established use of local and natural approaches to health and healing in leading
countries in the spa industry, the key challenge in this subsector is the search for a “Pinoy spa” concept
(Nelle, n.d.). Towards this end, the following should be underscored:

a. Indigenous/local practices such as “hilot,” a deep-tissue therapeutic body massage known all
over the country and “dagdagay,” a traditional foot massage first popularized in the Mountain
Province – In HealthCORE’s (2011) profile of 39 members of SAPI, 24 (or 62 percent) offer “hilot”
massage.

b. The use of indigenous plants for the local spa industry (Lopingco, 2008) – Extraction and sale of
indigenous oils and essences should be promoted for body pampering, health, and beauty
treatments.

c. The use of organic plants as ingredients in spa preparations and food.

45
H. Travel and Accommodation Benchmarks
Benchmark #23: Specialized visa for medical tourism – The Philippines announced that it will
introduce the medical tourist visa in 2011 which allows foreigners six months’ stay without having to
reapply for re-extension. On June 14, 2013, the government approved the Long Stay Visitor Visa
Extension (LSVVE), which allows extensions up to 36 months. The LSVVE, however, is a non-residency
visa and is not meant to replace the Retirement Visa. The remaining issues are (a) the rather stringent
qualification requirement and the higher visa fees compared to those obtaining in Thailand (Lachica,
2013). In this regard, Retirement and Healthcare Coalition has written the Bureau of Immigration to
request amendment in the implementation of the LSVVE (Lachica, 2013).

Benchmark #24: Airlines providing models of best medical tourism practices – Philippine
carriers have been slow to take up this challenge. An Internet search yielded no similar arrangements
being implemented by either the Philippines Airlines or Cebu Pacific, but PAL appears to be starting
medical tourism packages. Moreover, SEAir, in partnership with PMTI, has a local package for medical
tourists wanting to holiday. SEAir has 28 daily flights to Boracay Island, the country’s top tourist draw. It
is also the first airline to introduce the paradise-to-paradise island-hopping routes that underscore the
archipelagic appeal of the country

Benchmark #25: Specialized medical services and facilities in airports – Philippine international
airports are not of the same level as those of the leading competitors (Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala
Lumpur), although the main gateway (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) has been planned for
renovation. To support medical tourism, the planned NAIA renovation should take account of the
medical service benchmarks in the competitor countries. To deal with airport transport inadequacies,
Euro-Clinic which is involved in cosmetic surgery, offers airport-to-hospital limousine service, among
others that the medical tourist needs (MTA, 2013).

Benchmark #26: Specialized travel agencies with medical tourism logistics – DOT has
accredited 350 travel agencies, though it is not known how many of them have requisite systems and
staff dealing with medical tourism. The Philippine Medical Tourism Inc. (PMTI) provides an example of
medical facilitation using local knowledge and expertise to offer comprehensive medical packages for
international patients in association with hospitals, clinics, hotels and resorts in the country. It appears
some of these tasks are being done by the larger hospitals themselves.

Benchmark #27: Providers’ good ability to respond to the special needs of patients – The top
Philippine hospitals’ accessibility to hotels and other urban amenities (St. Luke’s Taguig/Bonifacio Global
City; MakatiMed/Makati City; The Medical City/Ortigas; St. Luke’s QC/Cubao) works well in their favor.
These hospitals have adopted the Western model of incorporating non-medical services that patients
need, and hence have begun to look like malls. In the future, the creation of the central business district
in Quezon City should also bring the Philippine Heart Center, NKTI, and the Lung Center much closer to
transient living quarters of potential foreign patients.

HealthCORE’s survey of hospitals under the PMTP yielded information on the non-medical
services they provide to patients. Out of the 20 PMP hospitals, 16 provided information on this aspect
of care, and the results are summarized in Table 19. In general, the rates can be further improved: only
a quarter of the hospitals that responded provide airport transfers to medical tourists. However, a
surprisingly significant proportion of them (43.8 percent) already have an international patient center,
language translation, and even home care services.

46
Table 19. PMTP Hospitals Providing Non-medical Services to Patients, by Type of Service, 2011

Services No. %
(N=16 hospitals with responses)
Airport transfers 4 25.0
Tour and travel services 9 56.3
Currency exchange 10 56.2
Restaurants 7 43.8
Halal food 6 37.5
Internet 11 63.2
International patient center 7 43.8
Language translation services 7 43.8
Homecare 7 43.8
Source of basic data: Constructed from the profiles of 19 hospitals as collected by HealthCORE (2011), of which 16 had
responses. The three government hospitals did not provide responses which cannot be determined whether these meant no
service.

H. Financing Benchmarks
Benchmark #28: Transparent and responsive pricing of services – In contrast to the global
leaders, the Philippines has not adopted transparent fee schedules among its providers. The law that
created PhilHealth provides that medical prices be disclosed beforehand, but it is not commonly
enforced among local patients especially for those paying out-of-pocket. Neither is it clear whether this
holds for procedures on medical tourists. During the 15th Congress, a Price Disclosure Bill was filed in
Congress by Rep. Roman Romulo, but has not been enacted into law. In addition to non-transparency,
local prices of some procedures also tend to vary by a wide margin. Using data from three hospitals that
were gathered by BOI TWG (2012), Figure 3 shows high variance in prices for coronary artery bypass,
angioplasty, and radio therapy, although prices for hip replacement, knee arthroscopy, and spine
laminectomy tend to converge 74.

Benchmark #29: Moving from individual medical tourists to corporate tieups with employers
– Philippine hospitals and clinics initially focused on individual patients financed through out-of-pocket
(including credit card 75) payments. While this model will continue (especially for procedures that will
not be funded by employers of health insurance plans any time soon, e.g., cosmetic surgery, spa and
relaxation therapy) and should be exploited to the hilt, the bigger source of revenues in the future are
likely to come from institutional payors (employers, insurance companies) which require a different
marketing strategy, price negotiation, and business process for payment. Table 20 lays out in broad
strokes the key differences between the two types of payors.

74
HealthCORE’s (2012) data support the finding about the wide variation in cardiac care services. (a) Coronary arterial bypass
graft surgery varies from PHP495,000 to PHP800,000. (b) Mitral and aortic valve replacement surgery varies from PHP558,000
to PHP800,000. (c) Pacemaker insertion varies from PHP127,000 to PHP800,000. These variances may be due to real differences
in medical or surgical practice and resource use; they may also be due to the inability of patients to do price-shopping arising
from the severity and urgency of illness – all the more arguing for greater price transparency.
75
The safety of credit card payments is a key issue in this respect. Recent news reports showing the increasing frequency of
credit-card scams do not bode well for the promotion of medical tourism.

47
Figure 3. Price Variation Among Selected Medical Procedures for Medical Tourists in Three Philippine
Hospitals, in PHP, 2012

1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
625,000
600,000
500,000 507,000

400,000
300,000
242,000 236,000
200,000 167,000 178,000 200,000
157,000
100,000
55,000
0

Source: Based on the data of BOI TWG (2012) obtained in three hospitals.

Table 20. Individual vs. Institutional Payor in Medical Tourism Industry, 2013

Aspect Individual Institutional

Payment Cash or credit card Reimbursement
Marketing Direct selling; oriented at potential Corporate selling; oriented at managers
patient of employee benefits or insurance plan
benefits
Care sought Usually those excluded in insurance plan Those included in the employee or
insurance benefit package
Price negotiation Individualized; there may be no prior Prior negotiation needed
negotiation about the price, especially for
walk-in patients (e.g., cosmetic
procedures)
Intermediary May or may not be used Will increasingly be used to facilitate
organization transactions, e.g., marketing and
business development specialists
Source: This study.

