De La Salle University - Manila

Third Term, A.Y. 2020 - 2021

In partial fulfillment of the course

LCFAITH Y05

HEAL YOUth Movement:

A Faith Engagement Project

Submitted by:
Alegre, Mary Christiene Courtney
Arroyo, Carey Louise
Dionela, Matthew Joseph
La Lim, Regina Belen
Sy, Aaron William
Tan, Angelo Kyle
Tan, Nathan John

Submitted to:
Willard Enrique Macaraan

September 13, 2021

INTRODUCTION

In retrospect, the Philippines is currently facing various problems that contain multiple
facets. According to Human Rights Watch’s 2021 World Report, the unending “drug war”
remains one of the top issues in the said country along with other concerns such as political
killings (threats and harassment included), freedom of media, the death penalty, and COVID-19.
Throughout the Duterte regime, substance abuse has been his top priority. He made a promise
that he will eradicate drug usage himself by declaring a “drug war”. With substance abuse
remaining as one of the most prevalent and unsolved issues in the country, the group chose to
discuss it, its casualties, and possible remedies.

First off, substance abuse is the occurrence when one intakes alcohol, prescription
medicine, and other legal or illegal substances (drugs included) wrongly. However, it is different
from addiction wherein in substance abuse, you are still able to quit or change the unhealthy
behavior while addiction, on the other hand, means having no ability to stop or change even if
the action causes you harm. Statistically speaking, according to the Dangerous Drugs Board of
the Philippines, a total of five thousand two hundred twenty-seven (5,227) admissions in
rehabilitation facilities were recorded in the year 2019. In comparison to its previous year, there
was a slight decrease of 4.04% (220) in admission. However, it should be noted that numerous
substance abusers are not recorded nor admitted to such facilities due to various reasons and the
last reported data was still in 2019. Unfortunately, the problem does not stop at the number of
drug abusers, it comes with casualties. Even in the midst of a pandemic, “drug war killings” as
well as unwarranted arrests increased.

With this, the group aims to delve deeper into the root causes of the reoccurring issue of
substance abuse in the Philippines to be able to come up with not just band-aid solutions, but
solutions that are long-lasting and with the help of the Church. Through this, the problems that
come with substance abuse such as stereotypes surrounding these substance abusers, lack of
betterment facilities, and the actual norm of drugs will also be greatly lessened if not eradicated.

SEE

Drug Abuse and addiction is very prevalent in the Philippines with many Filipinos being
affected by it. In fact, according to a survey done by the Dangerous Drug Board, there are about
1.8 million Filipino drug users and 4.8 million who have used drugs at least once in their lives.
Among these Filipino drug users, 91% are adults, 87% are males, 80% have reached high
school and 67% are employed. Among all the drugs in the Philippines the most common drug
being consumed is methamphetamine or what is more commonly known as “Shabu”. (Simbulan
et al., 2018).
 After discussing the current situation of drug use, abuse and addiction, let us discuss the
issue of drugs medically. Analysis of the medical aspect would give in-depth answers to what
negative effects continuous use of drugs may have on your body as well as why people get
addicted after prolonged use of drugs. The main problem of drugs and its use is the addictive
effect it has on the brain. In particular, the drugs affect the brain’s reward circuit in the limbic
system which affects instinct and mood. This reward circuit that is targeted by the drugs outputs
a large amount of dopamine which creates the feeling of being “high”. The initial drug use is
oftentimes voluntary however the use of these drugs may alter brain chemistry and leads to the
person to start craving and compulsively having the urge to use drugs. This leads to drug
addiction and drug dependency. The brain also desensitizes the drugs after continuous usage of
the drug which creates a bigger drug dependency because in order to experience the same “high”
as before more drugs need to be consumed.

There are symptoms that may indicate that a person is experiencing drug addiction. These
symptoms include bloodshot eyes, appetite changes, physical appearance changes such as
looking untidy and having a poor complexion, difficulty concentrating and completing tasks,
engaging in negative and risky behavior despite knowledge of the possible consequences of
doing such, weight loss, and constant cravings and inability to control drug use.

