Wellness tourism at Kape kag Isyu's 16th year




Wellness tourism 


Today's resource persons are owners managers of spas or "wellness centers" in Iloilo city. 


Ms. Beverly Lopez's Kasanag Wellness Center specializes in traditional Bisaya "hilut" that utilizes warm banana leaves and hot stone therapy. Ilonggos go to the traditional hilut to treat their fever or painful muscles and joints.


Vina Hanada's Face Value and Facial Care Spa Center not only serves as massage clinic but also as beauty saloon of sort because its services include facial massage that stretches wrinkles and removes dead skin from the foot.




Another resource person, Jeffrey Celiz, political liaison officer of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has a suggestion for city hall to help Iloilo's budding spa business by including them and their employees in its tourism promotion guides and flyers. 


For one, the sector may organize and create its directory or lists of members for the convenience of their clientele.


The two spa owners welcome the suggestion. "Wellness tourism is a new field which attracts travellers to visit a place just for that," says Lopez.


Face Value's masseuses and masseurs are available for hotel and home service.


However, Kasanag does not go into room or home service it "disrupts the ritual." Its session begins with a warm foot bath. Other features of the massage include draping the back with warm banana leaf or other leaves, and later, placing of warm stones on accupuncture points in two symmetrical rows. The warm leaf and stones induce sweating expulsion of fats, which is "slimming while resting".






After the talk show, we repaired to the in house restaurant of Hotel del Rio for lunch in celebration of Kape kag Isyu's 16th anniversary, with friends from the local media.

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