Benchmark #30: Strong ties with international health insurance companies – Few data exist to
assess this benchmark in the Philippines. The HealthCORE survey (2011) indicates that the 20 PMTP
hospitals now have arrangements with at least 20 local health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and
preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and as many as 32 international HMOs/PPOs and other health
insurance companies, including such big names as Aetna, Allianz, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, IMG, Kaiser,
and Vanbreda. A survey (BOI TWG, 2012) of the three major local hospitals involved in medical tourism

48
shows their relationships with related services including insurance (Table 21). It does seem that the
Philippine players in medical tourism are responding to the changes in payment by establishing tieups
with insurance companies and third-party administrators.

Table 21. Hospital Tieups with Related Services, 2012

Tieups Hospital A Hospital B Hospital C

With airline companies No No Yes
With insurance companies Yes Yes Yes
With hotels Yes Yes Yes
With travel agencies Yes No Yes
With third-party administrators Yes Yes but inactive N.A.
Source: BOI TWG (2012)

49
 Chapter VI. S.W.O.T. Analysis

“Developing the market for medical tourism provides

many benefits to residents, businesses, and governments
of the destination, which include: the reduction of seasonality
and cyclicality, diversification of the tourism consumer base,
the potential to attract other high-revenue support industries,
and the reversal of ‘brain drain.’ “
Krista Wendt, 2012

“You have to sell the individual hospitals, but first and foremost,
you have to sell the country.”

Alma Rita D.R. Jimenez,

President
St. Francis Cabrini Hospital and PhilAsHOme

A. Strengths

Good quality care – Top-notch hospitals and clinics have institutionalized internally-driven
quality improvement programs. The Medical Tourism Magazine (2013) notes that these facilities
routinely conduct peer audits, monitor sentinel events, track hospital quality indicators, and have
launched quality circles, with visible impact on quality. A sampling of Philippine hospitals shows that the
infection rates are in the lower range levels per the standards of the International Nosocomial Infection
Control Consortium (INICC), thus proving “the undoubtedly excellent indicators of patient care and
safety.”

a. In the monitor for Foley catheter infection, sample Philippine hospitals scored a low of 1.9
(compared to the INICC range of 1.7 to 12.8);
b. In blood stream infection, sample Philippine hospitals scored a low 8.9 (compared to the
INICC range of 7.8 to 18.5); and
c. In ventilator-associated infection, sample Philippine hospitals scored 13.2 (compared to the
INICC range of 10.0 to 52.7).

Clear cost advantage in certain medical and surgical procedures – The Philippines is able to
offer lower prices for a wide range of services to medical tourists: stem cell therapy, elective surgery
such as hip and other joint replacements, dental care, and cosmetic surgery. Lower cost of living, lower
labor costs, and other factors contribute to the cost advantage. This is a solid base that needs to be
exploited fully by the industry 76. As the number of tourists increase, the industry is expected to reach a
better scale of operations, perhaps even integrate services and functions, which can contribute
significantly to maintaining the cost advantage.
76
According to Health Tourism in Asia (2013) (www.healthtourisminasia.com), a big disadvantage for the Philippines is the high
cost of medicines locally.

50
 The low cost of accommodation in a wide range of hotels is also an advantage. However, the
trend seems to be towards condotel living for the patient’s family.

Large pool of qualified, English-speaking, and caring health and tourism professionals – The
Philippines is known globally as a major source of medical, nursing, and allied health professionals. The
country is also known abroad for its caring and nurturing workers (nurses, care-givers). Local
employment in the health professions remains loose, with some opting to work abroad, even in
competing countries (notably the Middle East). There is also a large cadre of English-speaking workers
who can be trained as therapists. As a revenue stream, the medical tourism industry can help ease the
problem of brain drain in the medical and nursing professions.

Captive market consisting of the Filipino diaspora – Balikbayans in the US/Canada, Europe and
to a lesser extent Australia/NZ and other industrial countries, and OFWs in emerging economies (the
Middle East, Singapore, Hong Kong) have provided a ready market for medical tourism services and
procedures. While this market is expected to continue its patronage, limiting the industry to this natural
niche market could reduce its competitiveness in other segments.

Proximity to the Pacific and Micronesia – Medical tourists in the Philippines mostly originate
from Pacific Rim countries and Micronesia. The nearness of these countries confers a travel-cost
advantage to the country, if the policy issues are resolved (see section on Weaknesses). However, the
market has not been fully exploited (the U.S. and Australian non-balikbayan market), and there are
potential originating countries that have not been explored at all despite the proximity (Vladivostok,
Russia).

Tropical climate/environment and cultural openness – The southward movement of aging

populations in the northern hemisphere is a market potential that should be tapped. Note also that the
salubrious months in the Philippines (November to March) matches the winter season in the northern
hemisphere.

B. Weaknesses
Lack of data to determine the parameters of the industry – Basic data on this industry do not
exist or are not readily available. As a result, the government is unable to set industry targets. Although
possible data sources have been identified (Virola and Polistico, 2007), they have not been acted upon.
These data sources include: (a) arrival/departure cards processed by the DOT which provide information
on the purpose of travel, including health/medical reason as a separate category; (b) visitors’ sample
surveys which should be a monthly survey that generates information on visitor characteristics and
preferences; those reporting under the category of health/medical reason should be asked questions on
actual expenditures incurred; (c) establishment surveys of the National Statistical Office (NSO), including
questions on revenues, hours worked, compensation, cost, and capital formation; and (d) administrative
and regulatory forms of the DOH.

Lukewarm cooperation of some of the major industry stakeholders – Key players are hesitant
to participate in data-gathering activities and in sharing experiences and lessons learned. Most
stakeholders and relevant institutions merely provide basic services such as yellow book registration;
there is no perceptible collective effort to make the industry more competitive (Porter, et al., 2008).
Among some players, a zero-sum mentality rather than positive-sum mentality persists. One industry

51
insider noted, “You cannot play in this industry if you deliver fragmented services. We need to come up
with a more unified product development, with the principle that hospitals need to unite and sell the
Philippines as a whole” (ABS-CBNNews, 2013).

Lack of strong brand recognition abroad – Although top-rated hospitals are well-regarded and
have international accreditation and affiliation, and although cosmetic surgery clinics are well-known
among overseas Filipinos, they do not have wider brand recognition (Porter, et al., 2008). Many
foreigners have a mistaken notion about the security situation in the country (IMTJ, 2013) while others
do not know how to get here. Local players also tend to have an obsessive focus on the captive Filipino
diaspora market. Distinctive Filipino practices in health services and care-giving (respect for elders,
caring qualities of Filipino nurses known in overseas work) have not been incorporated into image-
building and branding.

