dambana
ᜇᜋ᜔ᜊᜈ
altar, shrine, sacred grounds
About Us
Dambana is a Tagalog term for altar or shrine. A dambana can be a temporary halad (offering) constructed from natural materials like rattan to house sacred idols. A dambana may also be formations in nature or sacred spaces, like the balete, bodies of water, or mountains. For us, our dambana is community— the youth, elders, and spaces we are accountable to protect and nurture.
Dambana Wellness is a collective of educators, mental health professionals, cultural bearers, and holistic wellness practitioners based in Yelamu, Ramaytush Ohlone Territory (San Francisco, California). Embodying the Philippine pre-colonial cultural values of kapwa (interconnectedness) and ginhawa (wellness) in our work, we foster collective healing within communities, while offering support in capacity building, program design, and strategic planning across various fields, including holistic wellness, community mental health, education, public health, social work, juvenile justice, and youth leadership development.
Our Offerings
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-Mental Health First Aid Certification (Adult, Youth, and teen)
-Youth Mental Health Education + Work-based Learning
-Workforce Development Training for Transitional Aged-Youth
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-Philippine Folk Medicine & Traditional Healing Practices
-Specialized Holistic Wellness Workshops & Events
-Retreats & Cultural Immersion Exchanges
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-Capacity Building
-Program Development and Coaching
-Curriculum Design
Let’s Connect
Interested in bringing a Dambana Wellness practitioner to your site? Send us an email.