Dannyka Manangan

Former child star CJ Ramos shares how he overcame addiction and found hope in life

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>CJ Ramos was once one of the most familiar faces on Philippine television. Growing up in the public eye, he brought laughter and warmth to audiences as a child actor, making his mark through shows and films like <em>Ang TV Movie: The Adarna Adventure</em> and <em>Tanging Yaman.</em></p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02KXkCSK3NWVGBwbtmPfoUn2XWtyZTfgKooVwRfTPh4Dn3KzEbAkE38zWYJPuUHTHNl%26id%3D100083363821435&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="494" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>But the glimmer of the spotlight slowly faded as he grew older. By his late teens, his TV and film projects dwindled and the silence of uncertainty came in. Around this time, CJ found himself surrounded by friends who introduced him to something he swore he would never try – drugs.</p><p>In an interview on Toni Talks on November 9, CJ shared that it was during this period of uncertainty in his 20s that he was introduced to drugs. At first, he was hesitant. “Sabi ko dati, ‘never ko ita-try yan,’” he recalled. But curiosity and pressure from friends led him to try it, and before he knew it, he had become addicted.</p><p>“Sa first time pa lang [na-addict na ko]. Kasi parang nung first time ko hindi ko pa gaanong naalam yung tama. Sinubukan ko ulit hangga’t sa ayun na ang hirap na lumabas,” he shared.  </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DPxrslRkwGw/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A526873.299999997%2C%22ls%22%3A55528.5%2C%22le%22%3A55904.20000000298%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>His addiction slowly affected every aspect of his life, his work, his relationships, and even his family. Trying to hide, he began to isolate himself, avoiding people who might notice his addiction. Just to sustain his vices, CJ admitted that he also tried stealing from his parents, no longer thinking of anything else but the next hit. “Makagawa ka na ng masama. Hindi mo na alam pati pamilya mo matatabla mo na, makakapagsinungaling ka, tama yun lahat gagawin mo talaga,” he confessed.</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/2018/8/4/fresh-scoops/former-child-actor-cj-ramos-has-a-warning-for-peop-47783"><strong>READ: Former child actor CJ Ramos has a warning for people in showbiz: ‘Wag niyo nang subukan’</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>In 2018, before his arrest, CJ said he had already wanted to change. He had applied for a job as a call center center agent, but after not being accepted, he used drugs again out of sadness. That same night, he was caught in a buy-bust operation.</p><p>He described his time in jail as one of the hardest experiences of his life, being confined in a small, crowded cell with more than twenty men, the stench was unbearable, he was unable to sleep properly, and always losing his appetite. “Yung isang araw mo doon, parang isang linggo. Yung kabog ng dibdib mo hindi mawawala. Yung lungkot, yung inip. Kasi siyempre hindi naman po tayo sanay sa ganon,” he shared.  </p><p>When news of his arrest broke, he felt humiliated. “Parang sinasabi na nung mga pulis na nag-trending ka kasi nabalita po &#x27;yun talaga. Doon pa lang sa kulungan hiyang-hiya na ako kasi siyempre nalaman din nung mga ibang nakakakilala sa akin.”</p><p>It was during those days behind bars that CJ realized he needed to turn his life around: “Sabi ko na lang sa sarili ko, Lord kayo na lang pong bahala,’” he said. He took his arrest as a wake-up call, a painful but necessary turning point in life.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChKZ6YZFCh0/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A528808.200000003%2C%22ls%22%3A55528.5%2C%22le%22%3A55904.20000000298%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="558" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Just five days after his release, an unexpected call came from the production of <em>FPJ&#x27;s: Ang Probinsyano</em>. Coco Martin gave him a chance to return to acting. Still carrying the weight of shame, CJ entered the set humiliated by his past. But instead of judgment, he was met with kindness and support by the cast. “Buti na lang ‘yan sila kuya Jobert (Austria) yung mga kasama ko doon. Talagang niyakap nila ako na ‘Dito ka sa amin. Pamilya tayo dito basta huwag ka ng uulit,” he recalled.