SuGod helps former drug pusher and addict turn his life around

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Paulo (not his real name) used to repack shabu in front of his two very young children inside their home on Cuaming Island in Inabanga, Bohol.

He both sold and used illegal drugs, which often became the source of arguments with his wife that would sometimes turn physical.

But his fear that his son might one day end up like him prompted Paulo, 35, to seek help and undergo rehabilitation shortly after Super Typhoon Odette devastated their island community in December 2021.

Paulo is among more than 2,000 clients of the Surrender to God (SuGod) drug recovery program, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday, August 14.

“Dili ko gusto nga maabot ang akong bata sa akong gidangatan. Nga maparehas siya nako,” he said.

(I don’t want my child to end up where I am now. I don’t want him to be like me.)

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Aside from helping him overcome his addiction, Fe Barino, SuGod founder and chief executive officer of Duros Group of Companies, also provided him and others in their neighborhood with an opportunity to support their families by donating 25 motorized bancas.

To this day, he continues to go out to sea to fish while enjoying peace and harmony with his family.

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“Nindot kaayo ang kinabuhi nga walay gubot,” he told CDN Digital.

(Life is so much better without troubles.)

Service for drug addicts

Barino said the SuGod program, which started in 2016 during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, continues to “do the service for drug addicts nga gusto maka (who wanted to) recover.”

The Catholic-based program has already helped more than 2,000 clients with “mild to moderate drug addiction.” These clients come from different parts of Cebu and Bohol, as well as Mindanao.

She, however, admitted that they have lost contact with some of their clients — most of whom have recovered from their addiction, while others relapsed, returned to jail, or may have already died.

The program also experienced a “slowdown,” with the number of clients declining after Duterte left Malacañang. This also resulted in a decrease in the frequency of their intervention programs.

Malyn Cristobal, a recovery specialist, said they are now working to increase the frequency of the SuGod programs while expanding their approach to already include the clients’ family members.

“I’m hoping nga sa atong mga plano for the next years, we also focus on the families because they are the ones that are also suffering. So I guess that is also a good starting point nga karon nga naka 10 years na mi, we also listen to the families and the volunteers and amo pud to sila gyud nga kuyogan sa ilang sufferings pud nila sa ilang experience with drug addicts,” said Cristobal.

(I’m hoping that in our plans for the next few years, we will also focus on the families because they are also the ones who are suffering. So I guess that is also a good starting point now that we have been doing this for 10 years — to also listen to the families and the volunteers and to really accompany them in their suffering and in their experiences with drug addicts.)

Homecoming

Archbishop Jose Palma, the Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu, referred to Friday’s gathering, held 10 years after SuGod was established, as a “homecoming.”

“It’s like looking back and letting people know that drug addicts and all those who are tormented by this crisis have a home in SuGod,” said Palma.

SuGod gathered its volunteers, facilitators, and some of its clients at a Homecoming Summit on Friday, August 14, to celebrate its 10th year of serving drug dependents who wanted to surrender to God. The gathering concluded with a Mass officiated by Archbishop Palma.

Paulo and his wife were among those who attended the summit. The couple, along with eight others from Cuaming, traveled to Liloan, Cebu, aboard one of the motorbancas donated by Barino.

They spent two hours at sea and arrived in Liloan at 7 a.m. Friday. They were scheduled to return to Cuaming early Saturday morning, August 15.

Making the right decision

Paulo told CDN Digital that he was introduced to the SuGod program after Barino donated motorbancas to help victims of Super Typhoon Odette.

Barino brought the SuGod program to their island community after learning that many residents were also struggling with drug addiction.

Paulo said he made the right decision to seek help and change his ways. His 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter are now in school, while his relationship with his wife has also greatly improved.

He also takes pride in earning a living through fishing, allowing him to provide for his family.“Wala gyud ko magmahay nga ni-apil ko sa SuGod,” he said.

(I do not regret that I joined SuGod.)

Regained family’s trust

Just like Paulo, Arthur (not his real name) also shared how he regained the trust of his family after joining the SuGod program.

Arthur recalled that, during his addiction, he began stealing from his own family members.

“Nawad-an toud sila og salig sa akoa kay manghilabot man ko sa amoa,” he said.

(They lost trust in me because I started to steal from them.)

He said he was always short of money, even when he held several jobs, because most of his earnings went toward buying illegal drugs.

Arthur recalled that he was not as serious about the program when he first joined in 2016. He stayed sober for four years before relapsing. He rejoined the program in 2020 and has remained drug-free since August of that year.

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