The Philippines is seeking to strengthen its position in the regional health and wellness tourism market as government and industry stakeholders promote the country as a destination for wellness, medical services and retirement.
The push is being led by the Health, Wellness and Nutrition Festival and Expo (HWONFEX), which will be held on September 4 to 6 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, with a wellness festival and fun run at the Quirino Grandstand on the final day.
Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Roberto Z. Zozobrado said health and wellness initiatives are increasingly important as more foreign nationals choose the Philippines as their retirement destination.
“The main mandate of our agency is to attract foreign nationals to retire in the Philippines, spend the rest of their golden years here in our country,” Mr. Zozobrado said during the HWONFEX and HilomX 2026 Preview and Media Conference.
The country currently has about 86,700 foreign retirees, while daily applications for retirement visas have risen to around 25 from 15 previously, he said.
Mr. Zozobrado said the Philippines’ growing retirement market presents an opportunity to capture a larger share of the global retirement industry, which he estimated to be worth $70 trillion.
He said wellness is a key consideration among retirees when choosing where to settle.
“When they settle down in a new country… they are very concerned about their health and their wellness. So if we have events like this, I’m sure it can keep them busy,” he said.
Foreign retirees also cite the Filipino culture of hospitality and care as among the reasons they choose the country, Mr. Zozobrado said.
“We take care of our retirees as if they’re part of our family,” he said.
Former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo said the Philippines could further expand its share of the global health and wellness market by leveraging its skilled professionals, English proficiency and culture of service.
“The Philippines can be more than a destination for beaches and adventure. We can be a destination for healing, for wellness, and medical excellence,” Ms. Tulfo-Teo said.
She said health and wellness tourism had been incorporated into the National Tourism Development Plan during her tenure at the Department of Tourism, covering wellness retreats, alternative medicine, medical services and other holistic health offerings.
The country’s affordability, quality of care and hospitality could also make it attractive to international visitors seeking health and wellness services, she said.
Department of Tourism representative Paulo Benito S. Tugbang said the agency considers health and wellness tourism a priority tourism product and views events such as HWONFEX as platforms for greater industry collaboration.
“Travelers today are no longer simply looking for places to visit. Increasingly, they seek experiences that allow them to rest, recover, reconnect, and enhance their overall well-being,” Mr. Tugbang said.
He said the Philippines has the natural resources, cultural traditions, medical expertise, hospitality and human capital needed to compete in the global health and wellness tourism market.
HWONFEX, an official ASEAN side event, is expected to bring together government agencies, businesses, international buyers and other stakeholders to develop partnerships and connect Philippine health and wellness enterprises with international markets.
The event will also feature HilomX, a platform focused on traditional and complementary healthcare, including Philippine organic products and hilot-based wellness practices.
Mr. Zozobrado said the convergence of wellness and retirement tourism could help the Philippines build a more complete proposition for foreign visitors who are looking not only for leisure but also for accessible healthcare and wellness services.
The initiative comes as countries across Southeast Asia seek to capture a larger share of the growing health and wellness economy by combining tourism, healthcare, hospitality and retirement services.
For the Philippines, industry stakeholders said stronger coordination between the government and private sector will be crucial in turning the country’s existing advantages in hospitality, healthcare and human capital into sustained international demand. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba
