At Sheraton Cebu: Wellness heals people – and the planet

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MANILA, Philippines — When Thel Abiera was a young boy of around six or seven years old, his grandmother, who was suffering from an ailment affecting her cervix, taught him to caress her lower back while dabbing it with an ointment she concocted herself – manzanilla or chamomile-infused oil and camphor-based alcamporado.

“Every evening she felt my energy as my small hands massaged her,” Thel recalled.

Little did Thel’s lola know that she was already planting the seeds of healing in Thel’s young heart, and small hands.

He would grow up with a passion for wellness.

Thel became a professional spa and wellness specialist, with over 20 years of experience in the Philippines and beyond.

Since August 2023, he has been the Spa and Recreation manager at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort, a five-star, Michelin Guide-listed resort on Mactan Island, Cebu.

He is responsible for developing and executing integrated spa programs and curated guest activities across multi-facility operations.

Along the way, he elevated the first Sheraton Spa in the APEC region into a wellness benchmark.

In his role, Thel promotes specialized therapies, oversees pool and beach operations and manages the fitness center, among other tasks.

He brings to Cebu his vast experience in the wellness industry not just in the country but also in Macau, Doha, the United Arab Emirates and as far away as Seychelles.

It was only through a chance encounter that I met Thel during a recent stay at Sheraton Cebu.

As a yoga practitioner, I signed up for a sunrise yoga session, one of the many activities the resort offers its guests.

I was in Cebu for coverage in the city but I wanted to squeeze in some time for yoga and other activities when the schedule allowed.

Unfortunately – or rather, fortunately – the cloudy weather that particular morning was not quite conducive to sunrise yoga at the beach. I proceeded to the Sheraton Spa to check if my session had been rescheduled or cancelled.

It was there that I met Thel. He welcomed me and, to my pleasant surprise, I saw an enticing setup with a yoga mat, singing bowls and crystals. I realized this was going to be even better than sunrise yoga.

As it turned out, I would later experience a deeply relaxing, and profoundly visceral sound healing session with a bit of yoga facilitated by visiting global wellness guru Lotte Edwards.

In sound healing, carefully produced sounds and vibrations are used to promote a sense of calm and deep relaxation. Lotte gave me that and so much more.

She will have more collaborations with Sheraton in the coming months. I am glad I chanced upon her during my visit.

My session, which may have lasted more than an hour, was comforting, peaceful and trance-like. I am glad I signed up for it.

I told Thel that it was almost like a spiritual experience.

That, he said, was his goal – for every guest to have a “grand monastic experience.”

And yet, the sound-healing activity is only one of many activities that Sheraton Cebu offers its guests.

INAT

I also had the chance to try INAT, a cultural wellness experience developed by Thel and his team.

INAT, which literally means “stretch,” is a nod to Cebu’s heritage that honors its people, traditions and stories.

It was held in the resort’s fitness center and facilitated by fitness instructor Paolo Tanggapan, who was full of energy and enthusiasm as he guided me throughout the session, which is a bespoke yoga-like experience with dancing and Arnis, an indigenous combat method.

This is a brief description of INAT, according to Sheraton Cebu:

“Blending wellness with cultural storytelling, the experience begins with a self-manual lymphatic drainage massage and guided breath work to promote detoxification and mental clarity. Guests then move through sequences inspired by the traditional dances of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao before incorporating techniques from Arnis, the Philippines’ national martial art, fostering resilience, endurance and balance.”

It was my first time to experience it, including Arnis itself.

The journey concludes with a guided meditation accompanied by Lemlunay, a traditional T’boli prayer of blessing that offers a moment of spiritual healing and reflection.

Sustainability practices

Aside from the wellness activities, Sheraton Cebu also gives its guests the chance to become ocean stewards through its sustainability efforts.

I learned about this during a chat with Ruby Nepomuceno, multi-property director of sales and marketing.

At Sheraton Cebu, sustainability is not simply a program operating behind the scenes, she said.

It is thoughtfully woven into the guest experience, transforming a holiday into an opportunity to make a positive impact.

There are several ways guests can do this, for example.

Families can participate in one of the resort’s sustainability activities.

Guided by the resort team, guests learn about the delicate marine ecosystem that thrives beneath the waters surrounding Mactan Island. Both adults and children discover how coral reefs serve as vital habitats for marine life and why their protection is essential for future generations.

Guests can also take part in fish house-building and coral-planting initiatives that support the resort’s Marine Sanctuary Management Program.

Each coral fragment planted represents a meaningful contribution to the rehabilitation of Cebu’s marine environment, Nepomuceno said.

For many visitors, it is their first hands-on experience with conservation.

And for the reefs that surround the island, it is another step toward recovery.

Nepomuceno said that such sustainability experiences allow travelers to connect with the destination beyond its beautiful beaches.

In the past, there was no marine life in the beach fronting the resort, but through Sheraton Cebu’s efforts, there’s now a vibrant life underwater, which guests also enjoy through activities such as the underwater safari.

Cultivating sustainability, one harvest at a time

Both the sound healing session and the INAT made my stay at Sheraton Mactan memorable enough, but Ruby and her team shared with me that the resort also embraces sustainability practices in the preparation of its food.

Sustainability can be found in unexpected places, even within the resort’s vibrant buffet offerings at 5 Cien.

Guests may notice fresh lettuce growing through an on-site hydroponic system.

More than a visual feature, the initiative demonstrates how innovation can support responsible hospitality.

“By growing produce closer to where it is consumed, the resort reduces transportation-related carbon emissions while providing guests with fresh, healthy and chemical-free ingredients. It is a simple yet impactful example of how thoughtful choices can contribute to a more sustainable future,” Sheraton said.

From farm to table, every harvest represents the resort’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint while enhancing the guest experience, it added.

These sustainability practices are guided by Marriott International’s sustainability commitments and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

I spent a few days at Sheraton Cebu but it was enough for me to see that the resort, owned and operated by the Cebu-based AppleOne Group, has heeded the calls for purposeful travel and tourism.

The resort proves that hospitality and sustainability can coexist, creating experiences that are not only memorable but meaningful.

My visit to Sheraton was a chance to embrace wellness amid a routine of chasing deadlines and the hectic daily grind.

But I also learned that every stay in the resort becomes part of a larger sustainability journey – the kind that leaves a purposeful impact long after guests have returned home.

Here, wellness heals guests and in many ways big and small, the planet, as well.