MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliationhola play, and Unity (OPAPRU) is expected to be converted into a national peace institute in 2025 to gather research data and promote peace education across the country, OPAPRU Chief Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.
According to Galvez, the office experience must be transformed into a “solid institution.”
“The national peace institution is intended to serve as the repository for all peace engagements, including our local and international experiences. At the same time, it will also institutionalize our engagement with peace education institutions,” Galvez said in a mix of Filipino and English at a forum in Malate, Manila.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: PH gov’t gives P25-M farm equipment to ex-MNLF combatants
FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO VP Sara Duterte considering hiring private security force NEWSINFO NBI admits to start from scratch on probing threat vs VP Sara Duterte NEWSINFO Isko Moreno’s legacy of public markets in ManilaThe OPAPRU is in charge of implementing the government’s peace process under the mandate of Executive Order No. 158 or the “Strengthening the policy framework on peace, reconciliation, and unity, and reorganizing the government’s administrative structure for the purpose.”
Furthermore, Galvez underscored that peace education is a part of the office’s peace-building components, alongside peace enforcement and peacemaking.
Article continues after this advertisement“In peace building, we refer to positive peace as changing people’s mindset to reduce aggressive tendencies,” Galvez added.
Article continues after this advertisementGalvez also noted that the OPAPRU’s institutionalization will benefit all the employees, especially the contractual ones. The OPAPRU chief mentioned that there are currently 247 plantilla positions while there are around 300 to 400 contractual employees.
Article continues after this advertisementGalvez shared that aside from getting a directive from the Department of Budget and Management for the institutionalization, they are also conducting consultations with the academe and government agencies.
“We’ve seen a lot of positive feedback… Our politics can be very divisive; we need an institution that can strengthen positive engagement with the department,” he stated.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Senate told: Bangsamoro Parliament members still waiting for amnesty
Subscribe to our daily newsletter