QUEZON CITY – Over a hundred peace advocates and champions from various basic and higher education institutions, civil society organizations, and regional offices of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepEd), as well as other learning institutions from across the country threw their their full support behind the establishment of a peace constituency and the national government’s peace agenda during the recently-concluded 3rd National Peace Education Summit held in this city from September 25 to 26, this city.

The peace education summit is among the series of activities lined up for this year’s National Peace Consciousness Month with the theme: “Peace Month @ 20: Bagong Pilipinas: Transforming Minds, Transforming Lives.”

The theme of the 3rd National Peace Education Summit, “Harnessing the Transformative Power of Education in Educational Reforms and Societal Harmony,” highlighted the need to harness education as a powerful tool in bringing positive change in both the education system and society as a whole.

Institutionalizing peace education

According to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, who represented CHED Sec. J. Prospero E. De Vera, among the steps that were taken by their agency to promote the culture of peace was the issuance of memoranda supporting the institutionalization of peace education in colleges and universities.

These include CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 1, s. 2019 which calls for the integration of peace education/studies into relevant higher education curricula, and CMO No. 42, s. 2021 which recommended guiding principles and practices on peace education for higher education institutions.

Adamant also shared the preparations being done by CHED as it gears up for the integration of peace education in the country’s curricula.

“We have initiated comprehensive training programs for professors to equip and empower them with the right knowledge in teaching peace, emphasizing the significance and relevance of peace education,” he said.

The activity had five thematic sessions, which included: Perspectives of University Administrators on Peace Education Institutionalization in Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); Different Strokes for Different Folks: Learning from Varied Peace Education Integration Models in the Academe; Peace Education Application in Basic Education Reading, Science and Mathematics; Embedding Peace Education in Local Communities and Public Governance; and Peace Education Icons: Ways Forward for Peace Education in the Philippines.

Unity in advancing peace education

Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Oscar Valenzuela who represented DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, emphasized the importance of stakeholders coming together with the shared goal of advancing peace education in the country.

“Ang iyong dedikasyon sa edukasyong pang-kapayapaan ay napakahalaga. At ako ay nagpapasalamat sa inyong patuloy na suporta. Nawa’y magbigay tayo ng inspirasyon sa isang bagong alon ng kamalayan sa kapayapaan na umalingawngaw sa bawat puso ng tahanan. Sama-sama nating gawing reyalidad ang ating pananaw sa kapayapaan. Patuloy tayong magsikap para sa isang maayos na Pilipinas,” Valenzuela said.

“Tandaan, ang ating sama-samang pagkilos ay isang pwersa na dapat isaalang-alang. Sama -sama nating linangin ang isang pambansang kamalayan sa kapayapaan na umalingawngaw sa ating mga komunidad, ating mga institusyon, at sa huli, sa ating bansa. Isipin ang isang bansa kung saan ang bawat bata ay lumaki na may pag-unawa sa pagpaparaya, ang bawat komunidad ay nagtataguyod ng dialogue, at ang bawat mamamayan ay gumaganap ng aktibong papel sa pagbuo ng kapayapaan,” he added.

Aside from discussions on how to promote and integrate peace education in the curricula, the forum also identified key challenges in pushing forward peace education in the country, which include ‘materialism’ and cultural appropriation.

Forum discussants recommended solutions to address these concerns such as the inclusion of the updates on the peace process in the education curricula, encouraging research on the peace process among social sciences students, forging partnerships with NGOs and NGAs for skills training and social interventions for active and former rebels and scholarship grants.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Executive Director Rosalina Constantino shared the government’s efforts in supporting the reintegration of former rebels and the marginalized sector into mainstream society.

“We have been providing skills training and livelihood programs to residents who have been displaced due to informal armed conflict. Based on our data in 2023, we have trained over 139,000 former rebels, indigenous peoples and other members of the marginalized sectors,” Rosalina said.

“We are also bringing the TESDA program and services closer to the residents of far-flung areas through the contact of different caravans and mobile training laboratories,” she added.
A platform to discuss issues

The forum’s participants, which consisted of scholars, professors, and non-government organization workers, agreed on the timeliness and significance of the event.

It has provided a platform where issues related to peace education can be discussed, craft solutions to address these concerns, and share best practices that they can use in strengthening peace education in the country.

Deputy Presidential Peace Adviser Senior Undersecretary Isidro Purisima assured forum delegates that the OPAPRU will take note of the issues raised and solutions proposed during the forum.

“Rest assured that the diverse perspectives, constructive dialogues, and key recommendations shared by all the participants over the past two days are well noted and highly appreciated by our office. With your wide-ranging knowledge, experience, expertise, your inputs are invaluable to us and will surely be incorporated in all the peacebuilding policies, plans and programs our agency will be carrying out across the country,” Purisima said.

He also underscored the importance of peace education in sustaining the gains of peace.

“The discussions during the summit have, undoubtedly, highlighted the importance of peace education in the national government’s peace policy agenda. It is a vital component to sustaining and building on the gains of peace we have worked hard to achieve over the years,” he emphasized.

Shared commitment to peace

The event was concluded with a solemn commitment to peace from all participants.

They manifested their commitment to reject all forms of violence, physical, psychological and structural, as well as signified their support for the nation’s comprehensive peace process.

Moreover, the participants vowed to continue working in solidarity with their fellow peacebuilders, and support efforts to bridge divides and heal the wounds of conflict across the country.###