A mission to save souls

The Church along with some private sector assistance is reaching out to aid drug users in their journey to recovery.

When the government war on drugs kicked off in 2016 and killings became “an almost daily occurrence,” 62 year-old Fe Barino was troubled not only for the lives of drug dependents.

Her paramount concern was to help save souls before it was too late.

Barino’s Surrender to God (SuGod) program was then born as an initiative for the faith-based renewal of drug dependents.

“It was a very strong inspiration on my part because I had family members who were into the use of illegal drugs. When I saw that there are so many drug dependents, I felt the very strong calling and that there was something I could do,” Barino told Cebu Daily News.

Two years since SuGod’s first batch of recovering drug dependents joined in August 2016, the program has facilitated the renewal of 16 batches or a total of about 650 individuals.

Last November 10, the 16th batch consisting of 20 recovering drug dependents, graduated from the program.

“I know government is for saving the community from the effects of drugs. For me, our mission is the salvation of their (drug dependents) souls — save their souls from failing to renew their lives and save them from committing crimes out of addiction,” said Barino.

Barino, through the help of her friend Rene Francisco, established the SuGod program to give drug dependents an option and to inspire them that “life does not end in being a drug addict.”

Barino, owner of Cebu-based construction giant Duros Development Corp., recounted the whirlpool events that led to the creation of SuGod.

She said she invited Francisco in her home in Liloan town, northern Cebu, to discuss the program on August 12, 2016 and two days later, Aug. 14, they immediately started with the first batch of 78 participants.

“First, I went to government agencies but I found out there were too many protocols that we need to follow so I went to Archbishop (Jose) Palma and he said, ‘By all means, go ahead. Let’s make it a faith-based renewal.’ The pace on how we started was like fire. It was very quick because we wanted it to be there and available for whoever wants to be in it right there and then,”
Barino narrated.

Barino heads the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on the Laity (ACL).

Being a faith-based program, SuGod’s model was greatly inspired by Life in the Spirit Seminars (LSS) conducted by charismatic communities.

“I am also the leader of a charismatic community. I know for a fact that during the Life in the Spirit seminar, there are really lives that change. I have witnessed that and so with SuGod,” Barino said.

The program consists of two phases: SuGod Recovery and Renewal Program (SRRP) and SuGod Continuing Care Program (SCCP), both supplemented by a skills training program to help recovering addicts rebuild their life through decent livelihood.

SRRP includes a six-day intervention seminar for recovering drug dependents, who volunteer to become part of the program, where lectures are given on the ill effects of drugs and spiritual reform.

The SCCP, on the other hand, is a thrice a week program held at different drop-in centers within the Archdiocese of Cebu.

There are currently 11 SCCP drop-in centers located in the cities of Cebu, Lapulapu and Danao and in the town of Liloan.

Seeing that she still needed to have a complete grasp of the problems concerning drug dependents who enroll in the SuGod program, Barino decided to take a short course entitled Global Training for Addiction Intervention facilitated by a university in Malaysia.

“I know that there are some who go back to doing drugs; but even if only one of them is saved and renewed completely and will no longer go back to drugs, at least I know I was able to help save the community from whatever crime that renewed drug dependent could have done had he not recovered from addiction,” Barino said.

Lost hope

John (not his real name), a graduate of SuGod Batch 10, said that he had lost hope that he would ever recover from his addiction.

“Akong palayason akong asawa ug mga anak. Give up na gyod akong pamilya nako. Ako mismo, tuo kog wala na gyod koy paglaum ba. Hangtod nakasulod ko ani nga programa (I would drive away my wife and children. My family gave up on me. Even I thought that I was hopeless until I entered this program),” said 29-year-old John.

John, who was a drug addict for almost 15 years, has been “clean” for 14 months now.

“Looking at the success stories in the program, I can say that we are heading towards the right direction,” said Barino.

Barino believes that God’s purpose for SuGod has been there from the very first time she joined a lay organization.

“It was in the year 2000 when I and my husband Lito found ourselves being part of a charismatic community and later on founded the Love of God Community here in Liloan,” she said.

“The community grew and we built the Love of God Center, then the Kaalam Foundation. I believe God has a purpose for I believe God has a purpose for this moment in time that we need a community, we need the foundation, a faith-based group to help drug addicts,” Barino said.

Despite their busy schedule in running their family businesses that span from real estate to schools, Barino said that it has become her passion to give back through the Love of God Community and SuGod, for the blessings given by God.

“I’ve never been a leader, not even in school. I was a quiet woman because I felt very low growing up in a very poor family. It was in Love of God Community that I learned to lead and where my spirituality grew,” shared Barino, now a successful lay leader.