I often get this question a lot–whether from prospective students or just the general public: “What is your career as a Professional Aromatherapist in the Philippines?”
When I talk about aromatherapy in the Philippines, the normal reaction I get from Filipinos abroad is that: “There’s aromatherapy in the Philippines?” paired with a wide-eyed gaze as if I they heard something of rocket-science.
To be honest, the Philippines has a rich history of using plant medicine–this is why the Filipinos have what we call as manggagamots (healers) and albularyos (herb doctors). The earliest written account of the Filipino use of medicinal plants dates back during the 1600’s. However, researchers say that the Filipinos have been using medicinal plants way back before the Spanish colonization era and could be influenced by Chinese traders.
Fast forward to today, backed with more research and evidence-based data, we can now further our desire to learn more about these integrative health practices as a formal study.
Truth is, taking up your formal education in aromatherapy opens up a door of possibilities. Here’s a simple diagram showing you the possible career path you can take after you have taken your Level 1:
To give you a more concrete example, let me take you to my personal journey and the things I have been a part of since becoming a Certified Aromatherapist in 2019.
Back in 2018, I decided I wanted to formally study as a Certified Aromatherapist. It was a personal decision as I developed asthmatic symptoms from rescuing animals. Back then, there were no schools available in the Philippines, barely any essential oil companies available for me to source for my coursework, so I had to search for reputable schools from abroad and buy each and every essential oil bottle from overseas. Hence it was a lot more costly to study then.
Fortunately, for our new generation aromatherapists, the Aromatherapy Institute of the Philippines, in partnership with The School for Aromatic Studies in the US (the school where I got my Level 1 Certification and Teacher Training from!), has opened its doors in 2022 and made it more accessible for Filipinos to become certified.
As a Community Educator
Shortly after finishing my Level 1, I was given opportunities to teach at various companies, schools, lifestyle stores, malls, and etc. to talk about aromatherapy. I remember having a monthly teaching schedule in some of these establishments.
I remember getting a full house every time. I get so hyped up before each class as I look forward to meet a new batch of essential oil enthusiasts and we would quash a few aromatherapy myths together as they learn how to make aromatherapy products with me.
In 2018, I was also invited to be part of the media event of a luxury skincare brand. I was invited to concoct custom essential oil blends that would compliment the new skin care product that was being launched. I remember it being such a big thing for me.
I mean, it surely was a big event, held at the penthouse of one of the most expensive hotels in the metro, with over 50 attendees ranging from celebrities, influencers, beauty editors, and etc.
I truly felt like a small fish in a big pond. I remember I have barely gone through my Level 1 at this point, yet here I am, doing all this for a prestige brand. Luckily, I didn’t let my impostor syndrome get the best of me and I just powered on.
In the same year, I was given my first opportunity to talk in a huge crowd–I did a live aromatherapy demo at the Glorietta Activity Center with my face projected behind me for the mall-goers to see!
In 2019, I had more opportunities to work with different companies–this included educational institutions like Xavier School (secondary education) and the College of Saint Benilde (tertiary education). I was also invited to teach for an SM Mall, the leading retail superstore in the Philippines.
Shortly after, I was invited to speak about Animal Aromatherapy in a Robinson’s Mall. At this point, I can confidently say I am comfortable in handling a class as small as 5 people or even up to an audience of 100.
These days, I get invites to talk about aromatherapy at international aromatherapy schools and professional aromatherapy organizations, whether in person or online.
The pandemic has led companies to prioritize their employee’s work-life balance. Thus, workplace wellness programs suddenly became in demand. I was also at the forefront of providing online aromatherapy, self-care, and meditation classes to communities like Better Filipinas, ADB, and Pascual Lab to support this advocacy.
It was also during the pandemic when I was given the opportunity to present to a group of OB-Gynecologists during their annual medical convention. I remember presenting about Aromatherapy and Self-Care at the Mid-year convention of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines.
2021 was still at the height of the pandemic and everyone was still stuck in the limbo of the lock-down here in the Philippines. I really wanted to give the Filipino people a gift and decided to organize the first Philippine online aromatherapy summit with various speakers from all over the world. 
This was the first of its scale to ever happen in our country. To this day, I am eternally grateful for all the Aromatherapy Giants and speakers who agreed to participate in this mini project of mine.
Since then, I have been invited to speak at various international aromatherapy conferences online like:
This year, I look forward to meet the international audience once again through the Botanica 2024 as I talk about the Philippine calamansi (Citrus microcarpa) oil.
As a Key Opinion Leader (KOL)
Like I always say, there’s an advantage to being the first. As one of the pioneering Aromatherapists in the country, I feel truly blessed for being recognized as a credible resource in the industry.
In 2022, I was invited to participate in Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Consultative Dialogue, along with other KOLs in the Philippine aromatherapy industry. This is to give a better perspective on the current aromatherapy landscape in the Philippines as a practitioner and an educator.
I was also invited to partake in Botanica2022 Educators Roundtable discussion and at the Alliance of International Aromatherapist (AIA) 2023 Conference Panel discussion, both of which were hosted by esteemed international aromatherapy groups who are paving the way to uphold high ethical standards in the professional aromatherapy practice and education.
When time permits, I don’t mind being a guest in various podcast shows focusing on aromatherapy, its practice, and speaking about our current Filipino aromatherapy landscape.
I hope you find this post as a testament to what’s possible. I hope it serves as an inspiration for future Filipino aromatherapists. If you’ve been on the fence whether or not you should pursue your passion in aromatherapy by taking the leap onto the Level 1 Certification, drop a line below and share with me your inhibitions. I’d love to hear it!
In Part 2, let me share with you my Aromatherapist journey as a practitioner (with clientele) and perhaps we can talk about the business side as a botanical formulator here in the Philippines.
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