Drug use and addiction cause many adverse short-term and long-term effects on the body.
In particular, it may cause a weakened immune system which would increase the risk of
obtaining an illness and infection. It is also related to causing various heart problems such as
abnormal heart rates, blood vessel infection, collapsed veins, and even heart attacks. It also may
cause liver failure, seizures, stroke, brain damage, and lung disease.

Now moving onto the Psychological perspective of drug addiction and drug abuse.
Exploring this perspective would allow us to examine the factors that lead to drug use and abuse
as well as examine the personality of a frequent drug user. There are a multitude of factors that
would cause a person to start taking drugs including environmental, educational factors, and
factors that include the personality.

For environmental factors, social and economic factors are most prominent. Some
examples of these social and economic factors which correlate with drug use and abuse are
parents’ unemployment, poverty, disorganization of the family due to divorce and abandonment,
accessibility to drugs, being affiliated with drug users and distributors, painful traumatic
experiences among many other social or economic factors. Among Educational factors, there
would be a toxic household, emotional deprivation, and extreme discipline are characterized with
an increased chance in the debut of drugs. Also, the lack of education on drugs and the avoidance
of doing drugs is also a big factor that leads to starting drugs. For the factors relating to
personality, one important factor to consider is a negative self-image which is characterized by
an inferiority complex and a lack of self-confidence. This would create either a rebellious
attitude or an attitude of withdrawal and isolation. The feeling of anxiety is also related to the
debut of drugs as feeling out of control and feeling unbearable fear and stress may lead to the use
of drugs in order to escape that feeling.

Continuous use of drugs may lead to behavioral changes in the person which may include
paranoia, aggressiveness, experiencing hallucinations, impaired judgment, impulsiveness, and a
lack of self-control. There also exists a change in priorities exhibited in drug addicts where the
drug addicts instead of accomplishing their various responsibilities focus on fulfilling their need
of consumption of drugs.

Moving on from the psychological aspect, the social aspect of drug addiction can be
examined. There is an untrue notion that drug addiction only affects the person addicted to drugs
however in fact, it affects all the people around that person. Family members and friends of the
drug addict are some people who are affected by this and may experience distress, tension, and
conflict with the drug addict. The family members and friends may feel frustrated about the
ongoing drug addiction that is happening to the affected party. This in turn may exacerbate the
social alienation of the drug addict and may lead to aggressive tendencies.

Adding to the discussion above, there are various short-term and long-term impacts on
socialization. In the short term, the addiction to drugs may result in the withdrawal of
responsibilities, regressive behavior, and failing to properly socialize with other people. This
would result in social isolation and even homelessness due to the regressing of social behaviors
and withdrawal of economic roles in society. In the long term, there would be more drastic
impacts of this addiction such as dysfunction towards societal, familial, and occupational aspects
in life. The drug addict may become a stigma from the rest of his family and friends and may
exhibit feelings of shame towards the drug addict.

Lastly, the economical lens would be examined regarding drug addiction. Despite the
fact that 67% of the estimated drug addicts have jobs, there still is a correlation between poverty
and drug addicts where lower-income people have a higher tendency of becoming subject to drug
abuse. This is due to the fact that lower-income people face a multitude of problems including
the lack of basic necessities among others and to help cope with these problems, drugs may be
used. There exists a paradox where low-income families and middle-income families use drugs
to cope with their problems. However, acquiring these drugs and loss of economic opportunities
due to drug addiction would lead them deeper into poverty. This does not mean that high-income
families are exempt from drug abuse and in fact constant drug abuse may lead them to poverty
due to the change in priorities towards drugs rather than their responsibilities.

One major problem that needs to be addressed is that low-income families tend to not
seek treatment due to the costs of treatment and not being able to afford it. This is a concerning
issue due to the fact that without proper treatment often drug addiction would remain rampant
and continue to cause problems for the person affected and all the people around him including
loved ones and family members.

Several disciplines and perspectives were examined in order to get a holistic view of drug
use, abuse, and addiction. In summary, drug use and addiction would lead to many adverse
effects on the wellbeing and health of the person as well as the social and economic aspects of
their lives.

