The Mainit Springs in Barangay Montaneza, within the Philippine municipality called Malabuyoc, has been transformed into a tourist attraction, nine years after the Department of Energy issued a report saying the natural waters were ideal for spa resort development.

In 2005, the Department of Energy reported that the location of the hot springs was ideal for development, since Malabuyoc is near other tourist resorts in the neighbouring towns of Moalboal, Badian and dolphin sightseeing points at Tañon Strait.

While the report found that the heat generated by the springs, situated 126km (78 miles) south of Cebu City, was too low for power generation, it was deemed hot enough for eco-tourism and domestic purposes.

It took eight years before the municipal government decided to organise the community that would run the eco-tourism destination, according to news site newsinfo.inquirer.net. The Malabuyoc municipal government, with the Department of Tourism, has now labelled the hot springs as Cebu’s version of Japan's onsen baths.

The Mainit Springs has three pools of differing degrees of heat. The biggest pool, leading to the Montaneza river, is the hottest pool – whose water temperature is 44°C (111°F). The second smaller pool has a temperature of 36°C (99°F) and the smallest pool is 38°C (100°F). Both of the smaller pools are located in the centre of the Montaneza river.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the warm water could stem from hot volcanic rocks underneath the river, a magma chamber below the river system, or a fault line connected to the nearby island of Negros Oriental where most geothermal plants are located.

Residents of Malabuyoc have been organised and trained as trek guides, massage therapists and maintenance personnel. Mainit Ecotourism Association now has at least 35 members, all of whom are local residents.

The Global Spa and Wellness Summit (GSWS) has identified hot spring spa development as a key trend for the wellness industry. Chair and CEO Susie Ellis has urged national tourism bodies all over the world to classify and capitalise on each country’s individual natural wellness offerings.