Board of peace

When I learned that United States President Donald Trump had sent a personal letter to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inviting the Philippines to be part of the proposed Board of Peace, I felt a profound sense of pride.

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I told myself that our country's experiences in peacebuilding is not only being noticed but recognized by no less than the American president, who is currently leading global efforts to build a coalition of nations that will rehabilitate Gaza.

In particular, the Board of Peace aims to serve as an international peace-building, stabilization, and reconstruction body in Gaza, as well as to promote stability, restore lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict. The Board of Peace was launched in Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22.

As of this writing, the Philippine government has not yet officially responded to President Trump's invitation. But as Ambassador Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez has explained, the Marcos Jr. administration is studying carefully how best to contribute to this body.

We believe that there are compelling reasons why President Trump, who successfully brokered a ceasefire agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas, chose the Philippines to participate in this collective undertaking.