Medical and wellness tourism in RP

Modern man realizes that health – is not just the absence of disease – but the presence of physical, mental and social well-being.Thus in the US$2.5 Trillion tourism industry, some US$ 106-billion is considered "Wellness Tourism" and US$ 50-billion as "Medical Tourism." At the backdone of this demand is the resurgent "baby boomers" market - those born between 1946-1965.

In 2006 alone, some US$350-Million has been spent (P12-B) on medical and wellness tourism by over 250,000 non resident patients in the Philippines, constituting RP's 14% share of the Asian market.The target market remains comebacking balikbayans (where we create 1 million new entrants per year), the huge Japanese and American retiree market and the considerable domestic demand for the "vanity industry" of cosmetic intervention.

It helps that the country has world-class hospital facilities like St. Lukes, Medical City, Makati Medical and Asian Hospital. Aside from them are world-class spas and assorted types of massage joints.Many of those who come over to the Philippines are looking for those not covered by medical insurance abroad like dental and cosmetic surgery operations. Some 150,000 Americans alone travel overseas to get medical attention in countries whose costs are 25-75% less than their American counterparts.

The costs for knee surgery, rhinoplasty, cataract, tympanoplasty, and hysterectomy , for instance, is much lower in the country than in the USA. Breasts augmentation and coronary bypass is half the cost here than abroad. Eye operation is 3 times and kidney transplant is 6 times the cost abroad compared to the Philippines.The country is competing versus Singapore, Thailand and India in Asia and Brazil and Mexico among Latin American nations.

More than that, the Philippines is also known as the Healing Center of the Far East with its number of esoteric healing practices otherwise known as "alternative medicine."Among them are herbal and non-traditional medicine, pranic and reiki healing, hypnosis, acupuncture , faith healing, massage, herbal medicine, reflexology and the so-called "psychic surgery."

Last February 1, we were able to witness with our own eyes a "psychic surgery" done on a woman by one of the leading practitioners of the craft- by the overseas-based Rev. Alex Orbito at the famed Pyramid of Asia in the pilgrimage town of Manaoag, in Pangasinan.Orbito performed "psychic survery" on a woman and made incisions from her body and drew out of her body what looked like red-blackish body tissue and blood clots. Though blood oozed and "incisions" made, no visible mark were seen on the skin thereafter.

The healing was for some 70 patients in varying degrees of illnesses including those in wheelchairs, the blind, victims of stroke, cysts-ridden, cancer victims and many others.The "patients" were herded into the Pyramid of Asia, a perfectly proportionately-copied pyramid of the famous ones found in Egypt. They were asked to pray to their God with outstretched hands pointed to the trajectory of the pyramid peak and healing was asked for body, mind and spirit.

Orbito removes the several "blockades" to healing and blesses the patients in the name of God for health in mind, body and sprit, The surgical operations would then begin for all believers in a room where anyone can document through video or camera (with the patients' permission of course, Blood and extracted fleshy tissues are mainstays in the Orbito operation.

This psychic surgery has been done by Orbito over 60 countries successfully over five decades and have been approved as scientifically acceptable in many countries like Sweden, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, and the Philippines.I saw "psychic surgery" with my own eyes and listened to direct testimonies of healing (about 80% batting "sucrss" average), some of them with proofs being videotaped and documented via camera.

Orbito only comes to the Philippines twice a year (the next one this Holy Week). He is a star outside the country where Kings of an Arab and a Muslim country were reportedly healed. He was allegedly kidnapped once by a Mafia don to force him to heal his ailing mother.In some despotic countries, absence of healing after the ritual could mean death for Orbito. He reportedly healed former president Ferdinand Marcos of a secret ailment.

Orbito is one among the more than 170 so-called faith healers or psychic surgeons , mostly born in Northern Luzon particularly in the Pangasinan province. Paranormal guru Jaime " Jimmy" Licauco suspects they are part of the lost tribe of the Lemurians- a race that once had incredible powers, intelligence and skills.

The country is also teeming with hilots,one admirable one living in Polangui Albay who can solve bone related troubles leading some bed-ridden patients to walk again through non-traditional means of healing.

A Mindanao native named Warka is another type of healer who has achieved a degree of fame in many countries abroad. Our waters in Los Banos reportedly possess some healing attributes. The Lady of Manaoag continues to attract devotees and had reportedly performed miracles. Long distance healing is now being practiced by some powerfully blessed healers.

Alternative healing has never claimed superiority over western medicine – it is another just another dimension to recovery to make the healing of man holistic.Healing is as old as the Bible - with Jesus and the disciples curing the sick with the touch of their hands as do modern day saints in various ways. Such healing may be faith-based ( and helped by the "power of suggestion")but if the cure is there, why pin blame on anyone?

After all "miracles" as we know them may just be the undiscovered Laws of Nature which God left behind in order to help mankind. Man cannot just label one as evil or fraudulent just because one 's human understanding cannot fathom it.The irony of it all, is that many faith healers and alternative medicine men are more respected abroad than they are in their own land. Often they are chased away as fakes, charlatans and crooks in their own country.Perhaps, it is about time that the country adopts an open mind on this new possible source of medical and wellness tourism -from alternative medicine practitioners.

With our world-class hospitals and cheaper costs of western type of medical operations and a professionally-run "alternative medicine" center or haven with barrios of different specializations, we could still become the "Healing Wonder of Asia" and add to the country's dollar reserve coffers.It is time to cast aside professional jealousy, bigotry, and unhealthy skepticism to the wayside. This may yet give to a new multi-billion dollar sub-industry in the Medical Tourism field.

Source = mb.com.ph