Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization, commemorated the 12th Anniversary of the January 24th HWPL Peace Day through a series of peace activities held over two days in Kawit, Cavite, and Pasay City, highlighting the role of peace education, youth leadership, and interfaith dialogue in peacebuilding. The event also coincides with the global observance of the UN International Day of Education, highlighting the role of education as a foundation for sustainable peace.
On January 23, around 6,000 students, teachers, and peace advocates from Kawit, Cavite joined the Peace Walk, which proceeded from Water Camp to Aguinaldo Elementary School and onward to Aguinaldo Freedom Park, where a program was held. The first HWPL Peace Monument in Cavite was unveiled at the new district office of Aguinaldo Elementary School, symbolizing the shared commitment of schools, local government, and communities to uphold peace and coexistence.
Dr. Antonio Faustino, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education – Schools Division Office of Cavite Province, emphasized the significance of the event to Kawit, a historic town where the Philippine flag of independence was first raised and celebrated more than a century ago. “Now, we have new heroes who have also come here to Cavite: heroes of a revolution of peace,” he said.
The following day, January 24, the celebration continued at the GSIS Theater in Pasay City, in partnership with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos–National Capital Region (NCMF-NCR). Guided by the theme “Youth Rise Up for Peace and Unity through Interfaith Dialogue!”, the event gathered around 500 participants including youth leaders, interfaith representatives, civil society groups, and government partners.
A key highlight of the program was a youth-led interfaith panel discussion that addressed common misconceptions among Catholicism, Islam, and Non-denominational Christianity. Panelists discussed the roots of misunderstandings and proposed solutions to overcoming prejudice, emphasizing dialogue, education, and respectful engagement. Youth speakers stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved when diversity is respected and when differences in faith become avenues for understanding rather than sources of conflict.
Rey Angelo Reyes, SK Federation President of Las Piñas City, said that the program was “very impactful and insightful”. He also noted that the session was made more meaningful through the participation of youth speakers like him, whose experiences and perspectives on religion were shared with and learned by other young participants, creating an avenue where communication and understanding between different faiths could begin.
Another highlight of the event was the awarding of Certificates of Completion to 36 facilitators, 601 Youth Empowerment Peace Class (YEPC) completers, and 88 Religious Peace Academy (RPA) completers from six schools and youth organizations. The YEPC equips young leaders with the values and skills to become active peacemakers, while the RPA fosters interfaith understanding through structured dialogue and peace education among religious leaders and youth.
HWPL Peace Day has been celebrated annually since the Mindanao Peace Agreement in 2014, mediated by HWPL Chairman Lee Man-hee, which laid the foundation for nationwide peace initiatives and led to the official declaration of January 24 in Buluan, Maguindanao, MILF Camp Darapanan, and BARMM. The recent two-day activities reinforced commitment to youth-focused programs including YEPC, Youth Peace Camps, and interfaith dialogue sparking participants’ dedication to advance peace, harmony, and education. ##
