'Surrender to God', a life beyond drugs in Cebu
Fe Mantuhac Barino, a Catholic laywoman linked to the Charismatic Renewal, is behind a programme created in 2016 (when Duterte was president) that offers drug addicts and their families a way to take back their lives. Over the years, more than a thousand people have participated,” she said, adding that “Only God can make these changes.”
Manila (AsiaNews) – Fe Mantuhac Barino, a Catholic laywoman from Cebu, is helping drug addicts in Cebu, a large city in the central Philippines, get back on their feet.
She is behind a programme that invites addicts to join a faith-based drug rehabilitation programme. Aimed at people and families coping with addiction, "Surrender to God", was created in 2016, the year when then President Rodrigo Duterte declared an all-out war on drugs.
As the media reported on the country’s addiction crisis, Duterte’s response led to the death of thousands of drug addicts, which has landed him in prison in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.
Fe Mantuhac Barino is a Catholic lay leader, president of the Commission for the Laity of the Archdiocese of Cebu, coordinator of charismatic communities, and CEO of the Duros Group of Companies, a holding operating in construction.
In November 2023, she was also elected to the International Service of Communion of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CHARIS), a Vatican body set up by Pope Francis to coordinate and advise Catholic charismatic groups around the world.
For years, Barino met family members, relatives, and others struggling with the effects of drugs. “When you're constantly in contact with drug dealers and drug users, you can only be challenged by them and do something to help them overcome their addiction,” she explained. This is especially true since she has experienced the problem firsthand.
In the 1980s, Barino left Toledo City for San Vicente, a village in Liloan. She remembers moving the whole family from her place of birth to save her siblings from drug addiction. "I was determined to help them," she told AsiaNews.
Barino has no professional expertise in fighting addiction, but she has been an active participant in the Love of God Community, a charismatic group she co-founded with her husband, Rafaelito.
Her company, Duros Development Corporation, was responsible for the construction of the pavilion that in January 2016 hosted the International Eucharistic Congress in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.
The business employs family members, relatives, and others as part of the Duros Group of Companies.
One day she asked all her employees to undergo drug tests. Out of 300 people, 46 tested positive for drug use. Many were family members and relatives. This sparked the idea of organising a rehabilitation programme for them and their families.
Her friend Rene Francisco, who runs the "It Works Chemical Dependency Treatment Center" in Ozamis and the Balay Kahayag Farm in Baclayon, Bohol, helped her develop a programme they called "Surrender to God”, which integrates scientific and spiritual elements in a 10-day rehab and renewal process.
“I insisted that my employees participate in the programme, threatening dismissal," Barino said.
The first group of 65 people participated in the 10 days of "Surrender to God" in August 2016.
“To date, more than a thousand people have participated," Barino noted. “The programme considers drug addicts to be people who have their own dignity and value. We have to help them and they have to stop.”
The organisation takes care of the expenses, which amount to at least 300,000 pesos (around US$ 5,500) for each 10-day session, during which those who participate are offered a livelihood.
After training, graduates are encouraged to join Alcoholics Anonymous (NA) and attend its meetings, which provides them with a support system.
"I was deeply disturbed to hear stories of children left alone, spouses who cheat, children used to steal and rob, and elderly people who hurt themselves because of illegal drugs,” said Fe Mantuhac Barino.
“I had never been so shaken in my life,” she added. “But I was also very inspired by how I saw them change. They ask for help. If you saw their faces, you’d weep. Only God can make these changes. I am happy that this programme helps more people.”
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