RP ‘hilots’ as next tourist attractions?

If you think "hilot" is a fast-disappearing healing art practiced only in the provinces, think again.

Hilot and other traditional Filipino healing practices are now being eyed as the country’s next major attraction for foreign tourists, aside from internationally renowned destinations.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the government and the private sector are now promoting hilot and traditional healing practices as a unique Philippine experience.

Using his hands, a hilot or traditional bonesetter or masseur massages the muscles to rid a person’s body of "lamig" or cold that is supposed to cause illness or pain. This healer also uses his skill — some say it is literally a gift given by God — to return "displaced" joints, nerves or blood vessels back where they belong.

Durano said tourism officials and industry players believe hilot and "dagdagay," a type of foot massage from the Mountain Province using bamboo sticks, could make the Philippines the leading health and wellness destination in Asia.

While Indonesia may boast of its spa tourism — where visitors fly in strictly for the variety of relaxation treatments — the Philippines could offer its unique, alternative healing treatments to tourists.

He said the Philippines joined the recent annual International Tourism Expo, wherein representatives from the travel industry showcased the two local healing practices.

"The Philippines highlighted the event with the Filipino style of healing and a large number of visitors flocked to the Department of Tourism (DOT) booth," Durano said.

He added that the show closed with the Philippines posting a record-breaking 20-percent increase in the number of trade and public visitors.

Meanwhile, the DOT reported that at least 77 foreign tour operators are coming to the country this week to attend the fifth Philippine Travel Exchange to be held in Crown Plaza Galleria in Manila.

Durano said the event is expected to boost the government’s campaign to attract 2.5 million foreign tourists this year.

Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager Robert Dean Barbers expressed confidence that the country could attract more than 2.5 million tourists this year if the political crisis is resolved soon.

Barbers said the country enjoys a growing number of tourist arrivals but the Philippines could have attracted more foreign travelers if it was not beset with political problems.