■ FATHER, 26, MEETS SON FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER REHAB
A 26-six-year-old drug user met his son, 7, for the first time. His wife left him while she was pregnant at the height of his addiction. Jomil Velasquez, hooked on drugs for roughly 11 years, is one of the 500 drug dependents unergoing rehabilitation with the help of the archdiocese. Six months after some spiritual renewal at the center, he finally earned the chance to embrace his son last week.
It wasn't after finally reuniting with his seven-year-old son Kurt John, whom he's never met since birth, that 26-year-old Jomil Velasquez realized what “real bliss” means.
The young father never thought he'd live to see the day when he'd be able to wrap his arms around Kurt, after his then pregnant wife left him because of his worsening dependence on illegal drugs.
“It was during my first year in high school when I started using drugs. It was hard for a little boy with so many problems to avoid temptation as drug use was prevalent in our community. I grew up being so dependent on it,” he said.
A self-confessed user for 11 years, Velasquez recalled how the temporary “calming effect” of illegal drugs blinded him to those that truly mattered, like his wife and unborn child.
He admitted trying several attempts to stop his vices, only to fail again as most of his peers, too, start- ed using drugs at a very early age.
It was too late for him to straighten things up when his then pregnant wife packed her bags and left for good.
Velasquez said no amount of drugs could numb the pain and grief he felt over the loss of his lover and son.
Following the enforcement of Oplan Tokhang last year, Velasquez finally decided that the way to fully recover is to rebuild his relationship with God.
Journey
It has been six months since he enrolled himself in Lahat Bangon, a community-based drug rehabilitation program that is catering to drug addicts who surrendered to authorities through Oplan Tokhang.
The program, which is an advocacy of the Dilaab Foundation headed by Fr. Carmelo Diola, provides "pastoral accompaniment" to people so that they can start anew.
As a reward for his continued effort in reforming himself, Velas- quez was given the chance to meet Kurt for the first time, and father and son had an emotional reunion.
“Feb. 16, 2017 will now be the happiest day of my life. I thought that my son and I will only meet in the afterlife, but God truly works wonders. My wife and I have also reconciled,” he said.
Velasquez is just one of the close to 500 street children and drug dependents undergoing rehabilitation who gathered yesterday at the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Pavilion in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City to commemorate the holding of the Tables of Hope, which opened the 51st IEC last year.
Diola, in an interview, said the activity signifies that the IEC was not a one-time activity, but a continuing journey.
The Tables of Hope was participated in by 15 parishes from the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.
Most of the drug dependents, like Velasquez, still have a long way to go, but he remains positive that while the road may be rough, they will never walk alone.