Belo's Success Story - Dr. Vicki Belo and the Belo Medical Group

BELO'S SUCCESS STORY

VICTORIA G. BELO, M.D

THE SUCCESS STORY THAT IS BELO

She has proven to be top of mind when it comes to the specialized field of cosmetic surgery, with the Belo Medical Group, which has established itself as an esteemed medical institution for the past 20 years.

She has pioneered liposuction in the country and has been doing her significant share of boosting Philippine medical tourism. With the help of her growing roster of celebrity talents, she has likewise propelled the Belo Medical Group to the forefront of cosmetic surgery.

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Noted cosmetic surgeon and "Doctor to the Stars" Vicki Belo has been working hard to realize her vision of turning the Philippines into the beauty capital of Asia. "I want everyone in the Philippines to look beautiful, one person at a time," she says.

Indeed, becoming beautiful is no longer a dream today. This is why the over-achiever in Dr. Belo doesn't seem to stop.

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Lording over her specialized industry for over two decades, this "Ambassadress of Beauty" is considered even by the country's top businessmen as a successful entrepreneur.

Dr. Belo began her medical practice as a resident doctor at the Makati Medical Center for one year and then studied for another year in Bangkok. When she returned in 1990, she opened her first clinic at the Medical Towers in Makati.

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Starting in a cramped, 44-square meter area, Dr. Belo admirably managed to expand her beauty business. Today, the Belo Medical Group has nine clinics strategically located in Manila and accessible to a wider number of people - Tomas Morato and Trinoma in Quezon City, Greenhills in San Juan, Medical Plaza, Rustan's and Greenbelt Residences in Makati, Mega Atrium in Mandaluyong, Alabang-West Gate and Podium in Ortigas.

In March 2009, Belo opened its first clinic in the Visayas at the Ayala Center in Cebu.
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The Belo Medical Group is the first ambulatory surgical center outside the hospitals, certified by the Department of Health (DOH). The clinics employ a staff that includes doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, facialists, management and administrative personnel.

Dr. Belo obtained her Bachelor of Science (pre-medicine) from UP Diliman in 1978 and completed her Degree of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Sto. Tomas in 1985. She later got her Diploma in Dermatology in 1990.

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from the Institute of Dermatology in Bangkok, Thailand. Her resume further states she is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the International Society of Cosmetic Laser Surgeons and the American Society of Lipoplastic Surgery. She is the only Filipino doctor in the faculty of American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), a premier medical organization with over 5,000 members.

In the Philippines, Dr. Belo pioneered tumescent liposuction and the Aptos Thread seamless facelift.
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Her field of specialization includes advance techniques in phlebology from the Pauline Raymond-Martimbeau Vein Institute; dermatologic surgery from Scripps Clinics in San Diego, California; cutaneous laser surgery from Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and skin rejuvenation and laser surgery from St. Francis Memorial Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California.

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In 2007, Dr. Belo branched out into TV production with "Belo Beauty 101," a 30-minute beauty and medical tele-magazine program which aims to attract a global market for the Belo Medical Group. Now on its fifth season on The Filipino Channel (TFC) and catering specifically for Filipinos abroad, "Belo Beauty 101," emphasizes that the clinic's equipment, treatments and services are at par with international standards. It also seeks to promote Belo as the premier destination for medical tourism in the region.

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The program couldn't have come at a more opportune time when the Belo Medical Group merited an international recognition it rightfully deserves. Also in 2007, Dr. Belo's extensive experience in the medical field earned her the enviable citation from Thermage International as the number one doctor in the world who has performed the most number of Thermage procedures.

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The global award was both an honor and a dream come true for the Belo Medical Group and proves that Filipino doctors are now at par with other international medical practitioners when it comes to cosmetic dermatology. With the award was a $10,000 grant for the clinic for marketing and research.

Dr. Belo further reaches out to the average Filipino wage earner. In addition to facials, peels, nose lifts, liposuctions and breast augmentations,

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her offerings now include the more affordable Belo Essentials, a skin care whitening product line catering to the mass premium market.

In keeping up with the renowned thrust of the Belo Medical Group, Dr. Belo justifies her globe-trotting reputation by catching up on the latest trends in anti-aging and buying new equipment and laser machines for cosmetic medicine.

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She has become a popular and in-demand speaker in medical conferences abroad (Istanbul, Guam, Georgia, Milan, California, Paris, Milan), after two papers from the Belo Medical Group were published in two international journals. A paper on "Photodynamic Therapy" was published in the US Journal of Dermatologic Surgery. Another paper on "Aptos Thread Facelift" also came out in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery.

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In 2010, the Belo Medical Group received the Reader's Digest award for being one of the most trusted brands in 2010. The esteemed medical institution was given the platinum award in the beauty clinic category.

Belo topped the survey conducted by the prestigious magazine, which identifies the brands that Asians trust across a range of consumer product categories.

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Also last year, Dr. Belo was voted as the second most credible endorser next to world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. The survey was conducted by market research consulting company, Synergy Business Consultancy.

When away from her clinic, Dr. Belo spends time at home with her children - young filmmaker Quark Henares, 31; and Cristalle, 27, who now helps her in running the business.

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Most people say Dr. Belo has become a veritable walking advertisement for the Belo clinics. She easily gets recognized not just by AB clients, but also by people from every social distinction. That should be enough to give the public an obvious information about the success of the Belo Medical Group.

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