The Department of Tourism wants a six-month medical visa to help promote the Philippines as medical travel and wellness destination.
A committee on health, wellness and medical tourism includes people from the Department of Health, Board of Investments, Department of Foreign Affairs, and DOT, is discussing the possibility of granting a medical visa to foreigners.
The medical visa concept targets medical tourists from the USA, Canada, Indonesia, Pacific Island nations, Palau, Guam, Middle East, and Australia.
The country is competing with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan for all these outbound markets.
The Philippines has a few customers from the Middle East for executive check-ups, but most medical tourists are returning overseas Filipinos.
The DOT partners with Philippine Airlines (PAL) and a plan is to encourage insurers and medical professionals from Papua New Guinea, which lacks hospitals, to send patients to Manila.
The local government seeks to develop the potential of the city of Davao as a medical tourism destination by building specialised medical facilities such as cancer centres and retirement villages.
Davao City Investment Promotions provides incentives for investments in health and wellness facilities including hospitals and retirement villages.
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