Pinoys urged to take greater commitment to peace

PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. yesterday urged Filipinos to take purposive action and a greater commitment to peace and peace-building in the country.

During the tolling of the peace bell in Quezon City that kicked off the start of the National Peace Consciousness Month (NPCM), Galvez said winning the peace is not just the responsibility of the government alone but takes a whole-of-the-nation, whole-of-society approach.

“It takes everyone to make this happen. Everyone must be part of the process. Each and every one of us has a role to play in the complete and genuine transformation of our society. This transformation begins when we shift our mindset from fear, anger, and revenge to empathy, forgiveness, and mercy, from mistrust to understanding, and from division to unity,” he said.

He urged everyone to help build on and sustain the gains of peace, stressing genuine and long-lasting peace is within reach “if we work together, transform our minds and lives to become beacons of hope, mutual understanding and unity.

“I call on every Filipino to make this year’s peace month a time of deep reflection, purposive action, and an opportunity to demonstrate a greater commitment to our country’s peace, healing, and unity,” he added.

Proclamation No. 675, dated July 20, 2004, declared September of every year as the National Peace Consciousness Month.

This year’s theme is “Peace Month @ 20: Bagong Pilipinas – Transforming Minds, Transforming Lives.”

Galvez said that Peace month is more than just an annual celebration but a movement that invites all Filipinos to own our nation’s peace.

“May these events remind us that peace must begin within ourselves. It begins in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions and outwardly extends to shape our communities, organizations, and our nation as a whole,” he added.

As part of the celebration, President Marcos Jr. is set to lead the opening ceremony of the NPCM and the 28th anniversary of the 1996 peace accord between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front in Malacañang today, Monday.