Certifying massage therapists is important
I take exception to the issue of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III urging the Department of Health (DOH) to go easy on the requirements for licensing massage therapists (News, 1/4/18).
It is but right that the DOH imposes restrictive requirements as so many spas are sprouting all over the country.
Tesda has very minimal charges. For example, MCTI-Tesda (Muntinlupa City Technical Institute) charges P300 only for an entire massage therapy course. If one takes the NC2 (National Competency 2) to earn licensure, one pays P750 which is refundable upon passing the exam. This license is renewed every five years.
I agree with the DOH that spas and massage clinics should hire only certified massage therapists, that untrained hands could cause catastrophic results, and a wrong massage can lead to stroke or bone damage especially on scoliotic clients. An untrained therapist will not know contraindications on clients who cannot use some other forms of massage therapy.
I know of a well-lit, clean spa with no “extra service” offered that has been opened for several months and no DOH official has visited it. Which just goes to show that a thorough inspection of businesses is not done.
Let’s look at Thailand’s massage industry as an example. Do we want to go the same path? The Philippines is the only country in Asia where HIV is on the rise. Do we want to accelerate this trend further?
CARMEN BUNIEL, [email protected]
