Plugging into a circle of wellness

For most of my professional life, I have lived and worked within the broader sphere of wellness. From the early days of co-founding ECHOstore — creating green wellness products rooted in community sustainability — to running and teaching yoga and meditation for more than a decade at EchoYoga, and continuing my life counseling and soul destiny readings for 38 years, wellness has always been a personal calling that has sometimes crossed into my professional path. 

Now, that journey has deepened and taken root in the sacred slopes of Mt. Banahaw, where my team and I have been running the Banahaw Circle Nature Retreat — a Department of Tourism Mabuhay accredited homestay for healing, stillness and the remembrance of our connection to the living Earth.

Banahaw, long revered as a mystical mountain, stands as a natural temple of energy. Its waterfalls, forests and ancient springs have been places of pilgrimage and purification for generations. 

Living and working here has opened a deeper awareness in me — how sustainability, culture and spirituality can weave together into a living practice of wellness. 

We are developing sustainable tourism projects like nature walks, rooting traditional hilot training, crafting herbal and nature-based products, preserving the local cultural practice called the Pamumuesto, and holding space for retreats that allow people to reset, reconnect and remember who they are. 

In many ways, Banahaw represents a living circle of wellness — one that begins with the self and expands to include community, culture, nature, and the spirit.

Recently, I felt the need to plug this work into a larger network — to be part of an industry circle that shares this same vision. And so, I chose to join WeTAP, the Wellness Tourism Association of the Philippines, a young and dynamic three-year-old organization led by my friend, Cathy Turvill. 

WeTAP is passionately advocating for the Filipino brand of wellness. It is an advocacy that seeks to define and uplift what “Filipino wellness” means in the global context. And for me, this feels like a natural connection, a coming full circle in my lifelong work of sustainability and wellbeing.

At its core, WeTAP aims to strengthen the country’s wellness tourism industry by connecting practitioners, resorts, educators and entrepreneurs who share a vision of holistic health. It works to establish standards, promote ethical and sustainable practices, and give voice to the wellness sector as an integral part of the country’s tourism development.

Globally, this vision is in perfect alignment with one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry today. The global wellness tourism market has been expanding rapidly, driven by travelers who are no longer satisfied with surface-level vacations — they seek holistic wellbeing, preventive health and immersive experiences that nurture body, mind, and spirit. According to GlobeNewswire (2025), the global wellness tourism segment was valued at $954.11 billion in 2024 and is projected to rise to $1.68 trillion by 2030, with an annual growth rate of about 9.9 percent. Emerging trends include nature-based travel, personalized wellness experiences and a stronger focus on mental and emotional health. This global shift reflects how travel today is viewed not just as leisure — but as an investment in health and longevity.

This rising demand for wellness is not surprising. There is a yearning for grounding and re-alignment. Across the world, people are grappling with the physical and mental imbalances brought about by our fast-paced, technology-driven lives. The overstimulation of social media, the increasing disconnection from nature, and the pressures of global uncertainty give rise to wellness travel and holistic health practices that have become antidotes to this imbalance. 

And so, when I attended WeTAP’s 3rd General Members’ Meeting held at Treston International College (who sponsored this year’s event), I felt an expanding sense of hope and belonging. The event was both a gathering and a convergence of stakeholders who are helping shape the future of wellness tourism in the country. As a Philippine-based international school for Tourism and Hospitality Management, Treston International College has long envisioned contributing to the local economy and uplifting Filipino talent as global changemakers. 

During the meeting, Treston Deputy president Sheryl Genuino-See shared how their institution will expand its mandate to collaborate with WeTAP to establish the Treston Wellness Institute Network (WIN), a platform integrating wellness education into the academic curriculum. She stated how the local wellness tourism industry is shining brighter than ever.

Quoting a mid-year newspaper report, she said that the country’s wellness economy is now valued at $43.3 billion, making us one of the top 10 wellness markets in Asia. Meanwhile, the Global Wellness Institute ranks the Philippines eighth in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting a 19 percent growth in the spa industry and over 2.7 million wellness travelers in 2023.

Through this initiative, Treston aims to address immediate industry manpower needs, provide training programs for aspiring wellness professionals and leaders, and begin wellness education at the grassroots level. This was warmly supported by Director General Teresa Inigo of the Department of Health’s Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) who was likewise present.

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but feel excited for the next generation. For the youth who will become the next wave of wellness professionals, there now exists a growing ecosystem that supports their calling. And it is a very welcome direction to address the skills and brain drain of this industry. We must continue to root for our Filipino wellness identity through skills training enhancing what has always been our natural strength: our heart, our warmth, creativity and deep respect for life. 

Now that my heart and hands are deeply planted in Banahaw, I see even more clearly how wellness, sustainability and spirituality can no longer be seen as separate worlds. They are one continuum, one circle that sustains us all. And as I start this group journey with WeTAP its all good — because together, we are growing a movement that not only heals individuals but also reawakens our shared humanity.