JUDGE

(a) Scripture

The socio-economic issue of drug abuse in the Philippines is rarely viewed in the light of
biblical teachings even though it is one of the major ills in our society. Potential reasons for this
may be society’s view on drug addicts, the taboo that is associated with the issue, or even the
lack of scripture directly addressing the problem. However, there are many verses that bring light
to the issue through very similar themes. Not only that, there are supporting Catholic Social
Teachings (CSTs) that help us further understand the issue.

When talking about drug abuse, an almost equivalent issue during biblical times is
alcoholism with wine being the medium. Several verses show that drunkenness was condemned
by the Bible. In Romans 13:13, it mentions drunkenness among acts that should not be done.
Another verse is Proverbs 23:20-21 where it says not to join those who drink too much, as they
become poor and become filled with drowsiness. In addition to that, drunkenness or alcohol
abuse is often mentioned in contrast to acting as children of God. There are many more verses
that have the same viewpoint on alcohol dependence. In the same manner, drug abuse is
disapproved of by Christianity. For this reason, drug abuse is wrong and should not be taken
lightly.

Although drug abuse is clearly something the Bible would definitely disapprove of, that
does not mean there is no hope for those suffering from drug abuse. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that
God will not allow one to be tempted beyond what he/she is capable of handling. In addition to
that, it says He will provide a way out to escape. In relation to drug addiction, the temptation can
be very powerful. However, scripture says that there is a way out of it. Even further, is not one of
the Bible’s encompassing themes the story of redemption? The story of man throughout the Bible
is one that is sinful by nature. It is repeatedly shown in the Bible how man is enslaved by sin.
Despite the seeming hopelessness of man, God gives man an opportunity to break the chains of
sin through Jesus Christ. God is a redeemer. If God is able to save man from the bondage of sin,
He is also able to save those who struggle with drug abuse. The story of the adulterous woman in
John 8 further shows that even those who have grievously sinned are given a chance. In essence,
the scripture shows that there is hope for those who are addicted and that those who struggle with
drug addiction should be given a chance.
 The prevalent question discussed by everyone today, given the political climate of the
Philippines, is how drug addicts should be dealt with. Given the previous paragraph, drug addicts
should be given a chance to alter their paths. There are several ways man is able to deal with this
based on biblical texts. First, the Bible says in James 4:7-10 to submit oneself to God so that the
devil will flee and so that He may lift you up. The verse depicts that those afflicted with drug
addiction must surrender themselves to God. They must both surrender to God and put in their
own efforts into stopping their addiction. Second, for those that know someone suffering from an
addiction, Galatians 6:1 and 2 Timothy 2:22-26 says to rebuke those in sin gently. However, at
the same time, they must ensure that they flee from the sinful act. Third, it is part of the
community’s duty to help those who fall into drug addiction. Galatians 6:2 says to carry each
other’s burden as part of fulfilling the law of Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 mentions how the
Christian community must push one another toward love and good deeds. It also emphasizes the
importance of meeting together and encouraging one another. The Bible says that two is better
than one. With two, there is someone who can pick the other up when one of them falls while
there is no one to pick up the one who is alone as depicted in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. The
community, brothers, and sisters, as shown in the mentioned verses is important in helping those
who have become dependent on drugs. Lastly, there is power in prayer. James 5:15-16 says that a
prayer of faith will make the sick person well and that their sins will be forgiven. In this scenario,
drug addiction is the sickness and praying can heal them of their sickness.

(b) Catholic School Teaching

In the event that the reason why drug abusers should still be given an avenue to better
themselves and substance abuse should be given more importance is still unclear with the
previously mentioned Bible texts in mind, the CSTs may shed more light. The first CST that is
relevant in this issue is the foundational principle that states that “life is sacred and that the
dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.” Through this CST, it
is enforced that each and every person is precious and deserves to be respected. Truthfully,
creating stereotypes with highly negative connotations greatly demeans anyone who gets
associated with the said stereotype. The rising number of casualties related to substance abusers
is highly alarming as it directly violates this principle. The victims’ right to life is pillaged from
them ruthlessly.