</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/2018/8/16/fresh-scoops/cj-ramos-kasama-na-sa-ang-probinsyano-binigyang-48067"><strong>READ: CJ Ramos kasama na sa “Ang Probinsyano,” binigyang pag-asa ni Coco Martin</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>For a while, things went well. He saved money, bought a car, a motorcycle, and began rebuilding his life. He even attended counseling and never touched drugs again.  </p><p>But life tested him again after the show ended. The pandemic left him jobless, and bills piled up. At one point, his electricity bill reached forty-seven thousand pesos. His partner, Diane, became their sole provider until exhaustion landed her in the hospital, twice. “Narealize ko na hindi po pwede &#x27;to na ganito. Kailangan nating kumilos talaga,” CJ said.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1546209033046562%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=357&amp;t=0" width="357" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>He sold his car to pay their debts and bought another one through installment to use as a Transport Network Vehicle Services [TNVS] vehicle. On the road, he found not just income, but purpose. Encouraged by Diane and his friends, he started vlogging his daily experiences. At first, he was unsure about sharing his story publicly. But when he finally posted his first video, he was shocked with the positive response of netizens, appreciating his honesty and resilience.</p><p>Since then, CJ has found a new sense of purpose. Driving for a living and creating content allowed him to provide for his family and inspire others who have gone through difficult times. After experiencing the highs of fame and success as an artist, CJ said that this season of his life, simple, steady, and grounded in love, is the happiest he has ever been.</p><p>“Ito yung pinakamasaya dahil sa family tapos binigyan ako ni Lord ng stable na trabaho. Talagang masasabi ko na clean na talaga ako. Wala na talaga. Natalo na natin lahat ng addiction natin,” he expressed.  </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid0U7RAnKucMnEzBTfeHqazTqdoGgQEa3bS9tbJ9tKopjjwZghtsrJM3pPvxdSammJBl%26id%3D100083363821435&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="497" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Netizens also took to social media their support to CJ, sharing how his story touched their lives.  </p><p>“Nakakaproud yung ganito na nalihis ng landas pero pinilit magbago at tuluyan nang nagbabagong buhay. Proud of you CJ, batang ‘90s here, nasubaybayan kita” one commented.  </p><p>“I like CJ ❤watching him when he was a child and now how how he overcome the challenges in his life. I loved watching his vlog driving the people around and make a living. His life is very inspirational ❤” another wrote.</p><p>For CJ, true happiness did not come from fame or money, but from peace. He also hopes to inspire others who may be going through the same struggles he once faced:  “Alam ko hindi naman araw-araw gusto nila [yung] ganyan. Alam ko meron din araw na gusto nilang magbago. Mahirap magbago talaga pag nakasanayan na yung ganyang gawain. Pero kaya basta sa tulong ng tamang tao, pamilya at saka sarili mo. Kailangan tulungan mo ang sarili mo. Siyempre hindi ka magbabago talaga kung ayaw mo eh. Pero ikumpara mo yung buhay na magiging maganda para sayo at sa pamilya mo kaysa sa buhay mo na nasa kadiliman ka.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02K7Pg57jdUsjWUSMbkvsqbC41ZvkrABwisjc6xS3PRxpgU3QrUAhhYACosmsfdirxl%26id%3D100083363821435&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="375" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>When asked what he is most thankful for, CJ answered with sincerity: “Magkaroon ng pamilya, magkaroon ng totoong pagmamahal.”</p><p>Today, CJ lives a quiet but fulfilling life as a devoted family man and content creator. Through his daily vlogs as a TNVS driver, he shares not only his everyday experiences but also lessons about faith, perseverance, and hope.  </p>

<p>Former child star CJ Ramos opens up about his journey from addiction and imprisonment to recovery and renewal. After years of struggle, he has found peace in faith, family, and a simple, honest life beyond fame.</p>

Former child star CJ Ramos opens up about his journey from addiction and imprisonment to recovery and renewal. After years of struggle, he has found peace in faith, family, and a simple, honest life beyond fame.