REINVENTING THE RETIREMENT RESORTS

REINVENTING THE RETIREMENT RESORTS

If we are serious about competing in the global market for foreign retirees, we must first accept a simple truth: you cannot sell what you do not have. Just like in tourism, where the foundation of the product is the “hotel room,” in the retirement market, the product we should be selling is the retirement resort. Without an inventory of retirement resort rooms, we have nothing concrete to offer, no matter how aggressive the promotion.

The problem is that retirement living is still lumped under “tourism.” But is it really tourism? Not at all. Tourists come to visit, retirees come to stay. A retiree is not a temporary guest but a potential resident, someone who will invest the rest of their life here. Shouldn’t that merit a category of its own?

Of course, the entry point might look like tourism. A prospect may come first as a tourist, attracted by beaches, golf courses, or even “medical tourism.” They might try out a wellness spa or a sports facility. But then, once they see the lifestyle, the affordability, and the community, they begin to think: “Why not live here permanently?”

That’s where we miss out. While countries like Thailand already have retirement villages and care resorts that feel more like boutique hotels than hospitals, we are still scrambling to classify retirement under the Department of Tourism, without the physical infrastructure to back it up.

What we need are purpose-driven retirement communities—not just places to “grow old,” but places to live fully. The global trend is moving away from passive care facilities toward vibrant, resort-style living. Imagine retirement villages with yoga studios, art workshops, community gardens, aquaponics for food, and even intergenerational learning hubs. Retirees are not necessarily sick when they move in. Many are still healthy, active, and looking for purpose. Only later, as the years pass, will they require more medical care.

Shouldn’t we prepare now for this?

Consider the opportunities:

·       Returning overseas Filipinos who have savings and want to invest in micro-enterprises.

·       Foreign retirees who are looking not just for affordable healthcare, but also for lifestyle, community, and meaning.

·       Local barangays that could benefit from new jobs and circular economies if they host eco-villages or farm-based resorts.

I can imagine a barangay-scale retirement eco-village where waste is turned into modular housing, gardens provide both food and therapy, and retirees mentor the youth in farming, crafts, or even digital skills. Why not combine a retirement resort with a farm school? Why not make it both a livelihood hub and a wellness community?

We already have some legal basis. The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) was created by Executive Order No. 1037 way back in 1985 to promote the Philippines as a retirement haven. The Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) provides retirees with indefinite stay and privileges. The Expanded Senior Citizens Act supports the creation of senior-friendly environments. In theory, the framework is there. But where are the retirement resorts?

Without actual resorts, how do we expect to convince foreigners to relocate? Can we really compete with Chiang Mai, where retirement villages are flourishing, or with eco-villages in Spain and Turkey?

The PRA itself has admitted that despite our popularity as a tourist destination, there is a “noticeable lack of dedicated retirement facilities.” This shortage is not a weakness—it is an opportunity. Investors are already building large-scale projects, like a retirement township in Cebu. But why wait for mega-developments? Why not start small? Why not pilot barangay-level models that blend resort-style living, healthcare access, and sustainability?

Even existing condominiums could be converted into retirement resorts, provided they are retrofitted for accessibility and linked to medical services. Some SRRV-accredited condos already serve as retirement residences. With the right partnerships, this could be expanded nationwide.

The bigger point is this: we must stop treating retirement living as an afterthought of tourism. Retirees are not “visitors.” They are future residents, investors, and community members. They want to be part of something larger than themselves, not isolated in hospital-like wards.

So here is my challenge: when will we reinvent retirement resorts in the Philippines? Will we wait until Thailand, Vietnam, or Malaysia takes the lion’s share of the market? Or will we seize the chance now, while we still have time, to build not just retirement facilities, but real communities—where aging is not about decline, but about living with dignity, activity, and purpose?

The choice is ours.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

10-31-2025 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES? When we talk about the crime rate in the Philippines, we often assume that the figures we see are accurate reflections of reality. But have we ever paused to ask—how exactly is the crime rate computed? Where does this data come from, and how reliable is it? The computation of the crime rate in the Philippines is officially handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The formula itself is straightforward: Crime Rate = (Total Reported Crimes / Total Population) x 100,000 This simple equation gives us the number of crimes per 100,000 people, allowing for fair comparison across regions and time periods. However, the reality behind these numbers is more complex than it appears. Data from the Ground The foundation of our national crime rate is empirical data collected at the grassroots level—from individual police stations scattered across the country. Every reported crime is logged in local police blotters, forming the buil...
Read more

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS Dear Mr. President: May I ask who is going to be the arbiter or referee whenever there are overlaps in functions between two or more government agencies? I imagine that there would be no problem if these agencies would just cooperate and collaborate with each other, but what if they are unable to settle their differences and they would just end up throwing blame at each other or finger pointing at each other? Allow me to cite some examples. Who is supposed to take the lead in waste to energy projects? Is it supposed to be the DENR that is supposed to handle waste? Or is it supposed to be the DOE that is supposed to handle energy generation? Or is it supposed to be the DILG since it is the one that could direct or influence the waste to energy projects of LGUs? Who is supposed to take the lead in producing and promoting the use of biofuels? Is it supposed to be the DA, since the production of biofuels is supposed to be all about planting biofuel ...
Read more

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES As it is supposed to be, anyone in the Philippines should be able to dial 911, and a telephone operator should be able to dispatch fire, rescue, ambulance and police (FRAP) units as soon as possible, based on acceptable response times. I invented the FRAP acronym for easy recall, and I hope it sticks, if there is no other alternative. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of technical and political reasons, the Philippines has not adopted 911 as a national number, because some LGUs would rather use their own three-digit numbers such as 117 and 168. I actually proposed a technical solution to that problem, but it was not adopted either. For whatever it is worth, my solution is to install a call forwarding system that could route all calls to a central operator, regardless of what number is dialed. It is very sad for me to know that up to now, even if our country is already over one hundred years old, there are still many LGUs that do not have fire trucks. it ...
Read more