AS part of the “National Peace Consciousness Month” celebration, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the conduct of the “1st National Peace Education Summit” recently in Davao.

With advocates and exemplars of peace in attendance, the event sought to advance the integration of peace education in the curricular and extracurricular activities of both basic and higher education.

DepEd’s delegation was represented by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Youth Affairs and Special Concerns (OASYASC), headed by Assistant Secretary Dexter A. Galban, who delivered a message on behalf of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte.

With inputs from the Office of the Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction (OUCI), Galban also served as one of the plenary speakers during the event and presented DepEd’s efforts in promoting peace education.

Galban also highlighted ways forward as the education department “advocates for peace”.

“With the support of our Curriculum & Instruction (CI) strand and our NGO (non-governmental organization) and CSO (civil society organization) partners, we look forward to further championing the culture of peace in our schools through improved monitoring and evaluation,” he said.

To date, Galban has also been designated as DepEd’s representative to the OPAPRU Government Peace Negotiating Panels (GPNPs) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslims in Mindanao – Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (BARMM-MBHTE).

OASYASC has likewise been working closely with BARMM-MBHTE as the DepEd’s official designate to participate in BARMM affairs.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Arlene Rivera