Tying into this principle is the principle of Rights and Responsibilities. According to the
CSTs, human dignity can be protected only when human rights -- especially the right to life -- are
upheld and the responsibility of giving everyone the right to access those things that are required
for human decency is fulfilled. As part of the human population, each person has a responsibility
to ensure that their fellow human beings are not being prejudiced against based on stereotypes.
This brings attention to three other principles of CST, namely-- the Call to Family, Community,
and Participation, the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, and Solidarity. To further expound on
the Bible Texts stated previously, the CSTs state that humans are social in nature and there
should be a collaborative effort in helping each other especially for the poor and vulnerable.
Drug addicts are exactly that. They are vulnerable and are in need of help from their fellowmen
to put an end to their addiction and prevent them from relapsing back to their old ways.

Since the CSTs also emphasize the importance of seeking the common good together, all
members of the population should be on the same page, but this is not the case. Proper education
is not accessible to the whole community-- particularly for this issue at hand. This leads to a
divide in a society where the rich are able to enjoy more privileges and the poor are left to
struggle and suffer. There exists a clear correlation between economic circumstance and
substance abuse and this should be properly addressed. Addicts become helpless in the throes of
their dependence and it is very difficult for them to find the reason. Ignoring their pleas and
evident need for help would be a clear nonobservance of the CSTs. It is important to note that
laws and regulations as well as government efforts would be able to significantly aid in the
recovery of addicts. But with a decrease in rehabilitation admissions, less than ideal facilities,
and tens of thousands already dead-- there is an unmistakable necessity for improvement. No
matter the financial situation or other differences, these victims should be given equal
opportunities for proper rehabilitation and the right to appropriate trials.

Both the Bible Texts and CSTs tell a great deal about what should be done to help the
victims of this issue, but without their cooperation as well, it will all go to naught. There has to
be equal efforts in both the drug addicts and the rest of the community in pursuing a better
situation for all. Just like any sin, drug addiction is not something irredeemable. It is something
that can be healed. For that reason, drug addicts should not be immediately condemned to death
or even a life without any chance of change. They can change with the help of God, their own
efforts, their community, and prayer.

ACT

With due regard to the observations that the group did see about the social issue and the
reflections in light of the scriptures and CST, concrete plans for a committed course of action
against drug abuse were proposed. Due to the fact that the members of the group are college
students, the group has set limitations on what is feasible based on their credentials and skills as
students. But despite some limitations, the proposed plan would still be able to critically
challenge the evil of drugs in its own way in the country.

Before presenting the plan of the group, a discussion on existing faith-based communities
that advocate against drugs would be of help in understanding the roots of the solutions that the
group has thought of.
Faith-Based Communities (FBCs)

Fazenda da Esperança - Philippines

Fazenda da Esperança - Philippines is a local non-profit organization that aims to

grant recovery to young people that are dependent on chemicals/drugs, in the light of the
Catholic faith. Fazenda da Esperança was founded in Brazil in 1983 by Fr. Hans Stapel
and Nelson Giovanelli. They have established 42 drug rehabilitation centers worldwide.
The Catholic Church recognizes them as a “family of hope” as they believe and do bring
hope to those who find themselves lost in the use of drugs. As their mission states, “You
must be ambassadors of hope”, a saying that Pope Benedict XVI has bestowed upon his
visit to Fazenda, Brazil in 2007, with the aim to recover people from any addiction.

Fazenda - Philippines offers a 1-year rehabilitation program at their 250-hectare

farm located in the hills of Bangad, Milagros, Masbate. Their program is simple in
nature, but very effective, as they have an 82% success rate for recovery of its patients
based on a 1-yr time-frame program. Their rehabilitation program is founded on three
main principles: Spiritual Life, Work Ethic, and Community Life.