Long and costly international travel to Manila, and airport infrastructure deficits – Medical
Tourism (2013) points out that “flight times from the U.S., Canada, and Europe are long and may not be
conducive to patients with certain medical conditions.” Add to this the fact that the three major
international airports (Manila, Cebu, Clark) all face huge air traffic. NAIA Terminal 1 is old compared to
spanking airports in the Asian region, and has been cited much-too-often as one of the worst airports in
the world. NAIA Terminals 2 and 3 remain mired in legal tussles, and have not been fully utilized. The
few direct flights to the Philippines are a major hindrance to medical tourism as “ill people cannot be
expected to make two to three flight changes” (IMTJ, 2010). Finally, the cost of air travel to the
Philippines is high77, relative to those in competing countries. Government needs to push more
vigorously for “open-skies” agreements with North American and European countries. Finally, ground
transport, especially in large cities, still leaves much to be desired (e.g., the monumental traffic in EDSA,
Metro Manila’s major thoroughfare), as is the state of hygiene, a key aspect among medical travelers.

Lack of portability of insurance plans among OECD medical tourists – Most insurance plans in
developed countries do not cover treatments received overseas because of concerns about the quality
of providers, the cost of monitoring providers, and other legal and institutional barriers (Matoo and
Rathindran, 2005). Specifically, many larger health insurance plans in the U.S. have not yet embraced
medical tourism because they are worried about potential lawsuits linked to bad outcomes (Deloitte,
n.d.) (b). Adjusting insurance plans to allow patients to be treated in accredited facilities overseas could
result in significant savings for both the insurer and the insured, even after travel costs are taken into
account (Porter, et al., 2008). Fortunately, the health insurance landscape is changing in this regard. A
few health insurance plans in the U.S. now carry a medical tourism option, although many consumers
and providers are not aware of it (Wendt, 2012).

Downside of a strengthening peso – From the point of view of the medical tourists, a weaker
dollar/euro and stronger peso will reduce their purchasing power and increase their costs 78. The peso
has appreciated from PHP55.0 to US$1 in the early 2000s to PHP40.5 in March-April 2013, and 43.00 in
September 2013. Forecasts indicate further peso strengthening as both the US dollar and the euro will

77
To reduce airfare costs further, President Aquino signed R.A. 10374 in early March 2013 which removed the common carriers
tax and gross Philippine billings imposed on foreign airlines. This should encourage more airlines to fly to the country.
78
The PMTI website (www.philmedtourism.com) erroneously states that the currency appreciation “increases the value of
most foreign currencies and thus makes the Philippines an attractive destination of medical travel.” On the contrary!

52
continue to be relatively weak 79. Paradoxically, the more tourists who arrive, the stronger will the peso
be.

Administrative barriers to entry in LGUs and CHDs – Some LGUs and some regional health
offices (CHDs) still have an anti-profit mentality when it comes to health service provision, even for
paying patients. Casual conversations with government officials reveal a mentality pervaded with
socialist thinking in social service provision. Private investors are often looked down. As a result,
obtaining the required legal or administrative documents (license to operate, business permits) is often
onerous and needlessly delayed and time-consuming. In global rankings, the Philippines often gets a low
rating on the ease of doing business, and nowhere is this more visible than at CHDs and LGUs. A national
roadshow by the leaders of three departments may be necessary to loosen these difficulties.

Weak synergy between medical and travel-service providers – Prospective medical tourists,
especially non-diaspora clients, need a one-stop service that answers both medical and tourism needs
and queries. Ideally, health facilities for medical tourism should be located at or near tourist areas
(Subic Bay 80/Olongapo City, Clark/Angeles City, Mactan/Cebu City, Samal/Davao City, Boracay); new
sites could also be marketed. If this is not possible, joint efforts should be made between hospitals and
travel service providers to package or integrate their services together, or at least to have joint
marketing. A tourist unfamiliar with the archipelagic nature of the Philippines would find the task of
putting together a medical-cum-tourism package daunting.

C. Opportunities
Improving global perception of the Philippine economy and tourism – The Philippine economy
has been growing steadily over the past decade, and had a sterling performance last year, a refreshing
change from its usual laggard image. Tourism is also glowing; the World Economic Forum’s Travel and
Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 identifies the Philippines as one of the “rising stars in emerging
market economies” in travel and tourism. Moreover, medical tourism is performing better than the rest
of the tourism segments in the Philippines (Pinoylifestyle, 2009).

Continued aging of the population in originating countries – In the US alone, Deloitte (2008)
estimated the number of American medical tourists to reach around 15 million by 2017. The
demographic profile favors continued growth of medical tourism in destination countries. The changing
age/income profile and insurance-coverage of patients is also a positive factor: medical tourism can be
offered to patients and services not covered with health insurance (dental and cosmetic surgeries).
Finally, as the American and European populations age, severe winters become more unbearable to
larger segments of their population. Winters exact their toll on aging patients with arthritis and other
ailments; medical and recuperative options can be marketed to these population segments, in addition
to elective surgeries.

79
Note, however, that the Thai baht has also been strengthening.
80
The building of the Bay Pointe Hospital in Subic Bay was announced in 2007. It will initially be a 100-bed facility,
with an eventual upgrade of 300. It is targeted to 62,000 workers in Subic Bay and to medical tourists. It will
provide modern health care services, and will offer touristic attractions like nearness to the beach, sports, eco-
tourism, and the historical charm of a former U.S. naval base.

53
 Continued high-cost care in advanced countries that engenders medical outsourcing – Despite
reforms in health care financing and delivery in the U.S., observers believe medical costs are not going
to come down any time soon. If anything, skeptics believe Obamacare will lead to greater regulation of
the health system, which can increase costs even further. Cost containment remains a challenge in OECD
health systems as well, even among countries with a public system (U.K., Canada). It is believed that
higher costs in industrial countries – in combination with population aging and greater consumer say in
medical decisions – will fuel more outsourcing of care to emerging economies.

Possible exploitation of many segments of care – Given the wide range of available providers,
the country can engage in a choice of segments: high tech – organ transplants, e.g., kidney; stem cell
therapy; standard hospitalization – hip and other joint replacements; eye and dental care; fringe
services – medical spa, drug rehabilitation; beauty procedures – dermatology and cosmetic surgery;
care-giving – recuperative services, retirement havens; and relaxation – spa and massage. Indeed, as
more hospitals, clinics, and spas get into the medical tourism industry, new products can be introduced
and the range of available products and services is expected to widen.

Government commitment to PPP to develop sectors including health and tourism – The
Aquino administration has embraced public/private partnership (PPP) as an approach to health and
tourism investments. The DOH has lined up 23 of its largest retained hospitals for refurbishment using
PPP arrangements; some of these facilities may well be involved in medical tourism, providing them
with a revenue stream not otherwise available. (This, of course, engenders its own set of revenue
sharing and equity issues – e.g., crowding out of poorer patients – that cannot be dealt fully in this
paper.) PPP, which already has a legal and policy framework, can also be used in promoting and crafting
new investments in health and tourism.

D. Threats
Intense competition from established market leaders and rapidly emerging new destinations –
Aggressive capital investments in leaders India and Singapore and followers Taiwan and South Korea are
likely to make these countries more attractive. Higher-cost countries like Singapore and South Korea (in
cities like Daegu and enclaves like Gangnam) are moving apace in their vision to create industrial
clusters for medical tourism; the economies of scale, scope, and agglomeration that industrial ecology
brings can reduce costs and is expected to make them more competitive to their lower-cost rivals.

Lack of price transparency and wide variation in local prices – Price transparency is not yet the
norm in the Philippines. Some providers impose hidden charges that it has become a badge of pride for
some dedicated websites to say upfront that they don’t have such charges that others continue to
impose, e.g., dental exams. Although the Philippine Health Insurance Law requires transparency in
pricing, this has not been enforced strongly. Wide variation in prices in some procedures also
characterizes the local medical market, and more so if the patient are medical tourists. While some
procedures exhibit price convergence (e.g., hip replacement, knee arthroscopy, and spine laminectomy),
others do not, notably coronary artery bypass, angioplasty, and radio therapy.

