In due time

Egay Uy . 

AMONG the major undertakings of the Regulatory and Complaint Board this year will be the minimization if not total eradication of the reported extension of “extra service” by some massage clinics or spas. We intend to do this either through the sole efforts of the RCB and its Inspectorate Team, or with a forged collaboration with the CDO Health and Wellness Association Inc. under Ms. Tanya Gustilo Cano.

The CDO-Hawai is an organization of spa operators in the city which made representation with the city government through Mayor Oscar S. Moreno regarding the implementation of regulatory provisions that cover their kind of business.

Aside from this, the organization also made its way to the city council and secured an accreditation as a local special body, in addition to its reported registration by the Department of Tourism as an accredited organization.

One objective of CDO-Hawai is to level up the services of its members and project clean and honest-to-goodness massage and spa services to clients.  This organization will be a big factor in attaining the ultimate objective of totally eradicating “extra service” from these businesses.

I am not saying that every spa or massage clinic extends extra service to clients, but as long as there are reports of this activity, the probability is exists that the service is still being done.

Upgrading the status of the massage clinic and spa attendants has become possible with the licensing by the Department of Health of massage therapists, and the provision by the Tesda of skills training of masseurs and masseuses through the national certificate program where those who pass the training are conferred the NC-II certificates.

These are positive developments towards ridding massage clinics and spas of extra service.  Through an effective collaboration with the CDO-Hawai, the objective will be highly attainable.  The end in view of making this sector in the business community selfegulating will not be far-fetched.

Extra service, needless to state, is illegal.  By engaging in paid sex, the partners will be into prostitution which is illegal and punishable under existing laws. I know that the City Health Office is also on the alert to safeguard the public health against sexually transmitted illnesses.

The RCB is repeatedly appealing to the public, the masseurs, masseuses, and to clients of massage clinics and spas to report any solicitation or offer of extra service.

In due time, the RCB will be recommending the closure, either temporarily or permanently, of businesses that do not comply with regulations.

(Egay Uy is a lawyer. He chairs the City’s Regulatory and Complaint Board, co-chairs with the city mayor the City Price Coordinating Council, and chairs the city’s Joint Inspection Team.  He retired as a vice president of Cepalco.)