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Mar 24, 2013

Cagayan de Oro's Street Masseuse

Poor Man's Spa
A visit to Cagayan de Oro is not complete without trying out its staple offering, street massage, along Divisoria on any evening. You'd see the masseuse and masseur lined up from near the Coralles St. end of Divisoria to the Capistrano St. end. They are numerous, representing different associations. To mention some, there is the G-Touch, Touch and Relax, Fatima, etc. The service is priced for the masses - P50 for the lower body, P50 for the upper body, and P125 for a full body massage, lasting up to 1.5 hours. As you walk along its stretch, you see people from all walks of life - the middle class, the tourists, dressed-down rich folks, etc. It's probably the most democratized section of the CDO.

P50 Rub Down
If I'm not in a hurry, I usually take time out for a relaxing lower body massage. At P50 for a 30 minute rubdown, you can't find a better deal or a bigger bang for your buck. In one of my massages, I asked the lady if I could interview her for my Random Lives section. She said yes. Score!

Name:	Rose Tumampos
Occupation:	street masseuse
Cellphone no.:	0925.864.4695 (home service available)
Hours:	4:30pm to 1:00am daily
Location:	Divisoria, that long rectangular park system flanked by Tirso Neri St. and RN Abejuela St. (Rose's post is in front of Mr. Donut and from the other side, in front of Greenwich Pizza)
Rate:	in Divisoria, it's P50 for the lower body, P50 for the upper body, and P125 for a full body massage, lasting up to 1.5 hours. However, if it's a home service or a hotel visit, it's P300 for a full body massage
Years on the Job:	just 8 months
Average Pay on a Slow Day:	P350.00 (specially if it's raining)
Challenges:	other massage givers 'stealing' others' clients...which is the common cause of animosity between massage givers
Training:	6 months training fully funded by the local government under Mayor Emano's livelihood program, with guaranteed spot in Divisoria after the training period
Special Mention:	Here in Cagayan de Oro, there are no 'kotong' cops (corrupt police) who prey on street merchants. There is also no extortion gang demanding protection money from these massage givers.

Ending Thoughts
I've seen this offering in other parts of the country (Dumaguete on the Boulevard), but nothing like an established cottage industry like here in Cagayan de Oro. I applaud the mayor's initiative in giving livelihood to these people, and in so doing, carving out a niche for the city's tourism efforts and also making massage an affordable diversion for people looking for relaxation. It hits to many nerves positively, it's genius!

--- TheLoneRider

ps - If you want me to objectively cover the features of your city or municipality or barangay for this website (fiesta, waterfall, mountain trail, lake, river, cave, food, islands, beach, etc.), email me.

Cagayan de Oro Blogs by TheLoneRider

Goodbye Cagayan de Oro Jan 31 - May 5, 2013
Summer Peace Festival 2013, Cagayan de Oro Apr 26-28, 2013
Visiting Maria Christina Falls, Iligan Apr 24, 2013
Del Monte Roast Beef and Pineapple Apr 21, 2013
Exploring Sumalsag Cave Apr 21, 2013
Abundance and Letting Go Apr 5, 2013
Cagayan de Oro's Street Masseuse Mar 24, 2013
Cagayan de Oro - the City of Golden Opportunities Mar 19, 2013
River rafting along Cagayan de Oro River with Great White Rafting Mar 7, 2013
Adrenaline Rush at Dahilayan Adventure Park Mar 2/3, 2013
Abundance in Cagayan de Oro Feb 10, 2013
Cagayan de Oro Mar 7-9, 2009

More Travel Info About Cagayan de Oro

approve The following people like this:

Sherwin Lemon

Vando Francisco

Reader Comments:

JD Lara
(Oct 20, 2013) Glad to see that particular post of yours on Divisoria's masseuses! Hubby and I have been looking for cheap rub-downs in the city and didn't know about them -- and we've been living in Manolo for 2 years now!