Guests getting a drip of the IV Nutrient Therapy offered on site.

Even with the rise in diseases brought by an unhealthy lifestyle, the polluted and ever-changing conditions of our surroundings or from one’s genetics, people still take their health for granted. This can be more dangerous than just having a health condition.

One must always take healing into consideration no matter how dire or benign an illness. Going to hospitals is one thing, but having a holistic approach to bettering one’s health and lifestyle is just as important.

Centro Holistico Integrative Health and Wellness Center aims to improve the health of their patients through both traditional western medicine methods and complementary and alternative medical theories and treatments.

Centro Holistico was founded by a group of doctors, Dr. Candy Drilon-Dalman, MD-MBA; Dr. Ryan Em Dalman, MD-MBA; and Dr. Frances Bernardino, MD, with the help of their mentor Dr. Mike Vergara. They share a common passion for alternative/contemporary medical healing. Their goal is to be able to provide a more holistic and alternative approach to healing.

In an interview with Daily Tribune, Dr. Drilon-Dalman shared the ins and outs of their practice.

Mainly, the doctor stressed, they want to keep their patients as healthy as possible. And through a combination of traditional medicine and alternative forms of healing, they are able to do so. From low forms of illnesses to serious ones like cancer, they are able to provide proper care and treatment for their patients.

“We get a wide variety of patients. There are some with chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes and such. After treatments, they don’t really feel an immediate effect but after a series of treatments, they start seeing their lab results getting better; they start seeing they don’t need too much medication,” the doctor stated.

Dr. Drilon-Dalman shared that for their cancer patients, their practice has had a big impact on their road to recovery.

“Cancer is also considered to be a lifestyle disease. Aside from being a genetic disease, it’s also a lifestyle issue. We work a lot with cancer patients to lower the chances of getting the disease again. There are some patients that make it a substitute for chemotherapy and it works but there are certain illnesses where we do it in combination with chemo also but you have to space out the treatments,” she explained.

Also, the health of the mind is very important. Centro Holistico not only tackles chronic and acute illnesses but also mental health.

“There are some patients with mood disorders like anxiety, sleep issues, mental illness. After their treatment, some feel that they sleep better; some are able to control their emotions better,” Dr. Drilon-Dalman said.

Western medicine versus alternative treatments

To avoid confusion, she also described the difference between a hospital and their integrative health and wellbeing clinic.

Dr. Drilon-Dalman described their practice as something that can help with the missing link of traditional medicine. “Western medicine has been there for a long time, yet specifically in the Philippines, the chronic diseases keep on going up. There’s a missing link and I think what we do can help with that. We work with what the patient currently has and we just focus on the lifestyle — bringing back the normal flow of the chi in the body. And eventually, if their bodies respond to it, eventually, we will be able to remove some medications and lessen their chances of getting these diseases again.”

Discipline and a strong will to improve one’s health are essential to the path of obtaining a healthy lifestyle. When patients have a hard time abiding by the program the doctor gave them, there are also other professionals on board who can help with that situation.

“We have psychiatrists on board that can do psychotherapy. We work a lot with life coaches. Sometimes, no matter how much we remind, they still cannot follow through. There are other issues that we’re working around with. If it’s an emotional or a spiritual issue, we refer them to life coaches. Sometimes we do acupuncture to make their minds more at ease,” she added.

Victor Sison Jr. is a cancer patient who goes for treatments at Centro Holistico. He was diagnosed last year when he first underwent a Prostate-Specific Antigen test and the results came out 50 ng/mL when the normal level should be 4.0 ng/mL.

Over the months from July until the end of the year, he decided to consult a urologist where he was prescribed with different medications that didn’t have any effect on his illness. In October, he was then advised to undergo a biopsy test and the results came out Stage II — Positive.

“I had a very bad side effect with that biopsy — I bled a lot and almost died from it. I was hospitalized for a week and later on, when it was time to consult the urologist for the final treatment for my prostate, he recommended implanting radioactive pellets which weren’t really an approach that I and my wife are comfortable with,” he shared.

Dr. Mike Vergara, he added, was his grade school and high school classmate and through him, he discovered a holistic healing approach and Centro Holistico.

Centro Holistico founders (from left) Dr. Mike Vergara, Dr. Fran Bernardino, Dr. Candy Drilon-Dalman and Dr. Ryan Dalman.

“I started in mid-January this year. Previous to that, I had a PSA test that shows that from 50 ng/mL, I’ve gone up to 60 ng/mL,” Victor shared.

“After I started with Centro Holistico, I get the vitamin C drip, colon cleanse and acupuncture twice a week. After six weeks, I had myself tested again. My PSA went from 60 ng/mL to 25 ng/mL — that was just six weeks compared to six months with the other approach. After another six weeks, from 25 ng/mL, it went down to 16. Mike cut down my treatment once a week. After another six weeks, from 16 ng/mL it went down to 13 ng/mL. Right about now, I’m due for another test. Hopefully, I’m getting closer and closer to that normal range of 0 to 4,” he added the great news.

During the celebration of its fifth year anniversary, the doctors of Centro Holistico announced that they will be opening a new branch in Quezon City. Currently, they have clinics at CommerCenter Alabang at Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City and at The Grove by Rockwell in Pasig City.

For more information, visit www.centroholisticoph.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/centroholistico.ph and @centroholistico on Instagram for updates and promos.