Slow prosecution of medical malpractice cases and lack of malpractice framework for cutting-
edge procedures – Medical Tourism (2013) opines that “there are adequate provisions in the Revised
Penal Code for medical malpractice that would protect patients against medical negligence and

54
incompetence from erring physicians.” It also notes that significant awards have been given “to victims
of confirmed medical malpractice cases as well as fines meted out by DOH on erring physicians.”

Still, the prospect of lengthy medical litigation may dissuade potential medical tourists. The
incidence of medical malpractice in the Philippines is negligible: 0.00003 percent of patients, according
to the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) in its Medical Malpactice Workshop in 2005 (Medical
Tourism, 2013). However, the low figure is a reflection not so much of the occurrence of physician error
or misjudgement but of low incidence of complaints from patients who cannot afford the financial and
time costs of a protracted litigation. Several bills have been filed in Congress on medical malpractice, but
these are opposed by the medical community as being detrimental to the growth of the sector.

As more providers enter the medical-tourism scene, quality will be more difficult to assure.
Thus, there is a need to balance industry growth and risk. Rather than waiting for destination countries
to get their act together on medical malpractice, the U.S. insurance industry is beginning to address the
issue of medical legal liability by offering insurance products that provide patient protection in case of
malpractice under medical tourism (Wendt, 2011). These are insurance add-ons which the provider
should ask from patients, or remind them about before their travel.

Patients traveling for treatments that are illegal or unethical in their home countries pose
jurisdictional legal issues 81. Originating countries’ courts have the right to decide as criminal the
activities of their citizens abroad (Cohen, 2011). If a patient’s home country chooses to enforce such
limitations, this can dramatically reduce the market base of medical providers engaged in those
procedures. Ethical and quality-concern issues also bedevil cutting-edge technologies. If the Philippines
promotes cancer and stem cell tourism, this can backfire as the Philippines uses procedures not (yet)
accepted in the U.S. (IMTJ, 2013). Legal and ethical issues in organ marketing in the Philippines also
need to be resolved 82. Recently, the DOH issued the administrative order dealing with stem cell therapy
(DOH, 2013), a set of rules that the medical community has been waiting for sometime, but this
administrative order and the subsequent FDA guideline, is being criticized by some local medical groups
(the Philippine College of Physicians).

Pre- and post-operative risks of combining health + holiday, and possible discontinuity of care
– On the surface, medical tourism looks like a win-win package for the customer, but certain procedures
actually require real recuperation after patients undergo them, and travel should be avoided. In certain
cosmetic surgeries, for instance, the patients are asked to avoid sun exposure, walking tours, bus tours,
alcohol intake, smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke, exercise, and water leisure activities (Lasa,
2013). Pre-operative and post-operative rest and recuperation is also advised for major surgeries. In
these cases, patients should be advised properly on what they can and cannot do.

Medical tourism also poses problems of possible discontinuity of care: elective procedures
require follow-up care for a period of weeks. (See Figure 4.) The patient may face the prospect of not
having access to clinical support system once s/he is back in the country of origin. Even more seriously,
most hospitals will not cover the cost of medical complications; nor is there a common definition of

81
Cohen (2010) distinguishes three kinds of medical tourism from the ethical point of view: (a) medical tourism for services that
are illegal in both the patient’s home and destination countries; (b) medical tourism for services that are illegal in the patient’s
home country but legal in the destination country; and (c) medical tourism for services legal in both the home and destination
countries. Both (a) and (b) poses difficult ethical and regulatory challenges that destination countries are just beginning to
wrestle with.
82
Add to this the social and anthropological aspects; see, for instance, Alburo (2007).

55
“medical complication” (Medical Tourism, 2013). Needless to say, these issues arise not only in the
Philippines but in other destinations as well.

Figure 4. Classification of Patients by Requirement for Follow-up Care Versus Complexity of Treatment
Increasing need for follow-

Quadrant 3: Less invasive surgery, e.g., Quadrant 4: More invasive and complex, e.g.,
laparoscopic procedures heart bypass; organ transplants, cancer
treatment

Quadrant 1: Elective, cosmetic Quadrant 2: More invasive surgery, e.g.,

procedures, e.g., Lasik eye surgery, hip/knee replacements
up care

dermatological/cosmetic

Increasing complexity
Source: Deloitte (n.d.), “Medical Tourism: The Asian Chapter”

Potential crowding out of domestic poor patients and other adverse equity effects – Unlike
some facilities in other countries (e.g., Thailand) which serve only medical tourists, Philippine hospitals
serve a mixed clientele. Thus, the fear exists that medical tourists may crowd out local patients in
hospitals, especially the lower middle class and the poor. Medical tourism may also entrench the two-
tiered system of care, even within the same facilities. This may not necessarily be true as the market is
well-segmented, or if medical tourism can be limited to private hospitals and clinics.

If care is segmented, medical tourism may still bring adverse effects by diverting physicians and
nurses from ill-paying jobs catering to local patients to better-paying jobs catering to foreigners and
balikbayans, a phenomenon known as ‘internal brain drain.’ In Thailand, by one estimate, an extra
100,000 medical tourists leads to an internal brain drain of between 240 and 700 medical doctors
(Arunanondchai and Fink, 2006). In the Philippines as in Thailand, this problem is particularly difficult to
resolve as a significant amount of tertiary medical and nursing education is provided by state-owned
colleges and universities with subsidized tuition.

Finally, whatever subsidy the national and local governments will provide to the medical tourism
industry (fiscal incentives or direct provision of benefits) may only benefit a few.

Potential domestic medical inflation – Price inflation from the practice of medical tourism may
flow into the domestic practice of medicine. Specifically, a demand-pull inflation can ensue from the
increase in external demand for local services. Although tourists’ demand for higher quality services has
a good effect in increasing overall quality of care, it may unduly increase costs that local patients cannot
afford. As Arunanondchai and Fink (2006) point out, “Any economic activity that experiences rapid
growth due to export expansion will become dearer in the domestic economy. Even if economies as a
whole gain, export expansion in the health sector may have important distributive consequences for
domestic patients.” These fears are empirical issues that need to be confirmed.

56
 Who will keep the savings? – The anticipated large-scale entry of third-party payors (health
insurance, employers), administrators, or intermediaries in the medical tourism market would
dramatically change its dynamics, and who would recoup the large savings from the outsourcing of care.
As the HMO/managed care experience in the U.S. showed, the reform created huge savings from
economic efficiencies, but this did not necessarily accrue to the patients, or even the providers. Much
of the savings eventually ended up with the intermediaries. This is an important policy question that
countries (including patient groups, providers, and regulators) in both source and destination countries
should look out for.

57
 Chapter VII. Conclusions and Next Steps

“All that is lacking is more aggressive marketing of the

expert and affordable medical services available in the Philippines.”

Editorial, Philippine Star

November 12, 2011

“Iba talaga mag-alaga ang Pinoy. Di tayo nagtatapon ng tao.

Filipinos never forget they’re dealing with people.”

