Competitiveness of the Philippine medical tourism industry: Its legal and business components

Date of Publication

2007

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Business Administration

Subject Categories

Tourism | Tourism and Travel

College

Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business

Department/Unit

Management and Organization

Thesis Adviser

Jaime O. Umali

Abstract/Summary

Executive Order No. 372 (EO 372) was issued to promote medical tourism as one of the Philippines’ globally competitive industries. Medical tourism was touted as a new dollar-generating industry that could greatly help our economy; primarily on account of the revenues that medical tourists could bring to the country and the services that they may avail while staying here. Also, it may help reverse the brain drain in the medical profession since medical professionals may opt to remain in the country if the industry becomes lucrative due to possible influx of foreign patients. Based on an exploratory case study, the Philippine medical tourism industry has at least three (3) distinct advantages, namely: 1) competent and highly skilled pool of medical professionals 2) the Filipinos’ renowned brand of care; and 3) cost-effective medical procedures. All these make the Philippines a competitive player in the global medical tourism industry. Other than EO 372, the Philippines has not yet come up with specific pieces of legislation on medical tourism although some of them are now pending in the legislative mill. EO 372 mandates the Task Force to develop policies and strategies; to implement activities aimed at promoting medical tourism in the country; and to create the capacity and the competitiveness of the medical tourism industry to cater to the global market. For these purposes, EO 372 vi gathered representatives from the public sector and the private sector. The former is composed of Secretary Peter Favila from the Department of Trade and Industry, Undersecretary Jade del Mundo from the Department of Health, and the Assistant Secretary Cynthia Carrion from the Department of Tourism while the private sector is ably represented by Ambassador Cesar Bautista. For the time being, the Task Force is the country’s vehicle in the global rat race on medical tourism. It is a mere stop-gap measure; a temporary remedy while a direct law on medical tourism is still wanting. It is submitted that the Task Force is a gathering of the right people whose expertise are needed to steer the growth of medical tourism in the country. It is a collaboration between the public sector and the private sector; where the ideas held by one party are needed by the others to come up with effective and well-rounded strategies. As a result of this collaboration, the Task Force managed to gather twenty-seven medical tourism-related establishments in the country’s first-ever Medical Tourism Expo in January 2007. Such positive response from those establishments speaks of the Task Force’s capability as the country’s main policy-determining body on medical tourism. Moreover, the Task Force also conducted a three-state promotional tour in the United States of America intended to promote the Philippines as an ideal destination for medical tourism. vii Nevertheless, certain issues remain unresolved insofar as improving the country’s competitiveness in medical tourism. Three years had passed since the issuance of EO 372 yet the issues on insurance portability and visa extension remain as the country’s stumbling blocks in becoming a globally competitive destination for medical tourism. In fact those two issues are on top of the other matters which must be addressed before medical tourists consider the Philippines as their destination. These matters are as follows: infrastructure, access, peace and order, and emigration of our medical professionals. Despite the noble intentions of EO 372, the fact remains that it is merely temporary or as adverted to above, a mere stop-gap measure to improve the country’s competitiveness in medical tourism. The interviews conducted as part of the methodology of this study revealed that the Task Force itself has no funds of its own. Also, it is obvious that the members, particularly those from the public sector, are already saddled by existing duties in their respective departments. Moreover, the Task Force has no staff or personnel who can help it accomplish its mandate. All these hamper the efforts of the members to effectively carry out their tasks of improving the country’s competitiveness and in enticing medical tourists to undergo treatments in the country. Given the Government’s persistent and serious effort to cash in on medical tourism, institutionalizing a Medical Tourism Board is, therefore, viii imperative. This way, the Philippines will have a full-fledged agency or instrumentality that could pave the way in cultivating or enhancing the country’s competitiveness in medical tourism.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Accession Number

CDTG005189

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F Henry Sy, Sr. Hall

Keywords

Medical tourism—Philippines; Medical tourism—Law and legislation—Philippines

Embargo Period

6-5-2023

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