DAVAO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) welcomed the appointment of Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU). Sarmiento succeeded Carlito Galvez Jr., who stepped down on April 21. MILF First Vice...
Newly appointed Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento on Wednesday, April 22, pledged to pursue “sustainable peace” following his designation as Secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU). Sarmiento expressed gratitude to President...
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong only has good things to say about the designation of former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento as new Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) chief. Adiong, in...
After nearly five decades in the public eye, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. formally announced his retirement as the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity on Tuesday, April 21. Galvez cited personal and family obligations as the primary reason for his departure from the Marcos...
PEACE BY PEACE Years ago, Basilan was a place I would have to think twice before sending our troops to battle. The threats from lawless elements were so high at that time that even our most experienced soldiers had to employ the strictest security protocols and countermeasures. As a military...
BACOLOD CITY – The City of Bago in Negros Occidental mourned the death of Police Master Sgt. Romulo Galvez Jr., a native of Barangay Dulao, Bago City, who was killed in a buy-bust operation here recently. “A true-blooded Bagonhon, we honor the legacy of service he left behind,” said the city...
In times of war, instability, and displacement, it is often women and children who bear the heaviest burden. Across conflict zones worldwide, they are more likely to be uprooted from their homes, exposed to violence, and left to navigate the long-term consequences of fractured communities....
PEACE BY PEACE As I stood before a hundred local chief executives from across the country last week, I felt a deep sense of pride and joy. I knew that these were leaders who, each and every day, have been working in the most difficult and challenging of conditions. This, for me, is what genuine...
The resetting of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is a strategic move to ensure a credible transition to self-governance. Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr....
PEACE BY PEACE Having served as Presidential Peace Adviser for almost eight years, I’ve witnessed the launching of various peace and development initiatives that aim to uplift the lives of former combatants who have laid down their arms and returned to the folds of the law. These range from...
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) is set to expand its educational support programs for former combatants and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) after the Senate approved its P8.9-billion proposed budget for 2026 on Thursday, Nov. 27. The approved budget...
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Monday, Sept. 29, pushed back against criticisms of its reported accomplishments in implementing peace agreements with former armed groups. In a statement, the OPAPRU said its current leadership, headed by...
