The Current Status and Issues of Massage

Abstract
This report shall focus mainly on the general situation of the visually impaired who engage in the massage trade.   
Basically, it shall discuss statistical data, historical development, remunerative benefits, legal aspects, training programs and the significant changes we have adopted as a result of participating in the JICA scholarship grant.

This study shall also discuss the reasons why up to this time, the general concept about therapeutic massage in the Philippines has been limited and geared towards relaxation, prevention and rejuvenation purposes alone and why is there is a need to elevate our massage training programs for the visually impaired into a purely therapeutic and rehabilitative oriented course with strong emphasis on western medical concepts.
It shall also discuss the various factors that hinder the development of the visually impaired who engage in the massage trade.   
Finally, as part of our commitment to JICA, we shall also provide information concerning the on-going implementation of our consolidated plan of action in order to minimize if not totally eliminate the obstacles that we have identified in this study.  

BASIC DATA ON PARTICIPANT’S COUNTRY

Total estimate of population: 86 million
Estimated number of disabled person: 8.6 million
Estimated number of visually impaired: 1.5 million - 3.5 million
Estimated number of other physical disability: 6.71 million
Estimated number of visually impaired massage practitioners: 2,000
Estimated number of visually impaired Registered masseur: 300
Estimated number of visually impaired massage attendants: 1,700

GENERAL SITUATION OF THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE CONDUCTED BY THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Historically, since the early 1960s the massage service industry in the Philippines has been considered open to all with and without visual impairment.

Massage clinics own by non-visually impaired persons have existed since then, when the concept of massage related services was introduced to the visually impaired as an alternative occupation in the 1960s.

Specifically, in 1967, the Kawanis Club of Makati, a private group that engages in civic activities, conducted the first training program for the visually using Swedish massage.

A small number of visually impaired persons were given the opportunity to undergo training and were able to work at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila as regular masseurs.

Three years later, due to the success of the training, the National Vocational Rehabilitation Center (NVRC), formerly the Office of the Vocational Rehab, considered the massage trade as one of the most lucrative vocations for the visually impaired and integrated it as one of its regular courses.

Initially, there was just one short term course that NVRC offered to blind clients who wanted to have basic skills in Swedish massage and shiatsu but due to increasing demand, the course was elevated a one-year vocational course.

Since then, engaging in massage related occupations has become the primary source of income for many visually impaired persons.

Basically, visually impaired individuals and self-help groups venture into the massage industry through either self or open employment. Self-employment simply refers to freelancer masseurs or entrepreneurs who operate massage booking offices or massage clinics while open employment refers to masseurs or massage attendants who work within the above-mentioned establishments.

However, during the late 1990s, the massage demonstrations in shopping malls was first introduced to the public by the Apolo Leonor, a visually impaired masseur who leads a self-help group for and of the visually impaired in Manila.

His concept of promoting massage skills of the visually impaired closer to the people through massage demonstrations was recognized by the management of Virra Mall, which granted his request for an open space inside the mall free of charge for a certain period of time.

This approach became a phenomenon and transformed the traditional passive clinic type approach of the blind to a more productive, dynamic and accessible form of trade that is responsive to the needs of the public.
Since then, most self-help organizations for the visually impaired that don’t have financial capacity adapted the same approach in obtaining free space in prominent shopping malls while other organizations with greater financial capacity have ventured into formal massage clinics as regular tenants.

Currently, massage clinics and massage demonstration activities owned and operated by the visually impaired in prominent shopping malls has proliferated throughout metro Manila and in neighboring provinces.

In terms of remuneration, the income of a visually impaired engaged in the massage service industry usually diverged on the roles or privileges that they have within their respective organizations. However, on average, a visually impaired masseur or massage attendant who charges Php 350 to Php 500 per massage service may be able to receive Php 10,500 to Php 15,000 per month or approximately Php 144,000 per annum. This estimate of earnings of the visually impaired engaged in relaxation massage is considered above average compared to other low-wage earners.

With respect to legal considerations, there are two prominent laws that govern the therapeutic massage industry: Presidential Decree 856, known as the Code on Sanitation for Massage Clinic and Sauna Bath establishments and Republic Act 8423, known as the Alternative Medicine Law.

The first law pertains to all matters concerning massage clinic operation and to all masseurs, massage attendants, sauna bath attendants and other similar entities and practitioners while the second law pertains to the official recognition of massage as one of the 15 alternative modalities in providing primary health care.

Both of these laws are observed by visually impaired entrepreneurs and masseur and massage attendants in a competitive manner without any exemption or special privileges.

In terms of training, the visually impaired acquire minimum levels of competency in therapeutic massage through training centers under the control of government organizations and non-government organizations.