Sec. Ramon Jimenez, DOT

Quoted by Geronimo (2012)

Despite efforts stretching as far back as the 1970s, medical tourism in the Philippines has been
slow to evolve relative to its neighboring countries. The efforts of the Arroyo administration in 2004-
2006 have not resulted in dramatic uptake of medical tourists, and promotion has been described as
lacking steam (Philstar, 2011). As a result, the Philippines is a perennial 4th runner-up in the annual
rankings of medical tourist destinations in Asia, after India, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

By all indications, the burgeoning global market for medical tourism is expected to continue well
into the future. Most tangible elements seem to be in place for the Philippines to get its rightful share in
the increasing trade pie (e.g., professionals and other workers, geographic and climatic advantages, a
culture of caring, facilities and equipment that growth can start from, and good global perception). But
the country needs to work some more on the intangible elements of sector leadership, coordination,
cooperation, creativity, and zeal.

The improving fiscal space of the National Government provides a unique opportunity for a
more aggressive industrial policy in selected sectors for which comparative advantage can be
demonstrated. On the basis of cost comparison of selected procedures alone, the Philippines does have
significant advantage in medical tourism vis-à-vis its Asian competitors. More extensive market and cost
studies need to be undertaken to establish the market niches for which the Philippines enjoys large
advantage.

More importantly, studies also need to determine the types of support services for which
government assistance is warranted. A basic principle would be for government to focus on those
services that have large (hopefully, industry-wide) externalities, such as advertising promotion and
marketing campaigns; research, data generation, and monitoring and evaluation; strategic planning;
sharing of experiences, lessons learned, and best practices; and selected training to upgrade the skills of
key staff in the industry.

Good practices abound, both here and abroad, that have not been integrated in medical tourism
practice in the Philippines. There are many potential partnerships, linkages, and networks that should
be established. But bad beliefs and practices also persist, such as entrenched anti-private sector

58
ideologies, bureaucratic delays, zero-sum mentality, preference for visible investments rather than more
useful “software,” and wholesale importation of ideas without careful adaptation.

To invigorate the industry, the following are the suggested next steps:

a. Commission an international consulting firm, with local counterparts, to conduct a

comprehensive study on the medical tourism industry covering its global competitive advantage
and market niches, the binding constraints, its future prospects, and needed policy thrusts.

b. Undertake follow-on information gathering and analytical work that can be included for funding
under any of the three departments’ (DTI, DOT, DOH) research programs, including a standard
set of data that needs to be produced on a regular basis.

c. Based on the results of the study, prepare a sector-wide business strategy and plan.

d. Mount a media campaign abroad to promote medical tourism in the country.

59
 References

ABS-CBN News (2013). Medical Tourism’s Main Challenge: Branding Team Philippines. www.abs-
cbnnews.com/features. Accessed March 4, 2013.
Adarlo, Genesis (2010). Experiences on Registration of Medical Tourism Ecozones in the Philippines.
PowerPoint presentation during the APEC Seminar in Health Services, Shangri-La Mactan Resort
and Spa, Lapu-lapu City.
Alburo, Kaira Zoe K. (2007). Kidneys for Sale: Regulating Bodies Through Medical Tourism in the
Philippines. Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, 35(3): 196-212.
ALS Worldwide (2010). A Patient’s Path Through the Maze of Stem Cell Transplantation.
www.alsworldwide.org. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
Altin, Mehmet, Manisha Singal, and Derya Kara (n.d.). Consumer Decision for Medical Tourism: A
Stakeholder Approach. www.umass.edu. Accessed March 4, 2013.
Anonymous (2012). Unlocking the Powers of Stem Cell Therapy from Aesthetics to Cancer Cure.
Anonymous (2012). PH to be Headquarters of Stem Cell Therapy and Research Hub of Asia. Philippine
Daily Inquirer. May 26.
Anonymous (2013). First Stem Cell Treatment Outside Metro Manila to Open in Iloilo City.
www.iloilocityhub.blogspot.com. Accessed March 25, 2013.
Anonymous (2013). The Seasoned Traveller: Hotel-Hospital Tieups. Global Health and Travel. January-
February.
Anonymous (2013). Adventist Hospital Cebu Opens Stem Cell Therapy. Sun Star Cebu.
www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/lifestyle/2013. Accessed March 23, 2013.
Anonymous (2013). Asian Medical Tourism Analysis (2008-2012).
www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/607318. Accessed March 4, 2013.
Anonymous (2013). Health Tourism in Asia. www.healthtourisminasia.com/philippines.htm. Accessed
March 4, 2013.
Anonymous (2013). Stem Cell Therapy Now in Davao. Manila Bulletin. www.p-news.yahoo.com.
Acessed March 23, 2013.
Anonymous (2013). Medical Tourism: Profit from Global Health Care. www.hospitalscout.com.
Accessed March 4, 2013.
Anonymous (2010). Philippines Set to Challenge in the Medical Tourism Industry.
www.globalsurance.com. Accessed March 5, 2013.
Arunanondchai, Jutamas and Carsten Fink (2006). Trade in Health Services in the ASEAN Region. Health
Promotion International, 21 (Supplement 1), 59-66.
Bernal, Samuel (2009). Stem Cell Therapy: A Globe Tek Approach. In Growth Revolution Magazine.
www.WordPress.com. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
Bernal, Samuel (2009). Cord Blood Banking. In Growth Revolution Magazine. www.WordPress.com.
Accessed on March 25, 2013.

60
Board of Investments (n.d.). Matrix of Consolidated Data from Hospitals. Processed. Board of
Investments, Makati City.
BOI TWG (2012). Preliminary Findings on Medical Travel. PowerPoint presentation slides, Technical
Working Group of the Board of Investments and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Buban, Charles E. (2012). The Future of Anti-aging and Rejuvenation. Philippine Daily Inquirer. May 26.
Business Mirror (2013). Philippines Among Top Retirement Havens. March 7, p. A3.
CMA (2008). The Economic Cost of Wait Times in Canada. Canadian Medical Association. January.
Cohen (2010). Medical Tourism: The View from Ten Thousand Feet. Public Law and Legal Theory
Working Paper Series, Paper No. 10-34. Harvard Law School.
Cohen, G. (2011). A Legal Perspective on Medical Tourism in the USA. International Medical Travel
Journal. www.imtj.com.
Constantinides, Constantine (2012). Response to the article by Maria Todd (2012), Medical Tourism
Clusters… Beyond the Hype.
Constantinides, Constantine (2013). What are the Goals and Benefits of Health Tourism “Free Zones”?
www.imtj.com/articles. Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Cook, B. (2012). International Patient Services Workshop. PowerPoint presentation slides. 5th World
Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress.
Cordlife (2013). About Cordlife, Why Cordlife, Cord Blood Banking. www.cordlife.com. Accesssed on
March 25, 2013.
Cormany, D. (2008). Taking Pulse on Potential Medical Tourism. Medical Tourism 7, 34-37.
De Jesus, Tatel (2013). What We Should Know About Stem Cell Treatment in the PH. Commission on
Filipinos Overseas. www.cfo.gov.ph. Accessed on March 23, 2013.
De la Cruz, Stef (2012). Is Stem Cell Therapy Considered Murder? www.yahoo.com. Accessed on March
23, 2013.
Deloitte & Co. (n.d.) (a). Medical Tourism: The Asian Chapter. Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
Deloitte & Co. (n.d.) (b). Medical Tourism: Consumers in Search of Value. Deloitte Center for Health
Solutions.
Deloitte & Co. (n.d.) (c). Medical Tourism: Update and Implications. Deloitte Center for Health
Solutions.
Digal, Ramil (2013). What Makes Philippines the Heart of Asia. http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/86777.
Accessed on March 13, 2013.
DOH (2013). IRR on Stem-Cell Therapy Released. Department of Health. www.doh.gov.ph. Accessed
on March 20, 2013.
DOH (2013). Philippine Medical Tourism Program. www.doh.gov.ph. Accessed on March 14.
DOT (n.d.). Rules and Regulations to Govern the Accreditation of Tertiary Hospitals for Medical
Tourism. Department of Tourism.
Doherty, Bod (2010). Wait Times for Medical Care: How the U.S. Actually Measures Up. Better Health
Network. www.getbetterhealth.com. Accessed on March 20.

