ACAY Missions Philippines

My childhood wasn’t easy—my dad had passed away, and my mum abandoned us—my two little brothers and me. My dream back then was to eat three meals a day. I was taught to beg. One day, a street educator took me to a government center. There, I was able to re-enter the school system. After three years in that center, I was welcomed into the School of Life. There, in addition to my studies, I found a family. My life changed. My wounds—which I had kept well hidden until then and which remained unhealed—came to the surface. I learned to face them, to understand, and to stop destroying myself from the inside and instead build my future. Every week, I learnt something new. I rebuilt myself, and as I reintegrated into society, I told myself, “Go for it—you’re ready.”

I was sold by my mother at birth. I was valued at 10,000 pesos. Years of violence, relentless beatings, and ultimately abuse followed. A neighbor finally found the courage to help me, and I was rescued. I spent eight years in a shelter before joining the School of Life. The culture shock was intense. ACAY was introducing the Metamorpho.sYs method. We were learning to assess ourselves. I took control of my life. The “From Closedness to Openness” indicator made me realize the importance of daring to bring to the surface the suffering I had buried deep inside me. It was a long and painful journey, but today I feel free. I was able to meet with my abuser again and express to him all that I had suffered. My suffering has become a mission: I now help young people develop the confidence that their lives do not end with their past. A true metamorphosis is possible.

I was what they call a “Siga”, a gang leader. There was no room for fear; I had to be the strongest, the best. My folks were poor. My dad was a soldier who’d deserted and become a tricycle driver. We had about ten mouths to feed every day. I ended up in detention. The years I spent in detention centers allowed me to earn my high school diploma. Unable to continue my education, I fell back into a life of violence. I almost ended up in adult prison, but my judge asked ACAY to take me in. So I spent two years in ACAY and became an electrician. Today, I’m a father, I have a career, and I stay in touch with ACAY whenever they need a helping hand.

I am the youngest of five children. My parents make a living fishing in the province. When I was 8, I started working. I sold fish and fruit to help the family earn a little extra money. When I was 11, I came to Manila to join my mother, who had left us. We both ended up on the streets, sleeping in abandoned jeepneys. I persevered to continue my studies anyway and worked on the side to survive. One day, a friend invited me to a party that ended in alcohol and drugs. That landed me in prison. There were 60 of us in each cell. But in the midst of that chaos, I discovered God. He is the one who gave me new hope. A friend then introduced me to ACAY. There I found a family, a place where I could make sense of everything I’d been through, and thanks to a Roadmap and coaching from the ACAY teams, I was able to chart a course for my life, which had lost its direction. Today, I’m about to graduate with a four-year degree in criminology and will be joining the police force.