DAVAO CITY (September 27) – A peace concert, the unveiling of a peace quilt, and a motorcade are just some of the activities lined for the celebration to culminate the month-long observance of the National Peace Consciousness Month in this city here today.
The Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the government agency tasked to lead the peace month celebration, along with the Mindanao Peace Council and other various groups, will spearhead the culmination event at Rizal Park, located right at the heart of this city.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus G. Dureza said the event is part of the government’s effort to sustain peace initiatives throughout the country.
“We must focus on our common goal, and that is to help create an enabling environment where sustainable peace and genuine development can take root. To do this, we must set aside our personal agenda and work for the common good. Difficult as it may seem, we can achieve this – peace by piece,” he said.
A motorcade will kick-off the culmination event at 2:00 PM. It will start at Magsaysay Park and will make its way along the main thoroughfares of the city to drum up the peace campaign onto Rizal Park.
Dureza will lead the ceremony by presenting the “State of Peace Process” under the Duterte administration.
Among the highlights of the event is the unveiling of the “People’s Aspiration for Peace.” It is a peace quilt made of various painted canvases stitched together to form a huge work of peace art. Each quilt was collected throughout the country, painted by various sectors, including survivors of the armed conflict in Marawi City.
Participants are also expected to take a “Pledge for Peace” that will be led by Peace Ambassador Farahnaz Ali Ghodsinia, who is currently president of the 10th National Youth Parliament, the biggest parliamentary organization for youth in the Philippines.
Wrapping up the event is the Huni sa Kalinaw (Peace Concert) with the participation of various artists in Davao City.
OPAPP has been leading the National Peace Consciousness Month since 2004 by virtue of Proclamation No. 675, declaring the month of September as Peace Month.
The objective of the month-long celebration is to instill greater consciousness and understanding among the Filipino people on the comprehensive peace process.
It also aims to sustain institutional and popular support for the building of a culture of peace in the country.
This year’s theme is “Mithiing Kapayapaan, Sama-samang Isakatuparan,” with the carrier tagline “Peace Na Tayo.”
