PEACE BY PEACE
Imagine this: An engineer supervising the construction of a road project in a remote municipality in Maguindanao del Norte. A teacher is having an animated discussion with her students in a coastal community in Sulu. A social worker distributing relief goods in a hinterland community in Lanao del Sur.
All of these may seem like ordinary and normal. But what is much more inspiring is that all of these individuals could be former combatants, rebels, and extremists. This is what the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) envisions to achieve, as it makes education a main pillar of its peacebuilding interventions.
For us in OPAPRU, education is a very powerful instrument that can put an end to armed conflict. It can bring about personal and societal transformation which aligns with the key objectives of our agency—to positively change mindsets, foster a culture of peace, and break the cycle of violence that has plagued our communities for decades.
These are the reasons why the OPAPRU has started to strengthen its education assistance program for all former combatants and their families.
The idea here is to provide them with scholarships and financial assistance to help them improve their knowledge and capacities and finally become productive.
These educational interventions will help former combatants and their next of kin the opportunities to reclaim lost dreams, and to build a brighter future where peace and development heal the wounds of fear, animosity, and division.
In particular, this education program will benefit members and next-of-kin of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army, the KAPATIRAN group, as well as former members of communist and violent extremist groups, and Indigenous Peoples.
The importance of education in fostering peace cannot be overemphasized. Decades of armed conflict have left deep emotional scars among both the victims and those responsible, and have torn the social fabric of communities. Yet, behind every former combatant or rebel’s story is a long-held dream to one day live a peaceful and productive life.
The OPAPRU believes that education offers these individuals a path that would enable them to fulfill those aspirations. Education has the power to broaden horizons, reorient perspectives, and create a paradigm shift—from using the armed struggle to effect reforms, to using knowledge, dialogue, and understanding to foster peace, development, and progress.
Through the education program, the OPAPRU aims to produce one professional per family from these former combatants who will contribute to the growth of their communities. Just think of these former combatants adopting the same level of discipline and determination they once applied in the jungles to become engineers, teachers, or entrepreneurs. The possibilities are endless.
For the beneficiaries of this program, it is not only about earning a college degree. More importantly, it is about proving to themselves, their families, and their communities that they are capable of positive, meaningful change. Education is key to transformation that despite the mistakes they have made in the past, they can still be beacons of hope and catalysts for peace.
To push forward this initiative, the OPAPRU has a plan to earmark ₱500 million from its approved budget to provide scholarships as well as financial aid to 10,000 beneficiaries annually across the agency’s various peace tables. Last year, we provided support to 1,500 MILF and 1,000 IP beneficiaries. For 2025 an additional 1,000 MILF and 1,140 IP college students will receive education assistance.
This substantial investment underscores the government’s commitment to giving these ex-combatants and their families access to higher education.
To institutionalize this education program, the OPAPRU will be forging a Memorandum of Agreement with the state colleges and universities, wherein the latter will award these scholarships and consequently, remove the financial barriers that prevent these individuals from pursuing their dreams.
In fact, the OPAPRU, under a partnership with the Mindanao State University, has already rolled out a similar education initiative called the MNLF Scholarship Grant Program under its Transformation Program for MNLF combatants and their families. We are pleased to see that the program is gaining traction as more MNLF members qualify under the program. We are also supporting 12 medical students from Indigenous Communities in MSU GenSan.
On top of this, the OPAPRU is providing educational assistance to the families of former members of extremist groups in Lanao del Sur. Hundreds of MILF and MNLF former combatants are now members of the PNP as well as AFP.
With the launching of the Education Assistance Program, we will be able to reach out to more members of other rebel groups and offer them the same opportunity that our MNLF brothers and sisters are now enjoying. Education is the great equalizer which puts everyone on the same footing as they strive to realize their full potential.
As we give out these scholarships, we will also be introducing beneficiaries to the culture of peace through peace education. It is not only crucial that they gain the knowledge and skills to become professionals. It is likewise important that they are able to learn, understand and most of all, apply the principles of peacebuilding in all aspects of their lives.
The collaboration between the OPAPRU and MSU, and soon with CHED, ensures that the aspirations of these former combatants to obtain a college degree shall become a reality. By eliminating the financial barriers to education, we are allowing beneficiaries to pursue a college degree—and build a better and more secure future.
To be sure, OPAPRU’s efforts extend beyond providing scholarships. It is partnering with learning institutions nationwide to mainstream peace education across all levels of the education system. This initiative aims to create a groundswell of peace advocates, educators, and champions who will carry forward the message of reconciliation and unity.
Education is about empowering individuals, as it equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to be a force for positive change. As we invest in the education of former combatants and their families, we are not just rebuilding lives; we are creating a more inclusive, harmonious, and prosperous society.
One of the most effective ways to end armed struggle is to educate people. Through education, we can show that there is no need to use violence to achieve meaningful societal change. Together, we can harness the power of education to uplift lives, empower communities, and bring a just and lasting peace to our nation.
(Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. is the presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation, and unity.)