61
De la Cruz, Stef (2012). Is Stem Cell Therapy Considered Murder? www.voices.yahoo.com. Accessed on
March 25, 2013.
DTI (2007). Medical Tourism in Central Luzon: An Emerging Industry. PowerPoint Presentation slides.
Department of Trade and Industry. October 25.
Euromonitor International (2012). Health and Wellness Tourism in the Philippines. Euromonitor
International. August.
Forbes.com (2013). Top Spots for Medical Tourism. www.forbes.com. Accessed on March 23, 2013.
Gahlinger, P.M. (2008). The Medical Tourism Travel Guide: Your Complete Reference to Top Quality,
Low Cost Dental, Cosmetic, Medical Care and Surgery Overseas. Sunrise River Press, North
Branch, Minnesotta.
Gan, L. and J. Frederick (2011). Medical Tourism Facilitators: Patterns of Service Differentiation. Journal
of Vacation Marketing, 17 (3), 165-183.
German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce (2010). Medical Tourism in the Philippines – An Objective
View. PowerPoint presentation prepared for the Asian Hospital and Medical Center. February 17.
Geronimo, Gian (2012). Stem Cell Therapy to Lead DOT’s Proposed “Medical Tourism” Plan. GMA
News. www.gmanetwork.com/news/story.
Grail Research (2009). The Rise of Medical Tourism. Grail Research, a division of Integreon. August.
Guille, Ramil (2012). Assuring Quality Patient Care. Philippine Daily Inquirer. www.inquirer.net.
Accessed on March 14, 2013.
HealthCORE Research (2011). The Philippine Medical Tourism Compendium (Facts, Figures and
Strategies). e-mail: [email protected]
Health Tourism (2013). Stem Cell Therapy in Philippines. www.health-tourism.com/stem-cell-
therapy/philippines/. Accessed on March 23, 2013.
Health Tourism by Country. http://medical-tourism-directories.com/philippines.php.
Health Tourism in Asia (2013). Medical Tourism in Philippines. www.healthtourismasia.com. Accessed
on March 25, 2013.
Helmy, Eman M. (2011). Benchmarking the Egyptian Medical Tourism Sector Against International Best
Practices: An Exploratory Study. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism,
6(2): 293-311.
Hotel & Spa Essentials (n.d.). Health and Wellness Tourism in the Philippines.
www.hotelandspaessentials.com.
Hotelsandspaessentials.com (2013). Health & Wellness Tourism in the Philippines. PowerPoint slides.
Horowitz, M.D., J.A. Rosensweig, and C.A. Jones (2007). Medical Tourism: Globalization of the
Healthcare Marketplace. Medscape General Medicine, 9(4), 33-42.
IMTJ (2010). Philippines: Bacolod City Wants Medical Tourism Investment. International Medical
Tourism Journal. www.imtj.com. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
IMTJ (2009). Philippines: Medical Tourism Development in the Philippines. International Medical
Tourism Journal. www.imtj.com. Accessed on March 25, 2013.

62
IMTJ (2010). Philippines Seeks International Investors for Medical Tourism. International Medical
Tourism Journal. www.imtj.com. Accessed March 25, 2013.
IMTJ (2013). Philippines Government Studies Niche Opportunities in Medical Tourism. International
Medical Travel Journal. www.imtj.com/news. Accessed March 4, 2013.
Intelligent Spas (2006). Intelligent Spas Releases First Spa Industry Survey Results for the Philippines.
www.intelligentspas.com/mediareleases. Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Intuition Communication Ltd. (n.d.). Treatment Abroad. www.treatmentabroad.com. Accessed on
March 4, 2013.
Intuition Communication Ltd. (2012). The Medical Tourism Survey 2012. www.treatmentabroad.com.
Accessed March 11, 2013.
Jaymalin, Mayen (2013). More Pinoys Undergo Stem Cell Therapy. The Philippine Star. March 4.
Jotikasthira, Nuttapong (2010). Salient Factors Influencing Medical Tourism Destination Choice. DBA
dissertation, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia.
Karuppan, C. and M. Karuppan (2010). Changing Trends in Health Care Tourism. The Health Care
Manager, 29 (4), 349-358.
Keckley, P.H. and H.R. Underwood (2009). Medical Tourism: Update and Implications. Deloitte Center
for Health Solutions, Washington, D.C.
Ko, Tae Gyu (2011). Medical Tourism System Model. International Journal of Tourism Science 11 (1):
18-51.
Kosansh (2013). Malaysia: Partnership With Airline to Boost Medical Tourism. www.Kosansh.com.
Accessed on March 14, 2013.
KPMG (2011). Issues Monitor: Sharing Knowledge on Topical Issues in the Health Sector. Volume 7.
www.kpmg.com.
Lachica, Joy (2013). External Contact Report. Board of Investments. July 31.
The Lancet (2012). The Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.
www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/gbd.
Lasa, Carlos (2013). Guidelines for Cosmetic Surgery Tourism.
www.cosmeticsurgeryphil.com/blog_20_medical_tourists.htm. Accessed March 5, 2013.
Lion Rock (2005). International Survey on Ambulance Services: Alternative Models. PowerPoint
presentation, The Museum of History, Hong Kong. October 28.
Lopingco, Marjorie (2008). The Health and Wellness Industry. BAR 6th Seminar Series: Indigenous
Plants and Food Plants, April 26.
Lucero, Florencio (2013). Rejuvenation. Wellness and Health Services Asia, Inc.
www.asiamedicaltourism.com. Accessed on March 23, 2013.
Lunt, Neil and P. Carrera (2010). Medical Tourism: Assessing the Evidence on Treatment Abroad.
Maturitas, 66 (1), 27-32.
Lunt, Neil, Richard Smith, Mark Exworthy, Stephen Green, Daniel Horsfall, and Russel Mannion (n.d.).
Medical Tourism: Treatments, Markets and Health System Implications. OECD Directorate for
Employment, Labour and Social Affairs.

