A year of Peace by Peace

One year ago, I began my exciting journey with the Manila Bulletin as I launched my column “Peace by Peace.” The foremost thought on my mind at that time was, will our readers be receptive to an opinion column that will do a deep dive on the comprehensive Philippine peace process? It did not take long for us to get an affirmative answer.

- SECRETARY CARLITO G. GALVEZ, JR.

As I mark this milestone in our peacebuilding work, I extend my deepest gratitude to the management and editorial team of the paper led by Dr. Emilio Yap, III for giving the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) a platform to share key developments and insights on the comprehensive Philippine peace process.

The partnership between the OPAPRU and Manila Bulletin could be best described as a match made in heaven, as both our organizations are heavily invested in peace, with the paper fully supporting our agency's efforts to realize our collective vision of building a more peaceful, secure and resilient nation.

Through the more than 50 opinion pieces that have been published over the past year, we have highlighted the major initiatives being undertaken by the national government — in collaboration with its stakeholders — to foster genuine and long-lasting peace across the country, particularly in remote, conflict-vulnerable, last-mile communities.

Moreover, we have highlighted stories of transformation, resilience, and empowerment across OPAPRU’s various peace tables, reflecting the Marcos administration’s unwavering commitment to sustaining the gains of peace and achieving national unity, social cohesion, and sustainable economic growth and development.

We have tried to ensure that our column is not just a chronicling of events but also an in-depth analysis of our peace processes and the impact they are making on communities. It is also a call to action to each and every Filipino not to be passive observers and instead, be actively involved in the peacebuilding process.