Health and wellness council help push rating accreditation

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Health and Wellness Council (CHWC) is moving towards pushing for a formal standardization of the spa and wellness sector in Cebu and will be working closely with the government agencies in implementing the rating accreditation of industry players, as well as convince local government units to scrap the high taxes imposed on spa operators.

In an interview with Nelia Navarro, one of the prime movers of the CHWC, and provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry Cebu Provincial Office (DTI-CPO), she said that the group will lobby for the amendments of the Cebu City government’s ordinance, which requires spa operators to pay amelioration tax, in which some players pay as much as P100 thousand a year.

This is because the spa industry is included in the entertainment category, not in the health and wellness sector, Navarro said.

She added CHWC had been advocating for the amendment of such ordinance, and sent a formal request letter to the Cebu City government.

At present, this issue is also being taken up in the SMED (Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Development) Council.

According to Navarro, Cebu should take a serious move in developing the potential sector. Aside from helping the players to operate with lower operational cost, she said CHWC will also work with the Department of Tourism and Department of Health (DOH) for the call of implementing proper ranking for Spa operators.

CHWC is a private sector-led coalition of industry stakeholders that promotes the health and wellness tourism in Cebu.

The group is represented by champions from different sub-sectors in the broad health and wellness industry, such as hospital/medical services, dental services, Day Spas, Resort Spas, hospitality, and travel and tours.

Also, Navarro expressed agreement with Spa players seeking for the proper ranking of Spa services in Cebu to properly standardize the quality of service and pricing.

Earlier, Spa At Cebu chain president Johnny Siao, called the attention of the concerned government agencies to provide classification or ranking for the Spa outlets in order to professionalize the spa and wellness sector in Cebu.

After-all, he said Cebu is being positioned as the center for health and wellness in the country.

“Everybody uses the name spa. We should protect its name,” Siao said adding that in Cebu, where it is pursuing a bid to be a preferred health and wellness destination, proper classification of spa centers is needed.

Although, there is an existing ranking or accreditation of Spa operators required under the new Sanitation Law at the DOH, Navarro said there is also a need to partner with these two agencies (DOH, DOT), to realize this bid.

Under the joint clustering program of the DOT and DTI, Navarro said the two agencies are now looking at the concerns of the health and wellness sector in Cebu.  (FREEMAN)