The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance institutionalizing the peace education and promotion program in the city, defining its purpose and appropriating funds for its implementation.
Under the proposed ordinance, the institutionalization of the peace education and promotion program in the city strengthen the city’s firm commitment in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while constructively aligning with the national and regional development plans and legislative agenda on peace and prosperity. Further, peace education is a vital tool in advancing the city economically, culturally, politically for it to attain long lasting social progress.
The ordinance claimed that it plays a significant role in uplifting the lives of people, individually and collectively.
The ordinance added that a working and advocacy team will be created to be known as the Baguio City Peace Education and Advocacy Team tasked to implement and promote the primary purpose of the aforesaid program and which shall be chaired by the local chief executive, with the City Council Committee on Peace and Order as vice chairperson and the City Council ?Committee on Education chairperson, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) president, one representative from the DILG Baguio field office, two representatives from the religious sector, two representatives from the NSTP and ROTC implementers, one presentative from the Reserved Force, one representative each from the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, one representative from the Baguio City Police Office, and two representatives from civil society organizations accredited by the local government as members.
The functions of this advocacy team include taking the lead in promoting active participation and building alliance with the various peace stakeholders; encouraging groups and individuals to become peace education advocates and volunteers; spearheading the conduct of a localized World or International Peace Day celebration in the city; encouraging barangays and other partner groups and organizations to incorporate peace education presentations, especially during the conduct of their general assemblies, meetings and conferences; serving as lead team in collating a compendium of peace education topics, lectures and presentations appropriate for particular or diversified groups and audiences which could serve as materials to be presented to groups or organizations; may extend allowable assistance to implementing offices, groups and organizations; creating a system of assessing the collective success rate of peace education and peace building program in the city and performing such other related functions for the full realization of the proposed measure.
The ordinance stipulated that an annual appropriation of PhP500,000 shall be charged against the local government’s general fund under the City Mayor’s Office subject to the regular accounting and government auditing system.
Moreover, the funding is for the successful implementation of the proposed measure and realize its purpose and objectives. By Dexter A. See
