A LONGEVITY CLINIC has just opened at the eco-luxury wellness resort The Farm at San Benito, offering solutions to reverse symptoms of aging and chronic disease on a cellular level.
The Tulsi Wellness Club, a California-based regenerative medicine center founded by Dr. Christian Jacob Del Rosario, leads the newly opened program. (Regenerative medicine refers to the practice of replacing cells to restore normal function, better known as stem cell therapy.)
The center has chosen to expand in the Philippines — which happens to be Dr. Jacob’s homeland — because it has “potential to be a premier medical destination in Southeast Asia,” the doctor said during a press tour of the facilities.
“Following the values of The Farm, we want to create a very grounding, beautiful experience for our patients who are going into longevity services. We’re helping people age gracefully,” Dr. Jacob explained. “By integrating our therapies into this luxury environment, we get to really treat holistically the person that’s in front of us.”
He later told BusinessWorld that Tulsi Wellness Club decided to partner with The Farm because of its reputation as a leader in the holistic medicine industry, promoting “proactive wellness measures rather than the conventional reactive healthcare system.”
Though the highlight of their system is the stem cell therapy that was developed in their lab in Utah, the core of the regenerative treatment is still a consultation that takes a deep dive into all aspects of the client’s health.
This is where Dr. Marian Alonzo and the rest of The Farm at San Benito’s healing experts come in.
HOLISTIC CAREDr. Alonzo, the resort’s medical chief, told BusinessWorld that consultations dig into all aspects of a patient’s health: emotional, mental, spiritual, and even community and lifestyle habits.
“When you make a decision to prioritize your health, you do it for the long haul. We as doctors have to go back to the individual, to help them with their treatment goal and the ways we can help their commitment to it,” she explained.
While it is normal for people to come to the sprawling Lipa, Batangas complex to relax, as with other spa-adjacent resorts, The Farm at San Benito ultimately offers the science-based longevity clinic for members who want to be serious about their health.
It is located at the resort’s Holistic Medical Sanctuary which has technologies for diagnostics and detoxifying include microbiome analysis, heavy metals screening, colon hydrotherapy, a sensory deprivation pod, and intravenous (IV) drips.
Depending on the doctor’s assessment and the patient’s decision, the option of Tulsi Wellness Club’s regenerative medicine can be explored in the treatment journey.
Stem cells have been a buzzword for decades, but most treatments have only been available to the elite, Dr. Jacob told BusinessWorld, but its healing potential can be “a solid bedrock for healthcare.”
“Our vision here is to make this more accessible by producing more research, so we can assist the Department of Health in leading this industry and setting the standard of what regenerative medicine is,” he explained.
Armed with his US background, where various labs and clinics are spearheading regenerative medicine, Dr. Jacob observed that the Philippines will have to catch up, being over a decade behind what is happening elsewhere.
SHIFTING MARKETDr. Alonzo said that the resort has seen its demographics shift, from mainly foreigners to more locals, over the past 20-plus years.
“Filipinos are understanding that we have something like this in the country, that we don’t need to travel to find optimal health,” she explained.
Patients with chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and various forms of cancer have come to The Farm seeking solutions. Others come for a reboot amid the lushness of nature, finding peace for their mental wellness.
She claimed that 90% of chronic illnesses are caused by underlying mental health issues, a notable one being the mind-gut connection. “When we look into that along with regenerative medicine, we get to the root cause,” she said.
For Dr. Jacob, Tulsi Wellness Club’s expansion into The Farm is not just about providing stem cells for rich people; it’s an expression of trends in regenerative medicine: biohacking and longevity.
“We use our understanding of medicine to support how the body heals itself,” he said. “At the end of the day, the body is very intelligent. It knows exactly what to do. So, you add in The Farm’s different therapies like hyperbaric oxygen rooms, infrared saunas, the vital dome, colon cleansing, all of which repair the body on a cellular level.”
He explained that the different therapies are a way of “using our understanding of the body to biohack it to an optimal state.” With stem cell therapy, new cells are introduced to replace the old ones that were detoxed, adding vitality was how it was explained.
“Our goal is to prove that the Philippines can establish itself as a leading medical and tourist destination,” Dr. Jacob said.
Tulsi Wellness Club’s flagship longevity clinic is located at the Holistic Medical Sanctuary of The Farm at San Benito, Lipa, Batangas. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
