Medical Tourism in the Philippines - Philippine Institute for ...

control the dangers of poorly regulated stem cell therapy in the country. Its President hasexpressed the view that “the recent guidelines released by the FDA will not stop theproliferation of stem cell therapy for ailments that were not subjected to scientific study orclinical trials” (Tubeza, 2013).C. Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty ClinicsThe Philippine Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (PAPRAS) is the onlyorganization that accepts fellowship training in its field. Fellows then undergo certification by thePhilippine Board of Plastic Surgery. The top hospitals have available state of the art technology in plasticand 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 inmedical tourism. Specialist clinics in cosmetic surgery and care include Belo Medical Clinic, Beverly HillsMedical 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 asabroad. Many of the cosmetic and dermatological clinics are located in malls and heavy-traffic urbanareas and are patronized mostly by upper- and middle-class households as well as medical tourists.D. Dental ClinicsThe Philippines is known in the dental field because of Filipino dentists abroad as well as its 17dental 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, dentalcosmetics, orthodontics – braces and dentures – and teeth whitening. The Philippine Dental Associationhas a dental tourism committee that has actively created its market. Many dental practices (e.g., SacredHeart, 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 dentalservices and strict sterilization procedures.Dental tourism is getting more geographically diffuse compared to the other segments ofmedical 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 areendorsed by Treatment Abroad, an influential U.K. tourism website, U.K. being the source origin ofmany dental tourists. The industry appears focused on procedures that can be done quickly (five days orshorter); some target to “fly in, fly out” clients. The most common procedures appear to be dentalinlays, 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, ElsieFloreza, Marlon O. Lajo, Vinson Pineda, Sylvia Huang, Jasmin Jamora, Rino Lorenzo, Atoy Manalo, FilomenaMontinola, Isabel Nazal, and Margaret Plaza-Corcoran.30