Spiritual Life Aspect is the first out of three principles since it is where all the
others are grounded on. Fazenda is, after all, a faith-based community. A patient’s day in
Fazenda usually starts at 5AM with a rosary prayer, followed by the reading of the
scripture of the day, with a commentary of the passage by one of the center’s
missionaries. The community also celebrates mass especially when a priest is around. If
not, the sisters in Fazenda administer the giving of the Holy Eucharist to the patients.
Patients are also taught to thank God and build/deepen their relationship with Him. The
second main principle that grounds Fazenda is the Work Ethic Aspect. Fazenda operates
on the principle that “through his work, every patient must be self-sufficient and
self-sustaining”. Such commitment to work ethic becomes a vital component of the
therapy process, and can even be related to the scripture quote, “He who does not work
does not eat” (2 Thessalonians chapter 3:10). Through commitment to work ethic,
patients not only sustain themselves but they also learn to work and care for themselves.
Moreover, the farm-work aspect, despite its difficulty, promotes simplicity and goodness
of nature and life. Later on, the patients overcome the feeling of uselessness when they
once submitted themselves to drugs, as hard work gives them the strength to want to quit
drugs. One patient even said “A hard day’s work is a very good accomplishment”, away
from drugs in their life. Lastly, the third principle of Fazenda is the Community Life
Aspect. Fazenda commits to building a familial environment, where patients can heal and
grow in their own way and at their own pace. Such involves a process of giving and
receiving unconditional love and forgiveness, inspired by Spirituality of Unity, founded
on the new commandment of Jesus to “Love one another as I have loved you”.
 Unlike other drug rehabilitation centers, Fazenda does not enforce confinement or
supervision by trained professionals. Fazenda also does not charge fees to cover the costs
of any patient’s one-year rehabilitation program. Each patient instead supports
themselves through work, as emphasized under the work ethic principle earlier. Their
community also does not make use of detoxification on drugs nor psychological
counseling or behavior modification therapies. Fazenda da Esperança - Philippines solely
and truly provides drug-dependent people the recovery they need through the hope of
giving them a life of good work and decency while strengthening their relationship with
God.

The Nazareth Formation House - A Bob Garon Therapeutic Community

Another faith-based community is the Nazareth Formation House. Built and

founded in 1999 by American Priest Bob Garon. Bob Garon has deep roots in Asia being
a first-hand witness to killing during the war on drugs in the martial law era. Aside from
founding Nazareth formation house Bob Garon also founded the first therapeutic
community in Asia called DARE. He also Established Golden Values Schools but his
main mission was drug rehabilitation. He established the Nazareth Formation house to
help individuals change for the better. The Nazareth Formation House is officially
accredited by the Department of Health (Doyo, 2009).

The Nazareth Formation house offers a different approach to treatment and has
been an innovator in the field of rehabilitation. They mainly focus on drug rehabilitation
but are open to all people even those who just want to experience living in a therapeutic
community. The Nazareth Formation house employs an approach known as therapeutic
community (The Nazareth Formation House, n.d.). Treatment here focuses on
psychotherapy, education, behavior modification, and spirituality. Being a Priest, Garon
brought the spiritual approach to Nazareth Formation house so that aside from the
therapy offered they also offer spiritual care which is important for people with
addictions to find meaning in things other than the addiction source (Doyo, 2009).

