PEACETALK: Let us reaffirm our commitment to continue working as peacebuilders and peacemakers

(Message delivered by Secretary Carlito Galvez, Presidential Peace Adviser, at the opening of the National Peace Consciousness Month 2022 on Thursday morning, 01 September 2022 at the Quezon Memorial Circle).

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning! Greetings of peace to all of you!

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity welcomes all of you. We are honored by your presence. Thank you for joining us in officially opening this year’s national peace consciousness month.

Our theme for this year’s peace month celebration, “Pagkakaisa at Paghilom: Isang bansa para sa Kapayapaan,” or “Unity and Healing: One nation for Peace,” is inspired by our collective vision to bring peace, reconciliation, and unity throughout the country.

By heeding the call for unity — regardless of religion, culture, and political beliefs – we, as a one people and one nation, can attain our common goal of achieving a genuine and long-lasting peace.

Through our united efforts, there is no doubt that we can sustain the gains of the Comprehensive Philippine Peace Processes. But in order for us to move forward, we need to let go of the pain of the past, learn from our experiences, and use these lessons to inspire us to build a better future for our nation that is free from conflict, prejudice, violence, and animosity.

The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is determined more than ever to pursue the completion of the implementation of all signed peace agreements, and transformation program, which are aligned to our five-point peace, reconciliation and unity agenda, which are the following:

1. Completion of peace agreements with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) towards healing and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro;
2. Ending of local communist armed conflict by expanding the transformation programs for local conflict peace process;
3. Completion and sustainment of the gains of the signed peace agreements with the Rpm-P/Rpa/Abb and CBA-CPLA;
4. Enhancement of the resilience for peace of communities and vulnerable groups through social healing and peacebuilding approaches in support of the peace processes; and
5. Enhancement of the delivery of CSPP-compliant socioeconomic interventions in addressing the key drivers of conflict through convergence and complementation in support of the peace processes.

To instill the culture of peace in the consciousness of the Filipino people, part of our effort is to strengthen the mainstreaming of peace education program in all levels of our educational system, including the non-formal education. This must start at the elementary level to tertiary level, hence we are working closely with the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education.

More importantly, we thank the President for supporting our agency’s initiatives to promote peace, reconciliation, and unity by helping to, transform former combatants into peaceful and productive individuals and turning once conflict-affected areas into peaceful, progressive and resilient communities.

Throughout this month, the OPAPRU, together with our peace partners – line agencies, local government units, civil society organizations and the academe – have lined up a series of exciting peace-themed activities to celebrate our unity amidst diversity.

Today, as we light the candle and ring the peace bell to symbolize our full support to the comprehensive peace process, let us reaffirm our commitment to continue working as peacebuilders and peacemakers. Let us all become beacons of hope, peace and mutual understanding in our communities.

Let us always remember that all of us have an important role to play, and that is, to help build a better, brighter and more peaceful future for our children and the generations to come. Let us keep the fires in our bellies burning, as we continue with our peace journey.

Once again, I thank all of you for joining us in this activity.

A happy national peace consciousness month 2022 to each and everyone of you!