Drug dependents ‘surrender to God’

CEBU, Philippines - Fatima has found another means to recover from drug dependence and it’s by surrendering — not to authorities — but to God.

While hesitant at first, Fatima (real name withheld) eventually committed to change through a faith-based initiative that offered medical and spiritual intervention to drug dependents dubbed "SuGod (Surrender to God) Drug Recovery Program."

A mother of two, 30-year-old Fatima was one of the 65 drug users and pushers in Liloan town, Cebu who completed the 10-day seminar workshop held in Barangay Yati.

She could not help but cry as she recalled in an interview with The FREEMAN how she was ridiculed by society while suffering from the drug problem.

Out of curiosity and influenced by her cousin, the then 20-year-old Fatima took drugs until she got hooked into it. She would soon feel embarrassed that people see them as the scourge of society.

“Mauwaw ko kay moingon ang silingan nga ‘ay sus, bisyosa kaayo na.’ Murag paminaw nako nga wala na sila’y pagsalig nako tungod kay bisyosa ko,” she shared.

She also lamented on how the drugs destroyed her relationship with her family.

According to Fatima, things will be different if one will seek divine guidance.

“Imbes dili ko ganahan moanhi, mura gani ko og giguroy Niya nga maanhi diri aning dapita… Gitabangan ko sa Ginoo nga mawala na ‘ni akong bisyo,” she said.

She said she had stopped using illegal drugs two months ago. She did not surrender to police authorities until barangay officials provided help by referring drug dependents like her to recovery programs.

She then vowed to quit using illegal drugs, especially now that she has been transformed into a better person, a responsible mother and a loving partner.

“Final na g’yud akong desisyon nga dili na g’yud ko mogamit. Hugtan lang g’yud nako akong pagtuo. Dili na g’yud ko,” she said.

The town’s SuGod Drug Recovery Program was initiated as an answer to the call of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma for lay organizations to come up with rehabilitation program for drug dependents.

The Love of God Community and Kaalam Foundation, Inc. in Liloan partnered with IT WORKS! Chemical Dependency Treatment Center, Inc. that is based in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.

Fe Barin, the program director of SuGod Drug Recovery Program, said two of the participants, who still tested positive of illegal drugs for the third time, signified willingness to be admitted in an in-house rehab treatment in Ozamiz City.

Services under the program were free unlike in other private institutions where patients are charged from P18,000 to P70,000 to undergo six to 24 months rehabilitation.

For the first batch alone, Barin said, it cost them not less than P300,000 for the food of the participants, fees for the services of the professionals such as psychologists and medical personnel, among others.

Nevertheless, she said, they got monetary support mostly from voluntary contributions and sponsorship from various civic organizations.

Florencio Francisco, program director of IT WORKS!, said that after the 10-day seminar workshop, every participant is obliged to report to maintain the treatment. (FREEMAN)