Davao City, July 30, 2025 — The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) have formalized a partnership aimed at embedding peace education into the academic landscape of the Philippines.
The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 25, making HCDC the fifth Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Mindanao — and the first private college in the country — to join the government-led initiative to mainstream peacebuilding through education.
The agreement was signed during the OPAPRU Peace Education Tour, underscoring the continuing push to institutionalize peace education in both basic education and teacher training curricula across the country.
OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. hailed the collaboration as a symbol of the country’s progress toward lasting peace.
“Let me begin to say that the new era of peace now unfolds. Across the Philippines, armed conflicts are becoming a distant memory,” Galvez said, citing the positive outcomes of the national government’s peacebuilding efforts, particularly in the Bangsamoro region.
HCDC President Mark Lester Deloria echoed the importance of the initiative, emphasizing the role of academic institutions in nurturing a culture of peace among young Filipinos.
“This is more than just an event. This is a milestone where we dialogue, encounter, and take a collective step towards sustaining peace in our country especially among the youth and our academic institutions,” Deloria said.
The MOU also paves the way for a continuing exchange of knowledge, strategies, and best practices on peace education among schools, further strengthening the nationwide movement to cultivate understanding, reconciliation, and unity through learning.