The Philippines’ hospital laundry sector is poised for expansion, as key players from across the healthcare laundry value chain gathered for the Senior Leaders’ Roundtable: Elevating Philippine Hospital Laundry, hosted by Is It Clean on May 15 at Makati Shangri-La.

The Philippines’ hospital laundry sector gathered on May 15 for an industry roundtable organized by Is It Clean

Organized by Engr. Romeo Apolega, President & CEO of Is It Clean, the roundtable brought together sustainability advocates, linen rental providers, industrial laundry operators, and equipment and chemical suppliers to discuss the sector’s pressing issues and untapped potential.

The highlight of the event was a talk by May Raquel “Rackie” Estaniel, one of the country’s foremost experts in hospital laundry, who shared best practices from Qatar, Singapore, and Malaysia, emphasizing opportunities the Philippines can adopt to raise standards and efficiency in healthcare linen management.

Rackie Estaniel is one of the Philippines’ leading healthcare laundry experts

“This is a great first step in aligning our progress towards the same direction and ensuring that the industry keeps on improving and developing,” said Apolega, whose industry experience stretches back for 52 years. “It’s rare for industry players to sit down and talk about shared challenges and opportunities together.”

Apolega, alongside fellow veteran laundry consultant Chito Pelayo, also provided a historical overview of the Philippines’ hospital laundry sector, tracing its evolution from the 1970s to the present. Discussions explored key issues such as outsourcing vs. on-premise laundry, infection control, sustainability, and the growing demand for linen rental services.

Engr Romeo Apolega, SSChE, FChE brings over 52 years of industry experience in industrial laundry in the Philippines

With the public hospital laundry market in Metro Manila alone estimated at 40 tons daily, participants agreed that the sector is ripe for innovation across the Philippines, with concessionaire models and medical tourism cited as catalysts for growth.

Paolo Abellanosa, Managing Director of Is It Clean, added, “One common problem we’ve noticed is the lack of formal education in healthcare laundry. Is It Clean will soon be rolling out the first healthcare laundry-focused training program in the Philippines.”

Is It Clean is a leading cleaning & laundry industry consultant and trainer. Its signature program – The Laundry Masterclass – has trained over 500 executive housekeepers, laundry managers, and business owners in laundry, housekeeping, and cleaning leadership.

The Roundtable was also attended by Amrinder Sethi, Country Lead, Diversey Philippines; Glenys Arizo, President, Kalinisan Chemicals Corp; Jen Boncay, Founder & CEO, Kyzen; Mellany Zambrano, Founder & CEO, Sabon Express and Sabon Express Laundry Hub; Rommel Panganiban, CEO, MRP Textile Care Co; Carlo Mauricio, President & CEO, Universal Commercial Corp; Josh De Leon, Co-Owner, Dalisay Linen and DLL Industrial; May Panganiban, Managing Director, MRP Textile Care Co; Dave Mariano, Circular Business Manager, Integrated Waste Management; Sabrina Tsai, VP for Product Development, Medtecs Material Technology Corp; Genaro Santos Castro Jr., Regional Sales Manager, Alliance Laundry Systems; and Ralph Tioco, Sales Manager, Medtecs Material Technology Corp.

The event marks a critical step toward a more professional, sustainable, and future-ready healthcare laundry sector in the Philippines.