The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) conferred on Department of Budget and Management Sec. Amenah Pangandaman and three others the “Gawad Kapayapaan” for making “indelible mark in the history of the peace process” in the Philippines. 

Lauched in 2022, the Gawad Kapayapaan is an effort of the OPAPRU “to recognize, celebrate and honor the invaluable contribution of peace exemplars or organizations who have made significant and impactful contributions towards the promotion and attainment of just and lasting peace in the Philippines.”

OPAPRU Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. led the awarding of Gawad Kapayapaan to Pangandaman, the lone Filipina Muslim in the Cabinet of President Marcos Jr. and a staunch advocate of policies and reforms for the growth of Mindanao; Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, a peace advocate; and the municipality of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte, with the award received by Kauswagan Mayor Rommel C. Arnado in a ceremony held on Monday, Sept. 30, at the Manila Hotel.

Meanwhile, the late Ghazali Jaafar, a stalwart of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who died in 2019, became the first-ever posthumous recipient of the Gawad Kapayapaan. His family received the award in a separate ceremony in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao last Sept. 24.

“By highlighting the accomplishments of these remarkable individuals who have dedicated the best years of their lives to promoting the culture of peace, we also aim to push forward, build on, and sustain the gains of the comprehensive Philippine peace process,” Galvez said in his speech.

The awardees received a trophy which depicts a dove, a symbol of peace, that was carved in the traditional Mindanaoan “ukkil” style by internationally renowned artist, the late Mr. Rameer Tawasil.

The awarding ceremony marked the culmination of the 20^th National Peace Consciousness Month which is celebrated every September.

Advocate of inclusive growth in Mindanao

Pangandaman, according to the OPAPRU, was chosen as one of the awardees since she is a staunch advocate of policies and reforms that promote local development, especially inclusive economic growth in Mindanao.

Aside from being the Budget chief, the Maranao leader also champions transparency, open governance, and public trust, according to the OPAPRU. In 2023, she launched “OG Pinas,” an advocacy campaign which aims to promote civil society’s role in peace and development in the Bangsamoro and Zamboanga Peninsula.

She also has empowered the Muslim community through Public Financial Management sessions for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), and supported the Marawi Compensation Board, which is tasked to facilitate the awarding of reparations to the victims of the 2017 Marawi siege.

She also co-chairs the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB), which was created under Section 2, Article VI of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to coordinate and resolve issues between the national government and the Bangsamoro government.

“The vision of peace and development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is something that lives in my heart—a flame that burns brightly. I have seen first-hand how conflict can scar communities, but I also know that hope and peace can transform lives,” said Pangandaman.

Woman peace negotiator

Meanwhile, Ferrer headed the government panel that negotiated and signed the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the final peace agreement signed by the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

She also co-led the drafting of the Philippines' first National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security in 2010 and co-chaired the Non-State Action Working Group of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines from 1999-2004.

She is a retired professor at the University of the Philippines (UP), having been a convener of UP’s Program on Peace, Democratization and Human Rights. She was also a member of the United Nations (UN) Standby Team of mediators where she did mediation support work for UN missions in Afghanistan, Maldives, Iraq, and Georgia.

“How nice, how wonderful if we can say that we have solved all our armed conflicts through political negotiations and we know that we still have problems with our brothers and sisters in the armed conflict, the communist insurgency,” Ferrer said.

“But again, what we have done with the other processes, starting from the military rebels in the 1990s under the late president Fidel Ramos, and the final peace agreement with the MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front], and then the CAB in the MILF in 2014, I think it should not be too impossible to think that we will also find a way to finally end all of these armed conflicts with dignity and justice for all,” she added.

‘From Arms to Farms’

For its part, the municipality of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte achieved a notable success in peacebuilding and sustainable development initiatives, earning them the right to be a Gawad Kapayapaan awardee.

After sustaining devastating losses during the all-out war by the national government against Moro insurgents in 2000, Kauswagan saw this period as an opportunity to implement transformative projects like its “From Arms to Farms” program. This refers to the reintegration of former MILF and MNLF rebel commanders and their followers through organic farm entrepreneurship.

The initiative significantly reduced poverty rate in the area, from 41.14 percent in 2012 down to 26.45 percent in 2021 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), improving the income of both rebel returnees and local farmers, while also recording remarkable community stability due to the absence of violence, improved security, and enhanced local economic activity.

“When the people continue to live in fear, there is no room for development and the future become uncertain. Peace is fundamental precondition for social and economic development. Without peace, our communities are plagued by conflict, violence, and instability,” said Kauswagan Mayor Arnado.

Bangsamoro hero

Lastly, Jaafar was the chair of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel where he played a pivotal role in advancing the peace process with the Philippine government, which led to the signing of the 1997 Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities and the 2014 CAB.

From 2017 to 2019, Jaafar chaired the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, where he spearheaded the initial drafting of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), bringing moral governance and inclusivity to the region. 

His leadership was instrumental in uniting diverse perspectives, culminating in the passage of the BOL in 2019. 

“Jaafar was widely respected for his ability to listen, empathize, and unite his people toward a lasting peace in the Bangsamoro,” the OPAPRU said.