But for former drug dependents Gilbert Zulueta, Daniel Dizon and wife, Maricel, who hail from drug-affected communities in Caloocan City, it means so much more: A long-awaited second life and a clean break with the past. “I can think of nowhere better to be than with the church,” Daniel told the Inquirer in a recent interview. “What the program does is address drug abuse at its root cause,” Labastilla said. Since their graduation, the three have stayed free of vices while submerging themselves in church work. But it’s the church work that takes up much of their time and they’re only too happy to volunteer almost every day even though they receive no monetary compensation.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 24, 2017 21:00 UTC