MANILA - Drug addicts are making religious figurines and taking free acupuncture sessions in a church in Manila as part of their addiction rehabilitation program.

The San Isidro Labrador Parish is helping self-confessed drug users earn a living by having them carve and paint figurines of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Family using resin and power tools.

The drug addicts earn a commission for every religious figurine sold, which sells from P85 (1.5 USD) to P150 (3 USD). Since kicking off in November 2016, the church has made almost P30,000 (612 USD).

Former drug user and 59-year-old painter Robin, who didn't want to give his real name, says his work in the church has made him closer to God and find order and purpose in his life.

"Even if my life here on Earth will be cut short, at least I feel as if I'm already with the Lord. Just look at our work. This is what I always tell the younger addicts, that life is a gift. You should always put it to good use because you are still young, you can still do many things. Unlike me, I'll likely be found dead on the streets soon," he told Reuters TV.

Apart from a livelihood program, drug addicts also undergo free acupuncture lessons administered by the group Rise Up, a religious non-government organization advocating against extrajudicial killings.

The parish requires self-confessed drug users to take the session during Sundays at least 10 times.

"Acupuncture will give balance to their bodies, especially to what we call the Yin Yang. At the same time this also helps people recover from ailments. In practice, there really are people who get cured by this. So this is what we want to introduce to everyone, especially the poor, that there is a way to help our brothers and sisters involved in drugs," said Rise Up convenor Nardi Sabino.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has seen a surge of drug users surrendering to the police in six months since he took office and finding places which offer addiction rehabilitation programs.

The Philippine National Police has recorded at least 1 million drug surrenderees as of December 31, 2016 while the health ministry says at least 70,000 of those who surrendered require in-house rehabilitation.

Only 15,000 individuals can be accommodated in existing private and public rehabilitation centers.

Various non-profit and religious groups have volunteered to help fill the lack of rehabilitation opportunities for addicts as the number of drug-related killings in the Philippines since Duterte became president six months ago has reached 6,100.

Reverend Gilbert Billena, who leads the San Isidro Labrador Parish, says it is illogical to simply kill drug addicts rather than help them recover like patients who have diseases or parishioners who have lost their way.

"Drug addicts are losing faith, that's why they are on the wrong path in life. So it's important to bring back their faith. We have to return to them and give them back to the Church and have firm faith in God so that whatever challenges and difficulties they may face, they always have Him," Billena says.

There has been popular support for Duterte's campaign against drugs but the wave of killings unleashed since his election victory has alarmed rights groups and brought expressions of concern from the United States, a close ally of Manila, and the United Nations.