YES FOR PEACE – Bayanihan ng Bayan was submitted to President Ferdinand R. Marcos (PBBM) for appreciation and consideration as a campaign to arouse, organize and mobilize the Filipino people through a national open referendum and awareness sharing dialogues to mobilize all sectors to actively counter violent extremism as well as assert the right to peace.

PBBM stated in his Message for Yes for Peace, Incorporated, “I am delighted that your organization has aligned with the administration’s core ideal which will positively guide us in the efficient delivery of public services and the espousal of good governance in the coming years.”

Vice President Sara Z. Duterte wrote, “I hope Yes for Peace, Inc., will be instrumental in helping the government bring its development and peace and security agenda to the people.”

A set of three questions were pre-tested among the participants to 2022 DepEd NEU Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao clustered assemblies. The results showed that indeed, a consensus among the Filipino people on peace and how to attain this can be built. 

VP and DepEd Secretary Duterte wrote, “reiterate my full support to the YES FOR PEACE Bayanihan ng Bayan in carrying out its important and delicate mission to end the recruitment of Filipino learners by armed extremist groups pursuant to the whole-of-nation approach of the National Plan to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict approved by President Rodrigo Duterte. xxx

“I enjoin the proactive participation of the DepEd National Employees Union in addressing this national concern xxx”

Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Atty. Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. wrote in a Message, “I call on all institutions, civil society organizations, and individuals to emulate, if not follow, the efforts of Yes for Peace because at the end of the day, we will agree to peace, order, and development.”

VP and DepEd Secretary Duterte declared in the Basic Education Report 2023, “We will embed the Culture of Peace in our curriculum to develop learners who are peace builders in communities. We will integrate peace competencies such as social awareness, responsibility, care for the environment, value for diversity, self-esteem, positive character, resilience and human security into the various learning areas of the K-12 curriculum.”

 Ten questions were formulated based on relevant provisions of the United Nations’ Resolution 53/243 “Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace” as well as fit into the MATATAG Agenda of DepEd.

Director Jocelyn DR Andaya of the DepEd Bureau of Curriculum Development wrote, “The proposed Implementation Plan is consistent with the intent and purpose of the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum and is responsive to the varying contexts of learners, teachers, and other members of the school community across the archipelago particularly the People-centric Movement for Peace and Unity thru Good Governance.

“Moreover, the proposed implementation plan provides a wide menu of strategic responses to the highly-fluid and ever-growing needs and demands relative to peace initiatives.”

Philippine Postal Corporation Corporate Officer-in-Charge Joel L. Zamudio wrote, “I am proud to be one of the thousands of postal workers who have provided courier services for the campaign which has silently grown and involved more than 15 Million Filipinos, 10 years and older. xxx

        “I humbly take this opportunity to express the continued support of the PHLPost to the Yes for Peace – Bayanihan ng Bayan campaign by treating its materials and responses as Official Business Mail.” 

University of the Philippines President Angelo A. Jimenez wrote, “Decades have passed since the UP Board of Regents passed a Resolution “Declaring All UP Campuses a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality”, and still, the University of the Philippines has remained and will remain committed to the principles espoused in this Resolution.

“As UP President, I reaffirm my commitment to maintain UP as a bastion of academic freedom. My administration will support initiatives that will protect and promote UP as a free, safe and peaceful space for the convergence of different perspectives; where voices are encouraged to speak and not silenced; where diversity finds a home; and where ideas are shared and nurtured for the benefit of the nation.”

Department of Social Work and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian wrote, “One of the fundamental pillars of a peaceful and inclusive society is the proactive involvement and collective participation of the people to end local armed conflict.”

General Romeo S Brawner Jr, AFP Chief of Staff issued a Solidarity Statement On Peace-Building And Conflict Resolution, “The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is in solidarity with the Yes for Peace – Bayanihan ng Bayan in pursuit of peace and development, firmly believing that a peaceful and harmonious society is essential for our collective progress.

The questions formulated pursuant to the MATATAG Agenda of embedding the Culture of Peace in the curriculum and developing learners who are peace builders in communities have been pre-tested among participants to the 2023 Clustered Assemblies and the 15^th National Congress of the DepEd NEU. The results clearly show that, indeed, a national consensus can be established at this time.

VP and DepEd Secretary Duterte wrote in a Message for the 15^th DepEd NEU National Congress, “Let us join hands in implementing basic education reforms under the MATATAG Agenda and integrating peace education into our K-12 curriculum.  Together, we can inspire and empower learners to uphold peace and reject the recruitment efforts of armed extremist groups.”

The 15^th DepEd NEU National Congress unanimously adopted “Resolution Reiterating the Joint DepEd NEU National Executive Council and National Board of Trustees Resolution Adopting Yes for Peace – Bayanihan ng Bayan Campaign in Support of the MATATAG Agenda to Embed the “Culture of Peace” in the Curriculum and Urging Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Z. Duterte to Issue a DepEd Memorandum for the Implementation of Its Open Referendum Phase to End the Recruitment of Learners by Armed Extremist Groups.”

The Proposed Road Map 2024 was submitted to PBBM for appreciation and consideration. The letter concluded, “We are excited to proactively and collectively ‘nurture a more progressive, productive and inclusive society for all’ with other peace builders in the private sector as well as government agencies under Your Excellency’s inspirational guidance.”