Compliance of the FBCs’ plans to the ACT Guidelines

The two Faith-based communities implemented activities/ actions that are in line
with the general guidelines for the act section of the See-Judge-Act Framework. First,
they do not enforce forced confinement and they do not undergo constant supervision.
They allow the individuals to exercise their inherent freedom in choosing the appropriate
activities to build a routine that does not include addictive substances. The Faith-based
communities Respect People’s Processes and let them rehabilitate at their own pace, not
forcing them to commit to a strict plan. They strive to make each patient self-sufficient
and self-sustaining. Another important focus of the faith-based communities explored
was, they focused on educating the patients on what they have to do to reduce drug
dependency. They taught patients various skills to help them work and develop the work
ethic to help build a routine through work that alleviates their drug dependency. Another
focus of their plans is in empowering leaders because they let people be the leader of
their own fate. It gives them the choice to commit to their own path. They provide them
with the appropriate capability-enhancing activities to become better individuals in their
future. They also give the patients an opportunity to develop their leadership by existing
in a familial community in which they are encouraged to take care of each other. The
commonality between the two faith-based communities is that they both mobilized to do
collective action on the particular problems they wanted to address. Both communities
wanted to help drug-dependent individuals and through their many different activities,
they achieved their community objective. Most social issues are interconnected to one
another this is why networking and collaboration are important as these same issues
may have been experienced and solved by another community. They have a group of
rehabilitation experts in which they discuss new discoveries in the field to ever improve
their process for the good of the patients. It is important that the Faith-based communities
have proper communication with other communities in developing effective strategies.
Last is the spiritual aspect. Both faith-based communities promote prayer and
celebration with God. Aside from developing the patient’s work ethic the communities
also seek to reunite the patients with God and repair their relationship. They have a lot of
planned activities including worship and faith-building activities.

Plans of Action of the Group

Target Group/s in the Philippines

The issue of drugs or substance abuse is focused on those who use them
directly. Hence, the target groups for the action plan would be drug-dependent
Filipinos. To be more specific, in the initial implementation months or years of
the action plan, the target groups can be limited first to the NCR, the southern
parts of Luzon, and the entirety of Masbate and nearing islands/regions, since the
aforementioned faith-based communities are located at and near the mentioned
regions.
Course of Action

The main committed course of action that the students have come up with
is feasible with college-level students. Overall, the students now aim to establish
a new student organization called: HEAL YOUth Movement. The mission or
main plans of action of the organization can be summarized by the three items
below:

1. Partnering with the discussed FBCs that advocate against drugs and
serving as the publicity-arm for the FBCs. As the group of students
researched further on the two previously discussed FBCs, it was found out
that the communities are not well-known. In fact, upon searching “groups
that advocate against drug abuse” in Google, neither of the communities
appear. Hence, the students commit to being partners of the FBCs and
coordinating with them consistently to create attractive publicity materials
that will promote the communities and raise more awareness primarily
through social media. Such a skillset is strongly evident among the youth
and college students. Also, many of the youth are active in the same
advocacies. For the said two reasons, the group is confident that the first
plan of action will be successful.

2. Organizing informative events that spread awareness about the issue of

drug abuse and promoting how the FBCs can address the issue. Aside
from being focused on creating publicities, another committee under the
organization that can be called “Events and Advocacies” will consist of
student-volunteers that will plan, organize, and implement events such as
webinars/seminars, forums, and even brief invitation opportunities, to
educate other organizations and communities about the dangers of drugs
and what faith, through the FBCs against drugs, can offer. Such events can
also serve as invitations to widen the student-service group and gather
donations/funds that will surely benefit the partner FBCs of HEAL YOUth
Movement.
3. Facilitating spiritual activities. When permissible and safe, the
student-volunteers of HEAL YOUth Movement can offer to help in the
spiritual/evangelical activities in the said rehabilitation communities either
physically or online (although physical is more preferable) by being
facilitators for worship. Facilitations can be through bible-sharing or
praise & worship (for musically-inclined students).
 If the plans turn out successful in expanding network, manpower, and
partnerships, HEAL YOUth Movement hopes to incorporate fundraising or
donation-drive activities as well in the future to help the partner FBCs in
improving their facilities. If blessed with large amounts of donations, HEAL
YOUth Movement can help the FBCs also in the logistics and shouldering of
transportation costs of potential patients that are far from the location/site of
rehabilitation, especially those in Northern Luzon and Mindanao, which are far
regions from the locations of the two FBCs that will potentially be partnered with.

Time-Frame of Activities

Date Activity

HEAL YOUth Movement’s preparations, formation of

the executive board, the establishment of official
October 1-11, 2021
vision-mission statement, and other steps to make the
organization official

October 13 - 20, 2021 Recruitment of the first set of volunteers

Contacting potential partners especially Fazenda de

October 18 - 22, 2021 Esperanza, the main community that is in line with
HEAL YOUth Movement’s advocacies and principles.

