The Department of Tourism (DOT) plans to leverage traditional folk medicine and healing practices to give the local wellness sector a more distinct Filipino identity, a move expected to further deepen its contribution to the economy.

Paulo Benito Tugbang, director of the DOT Office of Product Development (OPD), said the agency is intent on building a Filipino wellness brand that will give the country a competitive edge.

“That's one of the cornerstones of the direction of DOT right now, it's to provide us with an identity that not only can compete but can provide a unique selling proposition compared to our competitors in Southeast Asia,” he told reporters.

Based on data from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) provided by the DOT, the local wellness economy reached $47.4 billion in 2024, equivalent to 10.24 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) that year.

The personal care and beauty sector was the top contributor, with sales reaching $27.91 billion, followed by healthy eating, nutrition, and weight loss at $7.18 billion, and wellness tourism at $3.70 billion.

On the GWI’s list, the Philippines ranked 23rd out of 218 countries worldwide in terms of the value of its wellness economy. Within the Asia-Pacific region, the country ranked eighth out of 45 countries.

Tugbang said leaning into traditional Filipino practices could help the country continue expanding the wellness sector’s economic contributions in the coming years.

“It's more on really pushing the brand that's long been at the back end of the selection because we want to change the behavior. Most of our industries really patronize brands that are not Filipino,” he said.

For instance, he noted that a customer should not walk into a wellness facility only to see foreign massage therapies as the top offerings. Instead, local establishments should promote homegrown varieties, such as hilot.

“We always think that local brands are lesser than international brands. So this is where we want to really pivot the mindset of our industry,” Tugbang said.

While consumer preference remains the biggest challenge to growing traditional offerings, Tugbang said modern consumers are showing increased interest in natural and culturally authentic wellness products and services.

This shift is expected to create opportunities for companies to develop products that celebrate Filipino heritage while meeting contemporary standards.

“That's why at DOT, we're very fast and furious about building our Filipino brand of wellness because we want to have an edge amongst our competitors,” Tugbang said.