From Ruin to Renewal: A Father’s Journey Back to Himself

Stories of Resiliency, Hope and Restoration (ENG)

When Jessie Paulo Sapno speaks today, his voice carries a quiet steadiness that was once absent from his life. At 41, Jessie is a father of four, a partner striving to rebuild trust, and a man learning—day by day—how to live with purpose. But not long ago, his world was unraveling.

Jessie was arrested in September 2024 during a police sweep targeting illegal gambling operations and was charged with illegal possession of firearms—an accusation he firmly maintains he did not commit. Yet even before the arrest, Jessie knew he was losing his way. “I wasn’t living right,” he admits. “I was hooked on drugs. I lost myself.”

Addiction had already fractured his relationships. His siblings grew distant. His partner, Rina, struggled to keep their family afloat. Their children felt farther and farther away, as if their laughter belonged to a life Jessie no longer deserved.

Incarceration stripped Jessie of everything familiar, but it also gave him something he had not had in years: time. Time to confront the pain he caused, the mistakes he made, and the man he still hoped to become. Prison, for Jessie, became an unlikely place of reckoning.

When the BANDILA Aftercare Program was launched in January 2025, Jessie was among the first to join. What struck him immediately was the program’s approach. BANDILA did not reduce him to his case number or his charges. Instead, it asked a deeper question: Who do you want to be after this?

Through counseling, spiritual formation, life-skills sessions, and vocational training, Jessie slowly began to believe that change was possible. For the first time in years, he envisioned a future not defined by shame or survival, but by responsibility and dignity.

On February 10, 2025, Jessie was released through plea bargaining. Many men in his situation return to the same streets, the same habits, the same risks. Jessie chose a different path. He came back—not to his old life—but to BANDILA.

At BANDILA, Jessie joined the sewing livelihood initiative, learning not only a practical skill but also the discipline of showing up, finishing what he started, and contributing to something larger than himself. When the program launched Padyak Para sa Pagbabago (Pedal for Change), Jessie became its very first beneficiary. He was given a bicycle, a thermal bread bag, and something far more valuable: trust.

Later, after completing the “Bukas Loob Tungo sa Pagbabagong Buhay” sessions, Jessie received a small microbusiness loan to start a street-food stall near his home. The income was modest, but the impact was profound. For the first time, Jessie was earning honestly, providing for his family, and reclaiming his role as a father.

Even when the initial sewing livelihood slowed due to weak sales, BANDILA and PRESO, Inc. did not abandon him. Instead, they adapted—walking with Jessie, reassessing his needs, and extending support where it mattered most. This continuity of care became the difference between relapse and resilience.

Today, Jessie attends Mass every Sunday at Quiapo Church, grounding his renewed life in faith. His reliability and integrity have not gone unnoticed. His barangay captain invited him to serve twice a week as a barangay tanod, a role that offers both supplemental income and restored dignity.

Perhaps the most meaningful milestone came last Christmas—the first time in years Jessie spent the season together with his partner and two of his children under one roof. It was not a perfect celebration. But it was real. And it was earned.

Jessie Sapno’s story reminds us that reintegration is not a single event—it is a journey. With sustained support, patient accompaniment, and belief in second chances, lives once written off can be restored. Supporting BANDILA means investing in fathers like Jessie, families like his, and communities made safer and stronger through genuine transformation.

Read our initial story about Jessie: Raising the Banner of Hope: The Story of Jessie and the Calling Behind BANDILA