Meeting with partners - discussion of each

October 22-25, 2021
party’s needs and requests

Drafting and signing of MOA’s (Memorandum

October 26 - 28, 2021
of Agreement) with partners (trimestral basis)

Meeting of the executive board to plan activities for the

October 29 -
next 4 months with regards to the needs of the partner
October 30, 2021
organizations.
 Official launching and HEAL YOUth Movement’s
planning and execution of each deliverable (for the next
4 months):

November 5, 2021 - 1. Creation/Designing of Publicity Materials

February 5, 2022 2. Planning of seminar events: contact speakers,
scout for potential audience and date/s, create
program flow, and prepare tokens.
3. Practices and logistics on worship-related
activities.

After 4 months of accomplishing the deliverables,

meetings with partners will be conducted once again
for post-assessment of HEAL YOUth Movement’s
accomplished deliverables, and also to plan on
February 8 - 11, 2022 the next set of deliverables for the next terms.

The cycle then repeats to keep the organization going

and continuously fulfilling its goals toward the
advocacy against drug abuse.

All-year-round Recruitment of volunteers

Interviewing and appointment of new executive board

Every end of 3 terms or
members (based on experience, time of service, and
1 full year
desire of any volunteer to step up)

Other details

Contents of publicities

The publicity materials that will be created should be in line with

the main goal of the organization and to be as clear with the message as
possible. It should center primarily on how the organization aims to be of
aid to drug-dependent Filipinos. It should also highlight how the method
to be used would utilize the Church’s teachings. Furthermore, the
publications would show that the organization is in partnership with other
communities that share the same goal and ideals. It would also include an
open invitation to potential volunteers or sponsors that are open to funding
and helping the growth of the organization in order to reach more
 beneficiaries. However, it should be noted that it is vital that the
publications do not give the message or open a gateway to more
stereotypes, or anything against the beneficiaries.

Other potential partners that will benefit the cause

Aside from Fazenda de Esperanza and Nazareth Formation House,

there are also other potential organizations to partner with. These include
Penuel Home, Set Free Center, and Bridges of Hope, which are all
faith-based communities that function and serve in the light of the
Catholic Faith and the scriptures. Aside from these organizations, other
organizations to partner with that will benefit the promotion of HEAL
YOUth Movement would be The Lasallian, Ang Pahayagang Plaridel, and
Green Giant FM, which are media organizations within De La Salle
University that can be contacted quite easily since the founder of HEAL
YOUth Movement are students of DLSU.

Compliance of the HEAL YOUth Movement’s plans to the ACT Guidelines

The entire committed plans of action of the students under the HEAL YOUth
Movement adhere to the general directions for action under the act portion of the
See-Judge-Act Framework. First, the plans respect people’s processes. For the HEAL
YOUth Movement, students will be given the freedom to exert their unique creativity and
ideas to the different projects they wish to work on. Moreover, no quotas and forced work
will be given to the members since as faith and advocacy-driven organization, all
responsibilities would be voluntary and given to those who genuinely wish to serve the
cause. With regards to the target group for drug rehabilitation, just as Fazenda believes,
“patients can heal and grow in their own way and at their own pace.” By supporting a
spiritual and biblical process of healing and treatment, no patients will have to be forced
to treat themselves against drugs. The HEAL YOUth Movement shall promote the
natural process of healing from drug addictions through the principles of spiritual
healing, work ethic, and community life that Fazenda promotes. The plans also serve as a
liberating power of education as one of the main activities of the organization would be
conducting informative seminars that raise awareness about the dangers of drugs. Doing
so invites more people to partake in liberating those who are dependent on drugs by
introducing them to faith-based rehabilitation communities. The rehabilitation processes
done are also liberating and educative at the same time, with regards to faith. On the
student-volunteers side, their experiences of serving will also be an avenue to learn
leadership and service skills. That said, the plans are also ways to empower leaders from
the student-volunteers from the organization, by allowing them to take liberating actions
of authentic service to the community of those dependent on drugs. Next, the plans also
manifest mobilization and collective action by promoting the community objectives
within the proposed organization, and also with the partner FBCs in addressing the issue
in the most human and spiritual way possible. Meaning, no violence nor any act of harm
will be involved. The organization will also specifically strongly promote the community
life aspect and culture based on Fazenda’s guiding principle. To further manifest the
social transformation in addressing drug abuse, networking and collaboration are the
main means that the proposed action plans are grounded on, as the HEAL YOUth
Movement would be partnering with either Fazenda de Esperanza Philippines or The
Nazareth Formation House or even both. With the student organization providing their
skills and talents on publicities, event-planning, and worship facilitation, both parties
would definitely benefit with regards to their unified goals. Together, and with the
specific worship activities planned, prayer and celebration can also be manifested in the
committed plans of action.

