Main Initiatives

Communities named 24 January 2015 HWPL Peace Day and unveiled peace monuments. The chief negotiators who led the peace process between the Philippines government and the MILF, including Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, and Mohogher Iqbal, Governor Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, and officials of the OPAPP, joined the peace monument unveiling ceremony, a symbolic event for realizing peace.

On the 2nd Anniversary of the January 24 Mindanao Peace Agreement Day in 2016, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman, Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, declared January 24 as HWPL Day and established the Declaration of World Peace Monument in MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat.
The peace monument erected inside an MILF camp was a result that symbolizes the hopes and efforts of Filipinos from all walks of life that worked past conflicts for the progress of peace in Mindanao.

Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, MILF’s chairman
“That symbolic gift to Chairman Lee is a manifestation of our desire to end the war in Mindanao. Part of the agreement we had with the government is to convert all the military camps of MILF, from a military camp into a productive civilian community. So now, we started already the decommissioning process. We initially turnover for safekeeping our weapons, and the moment the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) will be ratified, we will be turning over bigger number of weapons for safekeeping as agreed upon. It will be put beyond use. Meaning, it will not be used for wars anymore. And then the camps will be turned into productive communities. Our combatants will focus on earning their own livelihood, living in the camp peacefully. We will be establishing also the monument of peace in our other camps when this is implemented.”

On 19 July 2021, the third peace monument was constructed inside the Christian and Muslim community of Barangay Bagua Mother, Cotabato City in Mindanao. The community is composed of former MILF and MNLF combatants who participated in the transition to peace and donated their weapons for the construction of the peace monument.

The weapons that once took the lives of many on the battlefield will now become monuments of peace and light the hope of peace within the hearts of people.

The fourth peace monument in the Philippines was constructed on 24 January 2022 in Barangay Foz, Dingras, Ilocos Norte. This monument was completed with the participation of students and parents influenced by peace education, as well as local residents who contributed according to their ability.

The fifth peace monument was erected at Siniloan National Integrated High School and unveiled on 21 February 2022. Built in collaboration with the government, school teachers, and citizens, this monument is the first peace monument to be located within a school campus in the Philippines. The HWPL peace monument will remind students of the value of peace for generations to come.

The sixth peace monument was established at Central Luzon State University on July 15, 2022. This monument commemorates the noble cause of peace education in bringing all wars and conflicts to an end. This serves as a permanent symbol of passion, dedication and commitment of the people of Central Luzon State University to the 10 articles and 38 clauses of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War.

Just beside it, there are the Declaration of World Peace monument and a CLSU monument representing love for humanity and the promise to fulfill the role and responsibility in promoting peace as a messenger of peace. There is also a monument of the Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), founded by Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, a Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), that echoes the philosophy of the VIP: “Peace Builds One Nation, One Future.”

The first Peace Monuments in a maritime institution was unveiled at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) on August 15, 2022, a joint project of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), HWPL, and PMMA.

The peace monuments serve as a daily reminder that “peace is here” and “everyone should become an ambassador of peace”, according to Capt. Reynaldo M. Sabay, Assistant Superintendent for Academics, Training Research and Extension, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy.

Participants, cadets and key officials joined the symbolic Peace Walk, followed by the ribbon cutting of the peace monument. As the peace monuments were unveiled, the attendees lit candles and flew balloons as a symbol of peace and unity. On the same day, PMMA and HWPL signed partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to continuously carry out projects for peace education.

Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) inaugurated peace markers on September 08, 2022.
This is a joint project of ESSU, HWPL Philippines, and Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), a non-government organization established by Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

He authored the memorandum order of CHED mandating SUCs to integrate peace education in the higher education curricula, as a result of the partnership signed between CHED and HWPL in 2018.

Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University (DHVTSU) inaugurated peace markers on September 13, 2022, the first to be established in a higher education institution (HEI).

This is a joint project of CLSU, HWPL Philippines, and Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), a non-government organization established by Dr. Ronald L. Adamat, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). In the pursuit of peace, Dr. Adamat declared that he would establish peace monuments in all state universities and colleges (SUCs) starting with SUCs under his supervision, during his speech in the Unveiling Ceremony of the Peace Monument in Siniloan Integrated National High School held in February 2022.

The Inauguration and Blessings of the Peace Monuments were held at Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC) on December 1, 2022, as a joint project of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), HWPL, and BASC.

Through the monument, BASC expressed its commitment to shaping the minds of the students and faculty members as peacemakers on the campuses and in the workplaces.
The program commenced with a prayer and blessing of the monuments, followed by the ribbon cutting of key officials. On the same day, the oath-taking ceremony of the officers for the BASC Peace Club was held. BASC is the first to establish a peace club among the SUCs that established the peace monument.

On January 24, 2023, the 11th HWPL Peace monument was unveiled at Plaza Asuncion in Malate, Manila in support for cessation of war and adherence to peace. It is the first of its kind to be established at the national capital as well as the regional center of the National Capital Region.
The project was spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Manila Metro (RCMM), in collaboration with HWPL. Since their partnership in 2021, the two organizations have collaborated on various peace activities and volunteer projects for sustainable peace in the Philippines.