Massages have long been an important facet of life in Cebu, one of the many things that makes life here more pleasant than in other countries. Just about every neighborhood has its masahista, a woman who is known to perform massages. She won't have a clinic or a signboard; her neighbors are just aware of her skills and will ask her to drop by whenever they need a massage. Neighborhood masahistas usually charge PhP 120-250 per session, depending on how well you know each other.

The massages here are usually of three types, Swedish, shiatsu, and reflexology. Most often the default massage is Swedish - I've yet to ask a local Swede if the Cebuano usage of this description is correct. In any case, a Swedish massage here involves the application of oil - usually a locally manufactured oil called Efficascent, an embrocation of sorts - and gentle squeezing and stroking. Shiatsu, meanwhile, originally describes the Japanese art of applying pressure to key points using one's fingers, but in Cebu it usually merely means that there is more emphasis on squeezing than rubbing.

Reflexology is basically a foot massage. You usually can opt for a combination of all three, lasting as long as two hours, or just a quick foot massage.

It should be noted that some establishments train their masseuses properly, and others provide just a few hours of cursory instruction. If you do not usually doze off during a massage and are particular about the level of expertise, you'd better go for the more expensive establishments.

In most cases, the Cebuano masseuse - called a masahista - will tend to assume that, as a foreigner, you prefer the pressure to be turned as high as it will go, and she will use every ounce of strength to squeeze as hard as she can. You might find that a tad painful. Here are some phrases which could be useful at a local spa.

Finally it should be noted that there are some massage parlors which are not spas at all but brothels mascarading as spas, and which offer "extra service." These are usually easy to tell. If you are asked to pick your masseuse from a bunch of girls sitting on a bench, you are definitely not in a real spa, and the quality of your massage may be disappointing, unless you opt for the extra service. Such establishments are listed separately on this page, in the pink list. Note also that in virtually all hotels - except those that have a bona fide spa on the premises, such as the Waterfront - requesting a masseuse to be sent to your room will bring you a perfunctory body rub followed by an offer for extra services.

One can't discuss massages in Cebu without mentioning Holiday, the massage center for purists. White coated professionals administer intense massages in a vast, dimly-lit common room, and signs strictly forbid talking. Prices are reasonable. The owner of Holiday also owns one of the largest taxi companies in Cebu, of the same name; to get to get to Holiday the massage center, just flag a Holiday cab. Another place that's been around for a long time is the Leisure Spa.

There's been some competition from the East. A new Korean-owned massage center in Mactan, the Pearl of the Pacific, specializes in reflexology.

Perhaps most exciting of all, a slew of new upmarket spas that seem to be aimed primarily at local wealthy professional women or doas - women with old money - such as Meddah, Sawadee, and Senses. The part-owner and manager of Meddah, Ms Merly Schurch, is a true believer. "Massage is not just physical manipulation of the muscles; there is also an exchange of energy between therapist and client. The client becomes rejuvenated after a treatment because of the flow and exchange of good energy," she gushes. You can even get energy in the form of a sukiyaki beef sandwich at the Meddah. Sawadee, located just a few hundred yards away, is just as, if not even more, classy. Senses, meanwhile, is actually a dermatology center with a spa attached. Services are provided by licensed nurses, a dermatologist, and a physical therapist.

One can't talk about the day spa industry without mentioning Body and Sole, which aims to become the Starbucks of the spa industry. Body and Sole played a large role in getting the spa boom underway, and - coincidentally or not - were the first spa to hire male masseurs, an idea which proved surprisingly popular and is now employed by Grand Royal Spa and a few others. Perhaps there are a lot of neglected wives in Cebu.

Body and Sole is now dishing out franchise licenses and is found at every street corner - there were 18 of them at last count. If I'm not wrong their first outlet popped up on Ramos Street, as a direct competitor for Zen Therapeutic Massage, the original affordable yet classy massage joint which opened in March of 2003. Zen are trying to keep up with Body and Sole, with a new outlet on A S Fortuna. Another Body and Sole imitator is the Grand Royal Spa, with two locations: in Banilad, near the A S Fortuna crossing, and in Capitol Site. Despite the hideous red-and-yellow design, I recommend the Grand Royal Spa as their service and attention to detail is second to none. Another good place - superbly designed and with well-trained staff - is Thewi Thai Massage (across Mango Square) but the Thai style of massage (which involves a lot of forced contortions) may not be to everyone's liking.

There are lots of little spas all across town as everyone and his mother is trying to hop on to the massage spa bandwagon, but few are likely to stay around for long. Some were set up practically overnight, or converted from beauty parlors into spas by changing the sign and adding a few massage chairs and beds. Examples are Tsubo (Osmena Blvd), Banyan Tree Spa (Hernan Cortes), and Raf-Raf (Ayala Access Road).

Whether properly implemented or not, as in any boom, most new businesses won't make it. You may want to try out Cebu's day spas before they ascend to the great day spa in the sky.