[HWPL]

[HWPL] Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED), under the jurisdiction of the President of the Philippines, Signs an MOA with HWPL

Memorandum of Agreement signed between HWPL and Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on January 23, 2018

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (Chairman Man-hee Lee) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at the Higher Education Development Center Building in Quezon City, Philippines during the 26th HWPL Peace Tour on January 23, 2018. CHED is a national institution under the direct jurisdiction of the Philippine presidential office, and it is an organization that manages and supervises more than 2,000 higher education institutions (colleges and others). This MOA has held great significance as it established a foothold for the implementation of HWPL peace education throughout the Philippines, starting at universities. The MOA was signed by CHED Commissioner Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, on behalf of the Chairman of CHED.

A commemorative photo of HWPL Chairman Man-hee Lee (second from left) and Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Dr. Ronald L. Adamat (third from left), following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement at the Higher Education Development Center Building in Quezon City, Philippines on January 23, 2018

Commissioner Adamat has actively supported HWPL's peace education. “I sincerely support HWPL Peace Education,” he said. “With the help of both the HWPL-Commission on Higher Education and Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), HWPL Peace Education provides all children with peace-building capacities, communication skills, and conflict identification and it can teach them how to mediate.” He also said, “Fostering peace education through CHED will have an impact on educational institutions in the Philippines, and will play an important role in promoting peace. This is to achieve sustainable development and transform the Philippines into a society where people live in harmony and respect each other.”

Dr. Adamat also attended the 7th Anniversary of the January 24 HWPL Peace Day event held online this year, and delivered a keynote speech on HWPL peace education, saying, "People can interact with each other with respect, trust, kindness, and non-violence. This will show you how to do it.”

On the day of the MOA signing, Chairman Man-hee Lee's peace lecture was held at Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Even before the MOA signing with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED), peace education was already in progress in the Philippines. Earlier, on January 25, 2016, the MOU signing ceremony of HWPL Peace Education was held at Cotabato City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC, President Dammang S. Bantala). About 5,000 guests, including principals (16), professors and students attended the event. On that day, a signboard-hanging ceremony was held to designate Polytechnic University as an HWPL Peace School, and 16 principals were appointed as HWPL ambassadors.

After the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED), which is a national institution under the direct jurisdiction of the President of the Philippines, peace education has been applied to the curriculum at every educational level and is being implemented. (Above) Students participate in a small group peace education meeting at a school in Cotabato City, Mindanao

Following the Mindanao Civil Peace Agreement mediated by HWPL Chairman Man-Hee Lee on January 24, 2014, HWPL and local residents planned and carried out a peace education project to establish a culture of peace.

As a result, CCSPC became the first higher education institution HWPL Peace School in the Philippines. On September 18, 2017, the following year, President Dammang S. Bantala introduced Commissioner Adamat to HWPL at the 3rd Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit. At this meeting, Commissioner Adamat was moved by the peace movement that Chairman Lee started by saying, "Let's end war and make peace in the global village and pass it on to future generations," and decided to become a messenger of peace in the Philippines.

Four months later, in January 2018, Chairman Man-Hee Lee visited the Philippines on his 26th World Peace Tour with the HWPL Peace Delegation. During the schedule, the MOA between CHED and HWPL was made.

Since the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED), which is a national institution under the direct jurisdiction of the President of the Philippines, peace education has been applied to the curriculum at every educational level, and is being implemented. Students attend a lesson based on peace textbook at a school in Cotabato City in Muslim Mindanao.

Then, on August 7 of that year, CHED issued a resolution (No. 435-2018) for the approval of the integration of peace studies, research and education, and the following year, CHED Executive Order No.1 was decided on to integrate peace education into the higher education curriculum. With such administrative support, peace education in the Philippines has been gaining momentum.

HWPL Peace Education is being expanded and applied to basic education institutions (early childhood to secondary education) as well as to higher education institutions in the Philippines (state universities and junior colleges) supervised by CHED. The partnership between CHED and HWPL has since been followed by MOUs with three higher education institutions, and peace education is being conducted at 29 basic curriculum school sites. A further 15 MOUs and 3 MOAs have been made.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in February last year, an online peace education program called “Voice of Peace Philippines” was conducted using the video conferencing program Zoom, and 1,213 teachers attended. The University of Pasig City conducts online peace education, live streamed via Facebook, for about 3,000 students once a month.

In some parts of the Philippines, HWPL peace education will be held regularly at each school once a week, starting with the 2021-2022 school year that starts this summer.

An online webinar is held to commemorate the 5th Anniversary of the DPCW (Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War) on March 7 2021.

Peace!!