Also known as HWONFEX, this business and consumer gathering focuses on holistic health, wellness tourism, and more!

The Health & Wellness Confex (HWONFEX) organized by Mblessed Travel and Marketing Inc. stands as the premier B2BC platform for holistic health, wellness tourism, and integrative wellness infrastructure in the Philippines. Serving as an official ASEAN side event, it unites government frameworks with private enterprise to champion the best of integrative, traditional, and modern healthcare across regional borders.

Integrated within the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Health & Wellness Industry Cluster, the summit builds directly upon the Bangkok Conference and the ASEAN Health & Wellness Tourism Policy Framework and Roadmap (guided by Kenan Foundation Asia). It serves as an operational platform to unite regional stakeholders, government regulators, and the private sector to bridge structural gaps and localize regional visions into market action.

 The summit focuses on three actionable areas to capture a larger share of the global wellness market:

● Driving Investment into the Wellness Value Chain & Ecosystem: Capitalizing on a 14% growth in local wellness real estate to cater to the aging global silver economy through harmonized BOI-SIPP, TIEZA, and Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) visa policies.

● Advancing Demand-Driven Value Chain Integration: Connecting isolated agricultural, manufacturing, and healthcare silos to tap into the $1,096 billion global healthy eating and nutrition market via DOH, DTI, DA, and DOT collaboration.

● Elevating Competitiveness via ASEAN Plus Two Benchmarking: Benchmarking against South Korea and Japan’s advanced medical tech and digital health frameworks, increasing local JCI/ISO accreditations, and launching the “Recuperate in the Philippines” model.

 Program Highlights: Day 1 Summit (September 4, 2026)

● High-Level Opening Protocol (09:15 AM): Welcome remarks by DOT Secretary Maria Bernardita “Dita” Angara-Mathay, keynotes by DSWD Secretary Rexlon Ting Gatchalian and PCCI President Perry A. Ferrer, and a support message from ASEAN BAC Philippines Chairman Jose Ma “Joey” Concepcion III.

● Plenary Sessions: Led by global wellness expert Dr. Prem Jagyasi, Dr. Wichai Limpitikranon (Kenan Foundation Asia), and PCCI Vice President for MSMEs Ms. Melanie C. Ng.

● Key Panel Discussions:

○ Panel I: Driving Investment into Philippine Wellness Value Chain & Ecosystem (Moderated by Ms. Catherine B. Turvill; featuring officials from PRA, PEZA, TIEZA, and the Embassy of Malaysia).

○ Panel II: Advancing Demand-Driven Value Chain Integration (Moderated by Ms. Relly Fajardo; featuring leaders from BOI, DA, DOT, FDA, and PITAHC).

○ Panel III: The ASEAN Plus Two Roadmap – Benchmarking Regional Strategies and Synergy (Moderated by Dr. Mildred Vitangcol; featuring global benchmark experts from South Korea and Japan, alongside regional leaders from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia).

● Action Pact 2026 Signing (03:30 PM): Official signing ceremony with ASEAN Ministers of Tourism, Health, and Trade Attachés, witnessed by the PCCI Executive Board.

● Closing Valedictory: Remarks delivered by Mr. George T. Barcelon (ASEAN BAC PH), H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn(Secretary-General of ASEAN), and Dr. Panita Shinawatra (OSMEP).

 

Program Highlights: Day 2 Masterclasses & B2B Hub (September 5, 2026)

● Opening & Welcome (08:00 AM): Remarks by Vikki Aquino (WeTAP/Okada Manila) and Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang (DOT).

● Dr. Prem Masterclass (Part 1 – Morning): Focuses on Global Patient Acquisition & Real Estate Matrix, covering international patient acquisition blueprints, digital marketing visibility, the medical travel patient journey, and longevity real estate licensing feasibility.

● B2B Sourcing & Networking (10:45 AM – 01:30 PM): Pre-scheduled 15-minute morning buying rounds followed by a Hosted Buyer Sourcing Luncheon.

● Dr. Prem Masterclass (Part 2 – Afternoon): Focuses on Contract Architectures, Sourcing Pipelines & Tech, exploring medical tourism facilitator models, integrating traditional healing modalities into modern luxury resort spas, and AI-powered personalization and predictive body diagnostics.

● Afternoon B2B Meetings (03:15 PM – 06:00 PM): Concludes with pre-scheduled afternoon buying rounds.

Media FAQ: Anticipated Questions & Answers

Q1: What makes this summit different from previous tourism or healthcare conferences in the region?

● Answer: Unlike high-level conceptual conferences, this summit operationalizes the ASEAN Health & Wellness Tourism Policy Framework directly into local market actions. It features concrete cross-agency harmonization (BOI, TIEZA, PRA, DOH, DTI, DA) and culminates in the Action Pact 2026 Signing by ASEAN ministers and attachés.

Q2: How does the Philippines plan to capitalize on the global “silver economy”?

● Answer: With local wellness real estate expanding by 14%, the country is actively harmonizing investment incentives and retirement visa policies (SRRV) to build long-term care homes, eco-retreats, and specialized memory/mental health care communities in underserved regional destinations.

Q3: How will local MSMEs and farmers benefit from this initiative?

● Answer: Through Demand-Driven Value Chain Integration, the summit connects isolated agricultural producers and local manufacturers directly to international wellness and health tourism markets, supported by expanded cold chain infrastructure, food processing tech, and streamlined FDA regulations to capture a slice of the $1,096 billion global healthy eating market.

Q4: What is the significance of the “ASEAN Plus Two” benchmarking panel?

● Answer: To overcome local healthcare worker migration and infrastructure constraints, the Philippines and ASEAN are actively benchmarking against the advanced digital health systems, big data analytics, and regulatory frameworks of South Korea and Japan to build international trust and launch the “Recuperate in the Philippines” post-treatment care model.

Q5: What can attendees expect from Day 2?

● Answer: Day 2 transitions from macro-policies to practical execution through intensive masterclasses led by global wellness authority Dr. Prem Jagyasi, alongside structured B2B matching and buyer-sourcing rounds designed to connect global operators with local suppliers.