Bacolod pushes for retirement and medical tourism

Bacolod City (18 January) -- The Bacolod City Sanggunian amended the city ordinance No. 402 series of 2006 which encouraged the development of special economic zone for information technology parks and buildings to now include retirement villages and medical tourism.

The solons approved the resolution that is aimed at further developing the local economy by encouraging the growth of the retirement and medical tourism industry in Bacolod.

Bacolod Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue and principal author of the resolution said that the availability of economic zones under PEZA is one of the requisites to attract investors to the city.

The retirement and medical tourism are now considered as the multi-million and job generating industries with the potential for growth to cities outside of Metro Manila, Batapa-Sigue added in a press statement.

Retirement economic zone refers to an estate which is highly developed or which has the potential to be developed in accordance with the accreditation standards of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) to have support facilities and services required by the retirement industry.

Retirement ecozone park is an area which has been developed into a complex capable of providing retirement infrastructure and other support facilities such as but not limited to accommodation facilities, health and wellness facilities, sports and recreational facilities required by retirement enterprises, as well as amenities required by foreign retirees with a minimum land area of four (4) hectares.

Retirement ecozone center is a stand alone building which hosts foreign retirees and has been developed to provide support facilities and amenities required by foreign retirees, which shall have a minimum floor area of 2,000 square meters.

The ordinance also defines medical tourism as the travel to the Philippines for the purpose of availing quality but affordable healthcare services or treatment of illnesses and health problems in order to maintain one’s health and well-being.

Medical tourism special economic zone refers to a selected area which is highly developed or which has the potential to be developed in accordance with the standards of the Department of Health (DOH) to have support facilities and services required for health and wellness.

Medical tourism park is an area which has been developed into a complex capable of providing medical infrastructures and other support facilities, in compliance with DOH and DOT requirements, such as but not limited to medical accommodations, wellness centers, spa, health farms, sports and recreational facilities, and rehabilitation facilities required by medical tourism enterprises, as well as amenities required by foreign patients including professional and workers involved in Medical Tourism activities with a minimum lot area of one (1) hectare.

A medical tourism center is either a medical hospital or a stand-alone building that hosts specialized medical clinics and other specialized medical related activities, in compliance with DOH requirements, the whole of part of which has been developed to provide infrastructures and other support facilities required by medical tourism enterprises, and which may also provide amenities required by foreign patients including professionals and workers involved in Medical Tourism activities. Other than a medical hospital, a stand-alone building shall have a minimum floor area of 2,000 square meters. (Batapa