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In a fine sunny morning of August 7,  at least 100 School Administrators coming from the public secondary and elementary schools in the city convened at Zamboanga City High School-Main Library for the “Administrators’ Gathering” where they had witnessed the historic signing of Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) that entered  between the Department of Education-Division of Schools, Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ), Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRSMP) and the Golden Crescent Consortium of Peace Builders and Affiliates (GCCPBA).

The agreement is said to “re-enforce” the earlier Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) entered between DepEd-Division Office and PAZ and IRSMP last November of last year where PAZ and IRSMP serves as their partner in the implementation of Executive Order Number 570 or the “Institutionalization of Peace Education” in basic education and teacher education in various elementary and secondary schools in the city.   

“The presence of the School Administrators in this activity is a sign of “full support” for the promotion of peace in the different public schools in the city” as described by Mr. Pedro Melchor M. Natividad, CSEE,  the Officer-in-Charge- Superintendent of the Division of School during the short program.

Present during the historic signing were Dr. Felisa I. Munar, the Principal of the ZCHS-Main, Dr. May-Belle Bautista-Tee, the School Division’s Peace Education Coordinator and Prof. Ali T. Yacub, Al-Hj, the President of GCCPBA and Muslim Convener of IRSMP and Hadji Abdu Rahim Kenoh, Retired School Superintendent and the Peace Education Coordinator of the IRSMP.  

For past many years, PAZ and IRSMP had been partnering with the city’s Division of School Office in the implementation of the peace-related activities in at least 36 secondary schools were PAZ and IRMSP is giving sessions of culture of peace and seminar-workshops for the students and the Teachers’ Training on the integration of peace education in the school’s curriculum. As a result, secondary school teachers were able to developed own modules and lessons plans where peace is being integrated.  

The City’s Division of Schools had partnering PAZ and IRSMP for years already in the implementations of the culture of peace program in the different public secondary schools in the city. 

The MOA says that DepEd, PAZ and IRSMP “agrees to consolidate their effort in the following programs highlighting peace and governance, advocacy, education and interreligious and interfaith dialogue and strengthen networking between and among peace oriented individuals and groups as well as institutionalizing the effective mechanism for conflict-free, safe and disaster-resilient communities with local government units and other stakeholders.”

PAZ and the leading interfaith group in the city, IRSMP together with the GCCPBA will partner with DepEd-Division Office will conduct a special program entitled Golden Crescent Achievement Awards and Young Peace Weaver Awards for secondary schools as an important engagement in recognition significant contributions of students in the cause of peace and bridging leadership.

Also in the MOA it says that DepEd-Division Office through a “special division memorandum” will inform all the school heads/principals of both elementary and secondary public high schools in the city about the terms and of engagements with PAZ, IRSMP and GCCPBA and will call all the schools for the active participation and involvement in the various programs of the said organization and further establish a partnership with this organization in the journey for the culture of peace.

A culture of peace training for the students is scheduled on September this year, where all student leaders of the 36 public secondary schools will participate.

The historic signing of the MOA was capped with the inauguration of the Japanese funded peace crane center in the said school. The peace crane center is the first to inaugurate in the city, where it consists of peace reading materials and other peace materials. (Albert F. Arcilla/Peace Advocates Zamboanga)