EL NIDO, Palawan — Sunrise yoga, a sunset sound healing session and meaningful conversations about living well turned Lihim Resorts El Nido into a wellness gathering from Sept. 18-20. The resort joined the 10th edition of World Wellness Weekend.

The three-day celebration, themed “Connect, Recharge, and Turn Your Wellness ON,” centered on a Wellness Day that welcomed guests, local communities, advocates, practitioners and the resort team. It unfolded amid the natural setting of Palawan.

Sunrise Yoga and Sunset Sound Healing in El Nido, Palawan

The Wellness Day opened with a collective sunrise yoga session led by Donnela Mabbayad. Participants were invited to slow down, move together and start the morning in connection with themselves and their surroundings.

Throughout the day, discussions and activities explored how personal well-being relates to environmental stewardship and community. The forest, the tropical air and the sea became part of the program, according to organizers.

As the day closed, participants gathered for a sunset sound healing session led by Marla Ramos. The experience brought the community together in stillness as the sun set over the El Nido landscape.

Wellness Tourism in the Philippines: Community, Staff and a Global Movement

Wellness conversations were facilitated by Wellgather, a social wellness experience platform. The sessions gave local people, advocates and community initiatives a space to share work supporting both human and environmental well-being.

“Wellness becomes more meaningful when we experience it together,” said Andrew Walsh, deputy general manager of Lihim Resorts. He said the event was a reminder that “healing is not only personal, it can also be communal and regenerative.”

Lihim also concluded the celebration with a wellness activity for its staff and internal community. The activity reinforced a central message of the weekend: rejuvenating the people behind the wellness experiences.

Panari Spa by Lihim Resorts, the property’s signature wellness sanctuary, was also in the spotlight. The resort says the spa received Travel + Leisure’s Best Spa in the Philippines recognition and spearheaded its wellness programming.

The Lihim event was part of World Wellness Weekend Philippines 2026, supported by the Department of Tourism, the Department of Health and the Wellness Tourism Association of the Philippines (WeTAP). Activities took place nationwide.

World Wellness Weekend is an annual global pro bono initiative held on the third weekend of September. Its 10th edition reached 185 countries, 1,626 cities and 11,992 participating venues, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.

The Philippine celebration was led by co-ambassadors Marla Mae Ramos, founder of Wellgather, and Cybille Barcebal of Araw Hospitality Group. Together, they work to connect practitioners, brands and communities in a Filipino wellness movement.