Visually-impaired trainees prepare for massage therapist licensure exam

THE Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) II in barangay Labangon, Cebu City is preparing its visually impaired masseurs and masseuse for the upcoming massage therapy licensure examination through rigorous review and training.

Recently accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) as a training institution for massage therapy, AVRC II is complying with the requirements under Presidential Decree 856 or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines that all massage therapists must have a license from the Department of Health Committee of Examiners for Massage Therapy (CEMT) before applying their actual practice.

Thirty-five persons with disabilities (PWDs) will take the examination this month, of which 26 are unschooled and nine are high school graduates.

“Dili tungod kay PWD ug non-high school ko mahimu ning babag sa akung pag-asenso (Not because I’m a PWD and non-high school, I will not prosper),” said Ronald B. Marikit, a 23 year-old blind masseur.

All examinees will undergo written, oral and practical tests.

The examination is based on the reference manual for massage therapy made by the CEMT.

It consists of different modules, namely Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology and Pathology, Fundamental Concepts of Massage Therapy, Application and Practice of Massage Therapy.

“Ganahan ko nga makakuha ug lisensya isip usa ka masahista ug ma-improve pa akung skills (I want to get a license for massage therapy and further improve my skills),” Marikit said.

AVRC II is  a vocational training center operated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas that offers various courses to PWDs, such as therapeutic massage, motor rewinding, basic electronics, dressmaking, carpentry, commercial cooking and cosmetology.