As a son, husband and father, I have witnessed how the women I hold dear in my life have demonstrated extraordinary courage, ironclad determination, and an unwavering resolve to overcome challenges. This is the same strength of spirit that I witnessed among my women co-workers and mentors in my career as a soldier and public servant.

My mother, who is a proud farmer from Bulacan, taught me, my nine sisters and two brothers the value of honesty, sense of fairness, hard work and perseverance. My wife, a former flight purser, showed me that it is possible to have a successful professional career while raising a family. And my only child and daughter has exhibited a strong passion for art, music and graphic design.

This is why my participation in last week’s Philippine National Conference on Women, Peace and Security with the theme “Empowering Local Women, Peace and Security Champions as Agents in Socioeconomic Transformation,” was very special for me. It served as a reminder of the invaluable role that Filipino women play in our society, particularly in the key areas of governance, leadership, community development, security and peacebuilding.

As I looked around the hall filled with women leaders who represented their tribe, institutions and communities — indigenous peoples from remote areas, youth advocates from the cities, and members of the religious sector, academe, and civil society — I felt a deep sense of pride, hope and promise for our nation.

Each of the conference delegates was an epitome of grit, resilience, and passion. Their voices carried a story of struggle and triumph, while their presence highlighted a powerful truth about our country’s women that cannot be ignored, and that is, they are not just beneficiaries of peace but, in fact, are its builders, protectors and nurturers.

This was the central theme of the conference. As Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman emphasized in her welcome remarks, the goal is to localize the Women, Peace and Security agenda so that it is attuned to realities on the ground.

“WPS shifts our focus from global commitments to local realities — the stories, struggles, and innovations at the grassroots that bring the WPS Agenda to life every single day,” Secretary Pangandaman said, adding, “Peace cannot exist without women who mend the social fabric torn by years of conflict through their daily acts of leadership, compassion, and resilience.”

The Philippines is among the countries in the world that have long been at the forefront of advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Fifteen years ago, we became the first country in Asia to craft and adopt a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

The NAPWPS, now in its fourth iteration, continues to evolve based on the needs and realities being faced by women on the ground — from those living in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas, to communities that have broken free the cycle of violence and are emerging into show windows of peace and development.

And through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity’s (OPAPRU) Women, Peace and Security Center of Excellence, we are working to ensure that the national government’s policies are effectively localized and eventually become the realities of women and girls whose lives we hope to change.

At the conference, we heard the narratives of those who have made it their mission to promote the culture of peace, while helping to support and capacitate their fellow women. Their stories reminded us that for peace to firmly take root, its seeds must be planted in classrooms, barangay halls, and most importantly, in the hearts and minds of our youth.

Solicitor General Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, the conference’s guest of honor, paid tribute to this truth, honoring “the women who built it — often quietly, courageously, and indispensably.”

She powerfully noted how this leadership is changing the culture of peacebuilding. “Across every barangay, in every conflict zone, and at every negotiation table, Filipina peacebuilders are redefining leadership. They are changing leadership culture by valuing listening, empathy, shared decision-making, and ethical leadership,” Atty. Berberabe said.

For Ermelita V. Valdeavilla, chairperson of the Philippine Comminission of Women (PCW), emphasized that the quarter of century UN Security Coucil resolution 1325 reminds us that peace is not only built across negotiaiting peace tables or in reconsturction sites, “It is built in homes, communities and care spaces where women sustain life every day.”

In his remarks, United Nations Development Program Resident Representative to the Philippines, Knut Ostby, acknowledged the key milestones and formal frameworks that have been established in the Philippines to advance the WPS Agenda in the country and beyond.

Mike Welch, British Embassy of Manila Deputy Head of Mission, noted that the conference is a “testament to what is possible when the government, civil society organizations, and communities come together.”

Atty. Leah Tanodra-Armamento, Chairperson of the National Amnesty Commission expressed her institution’s full support to the action plan, saying, “We will look collectively forward to an intergenerational and collective future of peace that encompasses all genders.”

The event ended on a high note with the presentation of the “Boses at Bukas,” a landmark document crafted by delegates which reflected their shared vision of the women and men who are working to advance the WPS Agenda, an intergenerational promise that peace and gender equality must be pursued with greater focus, purpose and determination.

In my closing message, I underscored that the pledges we made must be translated into concrete action such as programs that uplift women’s economic well-being, policies that protect them from violence, and institutions that give them a permanent seat at the table.

The conference was a clarion call that justice, inclusiveness and equal opportunity must underpin all our peacebuilding and development interventions. It was also a testament that when women are given the chance to lead, peace does not merely endure but flourishes and touches the lives of more people.

This is the collective vision we hope to carry forward from the Philippine Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). It is a vision that will enable us to effectively localize and sustain the WPS Agenda in every community across the nation. And it is a vision that reminds us that lasting peace must continue to be built on the courage, sacrifices and hard work of Filipino women.

The conference was jointly organized by the Department of Budget and Management, OPAPRU, and PCW.