Dumalinao boasts of 'Healing Paradise' COVID19 facility

 By : Jocelyn P. Alvarez

IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, Jan 24 (PIA) -- LGU Dumalinao takes pride of its unique and first Ligtas COVID Center in Zamboanga Del Sur Province called the “Healing Paradise.”

Town mayor Junaflor Sweet Cerilles during the Network Briefing News of the PCOO said the concept Healing Paradise was created to erase the stigma of isolation.

“Other than the physical effects of COVID, is the mental health. It is very important how we mind set, paano natin binibigyang support, kasi when we speak of isolation, generally nakakatakot ang impression, and at this time parang hindi s’ya dapat na you will be isolated, that is why we conceptualize healing paradise,” Mayor Cerilles explained.

Healing Paradise is the Cerilles’ existing private property that they offered to be used as the province’s first Ligtas COVID Center and isolation facility for their “clients” to have a beautiful, scenic space while in isolation.

While in the Healing Paradise, clients get medical and at the same time mental health attention and services.

“We partnered with psychological clinic that can give psychosocial support, we have different activities like dancing in the morning or gardening, para may ginagawa din sila,” the lady mayor explained.

But before entering the healing facility, clients are checked or assessed of their mental health status, “yung depression, anxiety, stress level nila, and if may problem, we give them online consultation thru partner psychologist namin,” Mayor Cerilles said.

The mayor said they also look into the spiritual well-being of their clients while in isolation,  “we partnered with spiritual / religious organizations like mga pastor , pari for their spiritual guidance . We give them online pray-over while sa mga catholic there is Sunday mass.

When active COVID cases in the area slowed down or become zero for a while sometime during the last quarter in 2021 , the healing paradise was left idle, but with the new surge of cases and the threat of Omicron variant “we are making one “Healing Paradise” but this time, it will be owned by LGU and funded by KALAHI. It’s a Php4M project, but it will be run the same as the this private, existing healing paradise that we have now,” the mayor informed.  (JPA/Zamboanga Sibugay)