“Healing paradigms here in the Philippines have been mostly left-brained, linear, fragmented,” said Dr. Romy. “I am so happy I met you and HCN. It has been my guiding light. With that, I am in gratitude to you.” The center he founded, Wellnessland Health Institute, and the Self Health Empowerment Movement (SHEM) printed HCN material for display during the conference in Cebu.
“I have been encouraging my team about Wellnessland’s and SHEM’s vision to be more in tune with the Holistic Center paradigm. My team needs a deeper understanding of what a holistic center is, that’s why I started to get them more involved.” Dr Romy explained he’s been following the HCN paradigm, step by step. “I realised my team is lagging behind in terms of embracing our vision to become more of a holistic center rather than a wellness center or an integrative center or a lifestyle center.”
He speaks about how difficult and challenging it is to transition towards that vision and goal, because the business platforms will be disturbed by it. “I am determined to shake and disturb our status quo, using the HCN paradigm as our guiding light. There are several centers in the Philippines, but mostly alternative medicine centers following the mainstream medicine paradigm, something like it’s the same song being sung in a different tune. This is the reason why we became a member of the HCN, because we have that inner longing to transform. I do believe that the most powerful medicine is transformation, but it is painful to transform.”
Conference attendees heard about the latest in Lifestyle Medicine practice and research from a range of enlightening speakers, sharing knowledge and experience. Participants were motivated to strengthen their own practice, while continuing to build on the lifestyle medicine movement. The Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine said, “With the burden of disease growing for lifestyle-related conditions, it has never been more important or timely to introduce Lifestyle Medicine to healthcare systems globally. Lifestyle Medicine offers a future that is sustainable and healthy for both people and the planet.”
Dr. Romy and his team are embracing the holistic paradigm and inspiring others. “In some of our SHEM events, we have shown the videos about HCN, just to let people and leaders of civic and community groups be more aware that there is more to healing than just medicine, there is more to healing than just hospitals.” He also shared the HCN videos during a talk in Ho Chi Minh Vietnam several months ago. “A few days ago, I heard from the Vietnam group who invited us that they are planning to build a holistic center there too, and they are starting the project as soon as Sept 2019. The name of the group who invited me is Diviners.Org. They are also now in the process of translating to Vietnamese the educational materials of SHEM.”
Dr Milagros Paredes MD, SHEM General Manager, has recently connected with HCN as well. She is a medical specialist (radiologist-sonologist) who also works in the hospital setting and is interested to see the ‘hospitals of the future’ – holistic centers. “She is actually my wife,” laughs Dr. Romy. “She’s trying to catch up with the vision we are heading towards. Our son is 15 years old, turning 16 this November. We only have one child and the three of us wrote a book together, Becoming Whole, the beautiful liberating path towards wholeness.”
They are keen to join our International Centers Gathering hosted by Esalen next May. “We hope the three of us will register soon,” he continues. “We have been saving money so we can afford to join the Gathering in the US in 2020. Maybe the trip will cost us half a million to a quarter a million pesos, but it’s ok because it will be for our own growth as leaders and future leaders (my son) of the organisations we are leading here in the Philippines. I have looked at the Esalen website, it’s really a beautiful off the grid highly evolved center.”
We look forward to diverse representation at the Gathering next year as together we strengthen the holistic impulse around the world. To find out more click here.
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