Overview of Medical Tourism Philippines: Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

By: Edwin Paul Magallona, MD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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