MANILA, Philippines – HINIKAYAT ang Southeast Asian countries na paigtingin ang pagtatrabaho at magtatag ng isang single “wellness identity” para makuha ang lumalagong USD6.8-trillion global wellness economy.
Ipinanawagan ito ni Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Ferdinand “Perry” Ferrer habang binuksan ng bansa ang Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Health Tourism & Wellness Economy Summit sa Pasay City, araw ng Biyernes.
“Collaboration means 11 nations choosing deliberately to stop competing for the same investor or the same visitor, and instead to build something greater than any one of us could build alone: a wellness identity that the world recognizes as unmistakably, proudly ASEAN,” ayon kay Ferrer.
Binigyang diin ni Ferrer ang pangagailangan para sa “convergence” sa hanay ng ASEAN states, sabay sabing ang kinabukasan ng wellness economy ay hindi na nakakulong lamang sa ‘spas at supplements.’
Winika nito na maaaring madaliin ng ASEAN ang “harmonization of standards and sharing of data and best practices.”
“The boundaries that once separated our sectors are dissolving before us. Healthcare converges with hospitality. Nutrition converges with technology. And mental well-being converges with public policy,” ang tinuran ni Ferrer.
“When our entrepreneurs move across economies in extraordinary scale, we will unlock economies of extraordinary scale —one capable of generating hundreds of billions of dollars,” aniya pa rin.
Muling inulit naman ni Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian na ang ASEAN ay “well-positioned” para magamit ang mga oportunidad mula sa health tourism at hinikayat ang mga stakeholders na manghikayat pa ng mas maraming investment sa wellness value chain.
Si Gatchalian, nagsilbi rin bilang ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) chair, ay nagpahayag na ang health at wellness sector sa Pilipinas lamang ay nakalikha ng USD5.5 billion noong 2024, na may medical tourism accounting para sa USD1.2 billion.
“These figures represent only a portion of the region’s potential. With continued collaboration, we can turn this growing demand into new opportunities for our people,” anito.
Sa kabilang dako, sinabi naman ni Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim na ang PIlipinas, bilang 2026 ASEAN chair, ay committed na isulong ang regional health na aniya’y “resilient, sustainable, equitable, and people-centered.”
“A healthy population is better positioned to weather crises, capitalize on opportunities, and make a genuine contribution to our region’s growth,” ang sinabi ni Herrera-Lim.
“Together, with a unified vision where ASEAN wellness is accessible, communities are empowered, and every person has the opportunity to live a healthier and more meaningful life, expanding to future generations, we build an ASEAN future where health is not a privilege but a shared birthright,” aniya pa rin. KRIS JOSE