Aside from these, both the inspirational faith-based communities and the student
organization manifests the CST principles as well. Their solutions to the issue all respect
human dignity and the universal destination of goods, promoting oneness with nature as
they provide treatments. Solidarity, options for the poor, common good are of course
being accounted for as well through all the acts of service that unites people with nature
in addressing drug addiction. Moreover, it is through the service of those blessed
financially and with power that the actions of the organization partnered with the FBC’s
can be made possible. Since the organization will also be led by the youth, a high degree
of activeness and participation is expected. Also in the youth organization’s structure,
there shall be subsidiarity in the acts of service, where respect for positions and heading
capabilities will be granted, in order for everyone to maximize their ideas driven by their
desire to serve. Overall, the principle of social justice can be manifested as all parties
involved in addressing the issue of drug abuse are motivated and driven by the spirit of
faith, in the belief that we all deserve to live good and healthy lives in God’s hands, no
matter our status in society.
CONCLUSION

Drug abuse and addiction is a prevalent issue in the Philippines. In this Faith Engagement
Project, the group utilized the See-Judge-Act Methodology to identify the root causes of the
issue, to discern it in the light of faith, and to propose concrete solutions. Solutions to the issue of
drug abuse and addiction by two Faith-Based Communities, namely Fazenda da Esperança -
Philippines and Nazareth Formation House, were also discussed and used as points of reference.

In line with what was established in the aspects See and Judge and with the analysis on
the two FBCs plans as supplements, the group proposed to establish a new student organization
called HEAL YOUth Movement as part of the aspect Act in this project. The group will first
limit its reach to the NCR, southern parts of Luzon, and Masbate in line with the locations of the
two FBCs. The organization has three main plans of action. Firstly, the group plans to partner
with the two FBCs and serve as their publicity arm. Under this action plan, the organization will
create attractive publicity materials for the FBCs that will promote the communities and raise
more awareness primarily through social media. Secondly, the group plans to organize
informative events such as webinars, seminars, and forums. Under this action plan, the
organization will spread awareness about the issue of drug abuse and will promote how the FBCs
can address the issue. Lastly, the group plans to facilitate spiritual activities. Under this action
plan, the group can offer to help in the spiritual/evangelical activities in the rehabilitation
communities such as bible-sharing or praise & worship. In consideration of the pandemic, this
may be done online. In-person volunteer work may also be done in future events should the
circumstances allow it. The group plans adhere to the general directions for action under the act
portion of the See-Judge-Act Framework. The action plans will show respect to people’s
processes as student volunteers are given the freedom to choose and work on projects of their
liking. The plans also empower leaders from student volunteers as it gives students the
opportunity to take liberating actions. The plans also manifest mobilization, collective action,
prayer, and celebration by promoting the community objectives within the proposed
organization, and with the partner FBCS in addressing the issue in the most human and spiritual
way possible. In conclusion, the group can aid the Faith-Based Communities in addressing the
issue of drug abuse and addiction with the establishment of the HEAL YOUth Movement.
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APPENDIX

Division of Work
Introduction - Regina Belen La Lim
See - Nathan John Tan
Judge - Mary Christiene Courtney Alegre and Aaron William Sy
Act - Matthew Joseph Dionela and Angelo Kyle Tan
Conclusion - Carey Louise Arroyo

Evidence of Collaboration