63
Marsek, P.W. and F. Sharpe (2009). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Medical Tourism. Alpha, New York.
Maslog, Crispin (2012). Asia-Pacific Analysis: The Growth of Stem-Cell Therapy. SciDev.
www.scidev.net. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
Mattoo, Aaditya and Randeep Rathindran (2005). Does Health Insurance Impede Trade in Health Care
Services? World Bank Policy Research Working Paper. July.
Medical Tourism (2008). Philippine Quality Healthcare: Excellence is the Standard.
www.medicaltourismmag.com. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
Medical Tourism (2013). International Hospitals and International Clinics. www.medicaltourism.com.
Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Medical Tourism (2013). Medical Tourism to the Philippines. www.medicaltourism.com. Accessed on
March 23, 2013.
MTC (2006). French Doctor Sets Sight on Philippine Medical Tourism. Philippine Medical Tourism.
www.MedicalTourismCenter,com. Accessed on March 14, 2013.
MTG (2010). Pacquiao to Develop Medical Park in the Philippines. Medical Tourism Guide.
www.medicaltourismguide.com. Accessed on March 25, 2013.
Millar, Sandra J. and Julie W. Munro (2012). Great Every Time: Delivering Excellent Patient Experience
by Managing Critical Touchpoints in Medical Tourism. Medical Travel Quality Alliance.
www.mtqua.org
Miller, Allan E. (2013). Medical Tourism in the Philippines. http://www.balihai.com.ph. Accessed on
March 4, 2013.
NCPA (2007). Medical Tourism: Global Competition in Health Care. National Center for Policy Analysis.
Nelle, Elizabeth (n.d.). New Tourism Products. PowerPoint presentation slides, Department of Tourism.
Paffhausen, Anna Luisa, Carolina Peguero, and Laura Roche-Villareal (2010). Medical Tourism: A
Survey. Washington, DC: ECLAC.
Peacock, Libby (2013). Medical Tourism in Asia. Smart Travel. Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Philstar (2011). Medical Tourism. Editorial, November 12, 2011. www.philstar.com/opinion/746886.
Accessed March 4, 2013.
Piazolo, Marc and Nursen Albayrak Zanca (2010). The Economics of Medical Tourism: A Case Study for
the U.S.A. and India. Paper prepared for the 8th International conference on Management
Enterprise and Benchmarking, June 4-5, Budapest, Hungary.
Pinoylifestyles.com (2009). Philippine Medical Tourism. www.pinoylifestyles.com/2009/medical-
tourism. Accessed on March 4, 2013.
PMTI (2010). History of Medical Tourism in the Philippines. Philippine Medical Tourism Inc.
http://tourismmedical.blogspot.com. Accessed March 4, 2013.
PMTI (2013). Frequently Asked Questions. www.philmedtourism.com. Accessed on March 13.
Pollard, Keith (2012). Medical Tourism: Key Facts. Intuition Communication Ltd.
www.treatmentabroad.com. Accessed March 4, 2013.
Porter, Michael E., Manuel de Vera, Bill Huang, Omar Khan, Zhongguang Qin, and Adele Tan (2008).
Medical Tourism in the Philippines. May 2.

64
PRLog (2013). Experts Say RP Poised for Huge Gains in Medical Tourism. PRLOG Press Release
distribution. www.prlog.org/10537338. Accessed March 4, 2013.
Rana, Bhupendra K. (2011). Global Standards for Global Patients: The Role of ISQua in Medical Travel.
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers (NABH). PowerPoint
presentation slides, Barcelona, Spain. April 28.
Ratner, C. (2012). Understanding the TEMOS Approach to Quality and Accreditation in Medical Tourism.
International Medical Travel Journal. www.imtj.com.
Renub Research (2012). Philippine Medical Tourist Arrivals, Medical Tourism Market, and Forecast to
2015. www.renub.com. June.
Republic of the Philippines (n.d.). Senate Bill No. 959: An Act Instituting a Comprehensive and Holistic
Mechanism for the Promotion of Medical Tourism in the Country and for Other Purposes.
Philippine Senate.
Rimando, Lala (2011). Pangilinan-led MPIC Now largest Hospital Operator in PH. www.inquirer.net.
Accessed on March 13, 2013.
Rojas, Joy (2012). Makati Medical Center Now Offering Stem Cell Therapy. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
May 29.
Rose, Bambi (2012). Best Practices in International Patient Programs. www.imtj.com/articles/2012.
Salazar, Marlet D. (2010). Facts and Figures on the Spa Industry. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
www.business.inquirer.net. Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Smith, M. and L. Puczo (2009). Health and Wellness Tourism. Elsevier, Oxford.
Smyth, Frances (2008). Medical Tourism: Is the Technology Up to Snuff? June 3. www.helium.com.
Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Stackpole and Associates (2010). Inbound Medical Tourism: Survey of International Patient
Departments. www.stackpoleassociates.com.
Stephano, Renee-Marie (n.d.). Medical Tourism: Global Challenges and Opportunities. PowerPoint
presentation slides presented at the Global Business Forum.
Stephano, Renee-Marie (n.d.). Medical Tourism: Clustering Possibilities. PowerPoint presentation.
Medical Tourism Association.
Teh, Ivy and Calvin Chu (2005). Supplementing Growth with Medical Tourism. Synovate Business
Consulting. APBN 9(8).
The Medical City (2013). The Medical City Introduces Breakthrough Molecular Medicine.
www.themedicalcity.com. Accessed on March 23, 2013.
Todd, Maria (n.d.). Medical Tourism Clusters… Beyond the Hype. Mercury Advisory Group.
http://medicaladvisorygroup.com. Accessed on March 13, 2013.
Todd, Maria (n.d.). 30 Key Findings from Medical Tourism Benchmarking Research. Mercury Advisory
Group. http://medicaladvisorygroup.com/articles/natstrat. Accessed on March 11, 2013.
Torres, Estrella (2012). Public Cautioned on Stem-Cell Therapy. Business Mirror.
www.businessmirror.com.ph. Accessed on march 25, 2013.

65
Trade Daegu (2013). Daegu Global Medical Tourism Project Picks Up Steam. www.daegu.go.kr.
Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Treatment Abroad (2013). A Code of Practice for Medical Tourism. www.treatmentabroad.com.
Accessed on March 14, 2013.
TreatmentAbroad (2013). Why Consider the Philippines for Dental Treatment?
www.treatmentabroad.com. Accessed on March 14, 2013.
Treatment Abroad (2013). Dentistry Abroad: Philippines. www.treatmentabroad.com. Accessed on
March 14, 2013.
Veniles, Cherry Joy (2013). Immigrants Outnumber OFWs. Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 17, p. A21.
Vequist, David G (n.d.). How Does Retirement Tourism Fit Into Global Healthcare? PowerPoint
presentation. Center for Medical Tourism Research, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio,
Texas, USA.
Virola, Romulo A. and Florande Polistico (2007). Measuring Health and Wellness Tourism in the
Philippines. Paper presented during the 10th National Convention on Statistics, EDSA Shangri-la
Hotel, October 1-2.
Youngman, Ian (2012). Those Medical Tourism Numbers… Revisited. International Medical Tourism
Journal. www.imtj.com.
Yu, Kathleen (2010). Rising Cost of U.S. Healthcare Boosts Medical Tourism in the Philippines.
http://carpolaw.com/articles. Accessed March 5, 2013.
Wendt, Krista (2012). Medical Tourism: Trends and Opportunities. MBA/MSc. Thesis, University of
Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Whereismydoctor.com (2013). Top 10 Medical Tourism Destinations of 2011.
www.whereismydoctor.com. Accessed April 2, 2013.
Wikipedia (2013). Benchmarking. Ww.wikipedia.com. Accessed on March 13, 2013.
Wikipedia (2013). Medical Tourism. www.wikipedia.com. Accessed on March 5, 2013.
Wikipedia (2013). Stem Cell Therapy. www.wikipedia.com.
Wikipilipinas (2013). Top Philippine Beauty Doctors. http://en.wikipilipinas.org. Accessed March 14,
2013.

