QUEZON CITY — The comprehensive Philippine peace process is now moving forward at an accelerated pace and continues to gain momentum because of the strong convergence between the national government and various stakeholders.

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is very committed to really end all conflicts within his term,” said Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., said in a mix of English and Filipino during an interview over PTV 4 on Monday, April 28.

This convergence of efforts between the national government and key sectors of society, Galvez said, has been the key in moving forward the nation’s peace agenda and making people feel the dividends of peace.

According to the peace adviser, the Marcos administration is determined to fulfill the remaining commitments made by the national government under all signed peace agreements through President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ Jr. Bagong Pilipinas slogan.

Galvez pointed out that substantial progress has been made under the Bangsamoro Peace Process, which he believes will be sustained under the new leadership of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

“His administration is performing very well because it is an ‘open government,’” he said, referring to Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.

“All of the concerns raised before the BTA are being addressed. This has also made the delivery of essential services to the Bangsamoro people more effective and efficient,” Galvez added.

The President’s appointment of Macacua, he noted, has been a “unifying factor” for the region, as it has addressed concerns within the BTA and among the people.

Galvez also reported on the milestones achieved under other peace tables, particularly with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa – Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA/ABB) or KAPATIRAN and the Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA).

“More than 96% of the peace agreements with these groups have already been implemented. This is because of our strategy of localization wherein local government units are taking the lead in the implementation process, as more Peace and Development Centers (PDCs) are being established in the provinces,” the OPAPRU chief said.

Galvez said the peace process with the CBA-CPLA is now in its final stages, as communities in once conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas are being transformed through Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)-funded infrastructure projects such as farm-to-market roads, bridges and water systems, as well as sustainable livelihood initiatives and educational assistance programs.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), he said, has already engaged around 26 governors under its localization programs, with around 9 to 10 PDCs having been established by provincial local government units (PLGUs).

The OPAPRU, Galvez said, is also pushing forward the Philippine and global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through the newly-established WPS Center of Excellence, which was created through a partnership between the peace agency and the US State Department.

“This [Center of Excellence] will be an excellent vehicle that will enable the Philippines to highlight its WPS initiatives across the Asia Pacific region,” he said.

“This is why the OPAPRU is pushing for the localization of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS),” Galvez continued, noting that the Philippines is one of the six countries all over the world that has developed a 4th generation NAPWPS.

Riding on the success of the Philippines first International Conference on Women, Peace and Security in 2024, the OPAPRU, as chair of the National Steering Committee on WPS, is set to lead the conduct of the country’s first National Conference on Women, Peace and Security this coming October.

Echoing the President’s directive, Galvez stressed that the administration continues to focus on the implementation of social healing programs, particularly, those that aim to prevent the recurrence and resurgence of conflicts.

“As the President has said, we should not go back to square one. This is why we should address all the drivers of armed conflict,” he emphasized.

Galvez likewise cited the progress made in addressing the threats posed by violent extremist groups in the island-provinces of Basilan and Sulu which have been declared “Abu Sayyaf-free.”

He said these provinces have likewise been identified as “development-ready,” as the Marcos administration spearheads interventions to foster healing and reconciliation, and rehabilitate once conflict-stricken areas.

“‘We need to focus more on poverty alleviation. More work needs to be generated, more lands have to be irrigated in order to raise the productivity level of individuals and communities, particularly those in marginalized and underdeveloped areas,” Galvez said.

“As the President has underscored, our interventions should be geared towards the promotion of human rights, the protection of human dignity, and the upliftment of the lives of the Filipino people,” he concluded.

All of the OPARPU’s peacebuilding initiatives are guided by the Marcos administration’s 5-Point Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Agenda, which include the following:

  • Completion of peace agreements with the MILF and MNLF towards healing and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro;
  • Ending of armed conflict with the CPP-NPA-NDF and local armed groups by expanding the transformation programs for local peace process and forging political settlement;
  • Completion and sustainment of the gains of the signed peace agreements with the RPM-P/RPA/ABB and CBA-CPLA;
  • Enhancement of the resilience for peace of communities and vulnerable groups through social healing and peacebuilding approaches in support of the peace processes; and
  • Enhancement of the delivery of Conflict-Sensitive and Peace-Promoting (CSPP)-compliant intervention in addressing the root causes and drivers of conflict through convergence and complementation in support of the peace processes.###