66
Annex 1: Draft Scope of Work for Consultancy to Formulate the Roadmap
of Expanding Medical Tourism in the Philippines

A. Introduction
Medical tourism became a global phenomenon in the past decade as hundreds of thousands of travelers
crossed borders to seek care in less expensive countries, often in combination with holiday or
homecoming (for those with ethnic roots in destination countries). Most global analyses indicate the
growing demand well into the future for medical travel owing to a combination of demographic,
economic, technological, communication, and transport factors.
Despite the Philippines’ visible comparative advantage in the provision of medical tourism services, its
share of the market continues to be small. Recent global data indicate its fifth ranking – after Asian
leaders Thailand, India, Singapore and Malaysia. A benchmarking exercise revealed the key weaknesses
of the domestic medical tourism industry, including:
g. Strategic aspects – There is no formal coordinating body (council or board) as in competitor
countries, and industry coordination is weak.
h. Marketing aspects – The industry suffers from weak market niching. There is no sustained
promotion campaign abroad. The websites of some local providers are less attractive relative to
the competition.
i. Organizational and management aspects – Industry clustering is weak. Uptake of the incentives
offered by government is low. Critical industry data are not readily available readily.
j. Service quality and care aspects – The number of internationally accredited health facilities is
low relative to India and Singapore, although the number is increasing.
k. Travel and accommodation – There are no airline packages from local carriers (Philippine
Airlines, Cebu Pacific).
l. Financing – Pricing transparency still leaves much to be desired.
B. Objective of the Consultancy
The objective of the consultancy is to provide technical assistance to the government of the Philippines
and its private-sector partners that will formulate the roadmap to expand and strengthen medical
tourism in the country.
C. Tasks of the Consulting Team
The specific tasks of the consulting team are:
1. To identify the market niches that the Philippines should focus on based on a thorough and
comprehensive scanning of the global competitive environment and the country’s own
comparative advantage. The market niching exercise should consider current and future
trajectories of demand, health and wellness technologies and practices, constraints for
expansion (infrastructural, behavioral, legal, ethical), preferences of medical tourists, and other
relevant factors. The market niching exercise should estimate the likely size of demand (in terms
of expected medical tourist arrivals and average spending) that can be used as targets for the
local industry and its subsectors.

2. To identify activities where government support is needed and how this support should be
managed and utilized. This should be based on a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of
what the leading and emerging competitor countries have done or are doing, what works and

67
 what have failed, and the means to mitigate failures. The consulting team should define clearly
the range of options that the government can provide, asses the costs and benefits of each
specific option, and identify the respective opportunities and risks.

3. To identify key data and information that need to be generated on a regular basis to steer the
industry, to measure performance, and to benchmark local efforts against leading competitors.
The consulting team should identify macro-level data as well as institution-level data and the
manner in which the latter can be aggregated. The consulting team should identify the specific
roles of the government (as promoter, steward, and regulator) and the private sector (as
providers, financiers, and intermediaries) in data production and aggregation.

4. To identify major policy and operations research areas that the industry should focus on, and
which can be farmed out to local and external research and consultancy institutions and
individuals. The research should focus on concrete (rather than abstract) topics the findings of
which can be acted on to improve competition, or used to feed the policy process in this area.
The research areas should encompass efficiency concerns (costing and resource use,
comparative pricing, industry benchmarking, identification of innovative approaches) as well as
equity considerations (crowding out of patients, discrepant behavior of providers providing
service to both domestic clientele and medical tourists, residual claimants to efficiency savings,
and related issues).

5. Based on the results of the above tasks, to develop a roadmap that will guide government and
private-sector stakeholders in leading and coordinating the industry so that it becomes more
competitive and garner a larger share of the global market. The roadmap should lead to a
business strategy and plan. To this end, the consulting team is expected to be cognizant of the
following aspects:

a. Marketing requirements;
b. Infrastructure requirements;
c. Legal, policy, licensing, regulatory, and accreditation requirements;
d. Strategic and operational planning and implementation coordination; and
e. Monitoring and evaluation.
To undertake the above tasks, the consulting team is expected:
1. To review relevant local and global literature, including research findings, market and other
surveys, conference proceedings and presentations, records of focus group discussions, industry
position papers, and blogs and opinions;
2. To review relevant laws and regulations, including Republic Acts; executive and administrative
orders; circulars and board resolutions; city, municipal, or provincial ordinances; and industry
plans;
3. To gather, organize, analyze, and interpret relevant statistical and other data including
demographic, economic, industry, and other forecasts;
4. To interview relevant stakeholders, researchers, opinion makers, etc.;
5. To document good practices, innovations, and lessons learned; and
6. To make briefings and presentations.

68
D. Qualifications of the Consulting Team
The consulting team is expected to possess a mix of relevant skills obtained from local and international
experience and education dealing with medical tourism or related areas. These skills include, but are
not limited to, the following:

1. Market research in medical tourism or related field;

2. Trade, industrial, and investment promotion;
3. Health facility planning and management and public health;
4. Information technology and systems, especially with respect to health and wellness;
5. Public policy in tourism, trade, and/or health services;
6. Health care financing, economics, and research;
7. Industrial clustering or industrial ecology;
8. Health, medical, and wellness regulation and legal aspects of medical tourism;
9. Industry leadership, administration, and governance in medical tourism; and
10. Management of medical tourism enterprises.
No one consultant is expected to possess all or most of the above skills. However, the consulting team is
expected to show that its proposed members have the best blend of skills, and that it has access to
specialized skills, if necessary.
The consulting team is expected to have 3-5 members, to be led by a chief of party. The consulting team
will ideally come from one consulting firm, or a consortium of partners with a clearly designated prime
contractor and subcontractors.
E. Reporting Requirements
The three government departments responsible for medical tourism (DOT, DTI, DOH) will set up a
steering committee that will provide oversight to the work of the consulting team.
F. Deliverables
The consulting team is responsible for producing required reports, designs, presentation slides and
briefing kits, and other consultancy materials needed for this kind of assignment. The consulting team is
required to make top-level briefings and presentations to officials of the three departments and related
government agencies (such as the National Economic and Development Authority), private-sector
stakeholders and investors, civil society groups, professional societies, and other interested parties.
G. Level of Effort
To be determined.
H. Timeline
To be determined.

69
 Annex 3: Comments on the Draft Senate Bill on Medical Tourism

1. A Senate bill on medical tourism has been filed by Senator Lito Lapid (SB No. 959) but it has not
been enacted. The key provisions are:

a. Establishment of national accreditation procedures for hospitals, medical centers, and health
service providers;
b. Creation of a national task force on medical tourism;
c. Creation of a secretariat for the task force;
d. Creation of a national website for medical tourism
e. Marketing of medical tourism;
f. Issuance of visa for foreign medical tourists;
g. Creation of a medical modernization credit facility;
h. Holding of annual conferences in medical tourism;
i. Monitoring the state of medical tourism in the country;
j. Mandating the DTI to assist in the international accreditation of hospitals and health services;
k. Establishing rules and regulations on medical malpractice and litigation.

2. Many of the provisions of this draft bill can be done by existing departments (DOH, DTI, DOT)
under their mandates (b to f, h, and i). The provision to create a medical modernization credit facility is
interesting, but the Development Bank of the Philippines already has a Health and Wellness Access Loan
program providing loans to priority projects. The provision to establish rules on medical malpractice is
right in line with the need for a quick and effective recourse system for aggrieved customers, and this
should be followed up.

70