NEWS|CHED bolsters Peace Campaign; holds 2nd Peace Education Project

CHED bolsters Peace Campaign; holds 2nd Peace Education Project

Roxan D. Resuello

Student leaders and campus journalists from Districts 1, 2, and 4 attended the Peace Education Project led by Commission on Higher Education at PSU Lingayen Campus on October 5, 2022.

Dubbed as KaPaDYAK – “Kabataan, Kapulisan, at Pamantasan Nagkakaisa sa Paglaban sa Ilegal na Droga, Terorismo at Krimen,” CHED marks the start of the second season of their campaign for a peaceful academic community.

With the aim to instill positive transformation and promote peace in the region, the campaign scheduled four learning sessions throughout the day.

The event is graced by representatives from several governmental bodies, including the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Health (DOH), National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), and Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO).

CHED Commissioner Ronald Adamat pointed out salient points on the integration of peace in higher education institutions.

“Peace education raises our youths as future leaders to become peacemakers. It inculcates the much-needed values the youths must carry to effect change for more positive transformation,” he says.

Commissioner Adamat is the brain behind the Peace Education Program. As one of the indigenous people in Maguindanao, he witnessed how people suffered from violence, conflicts, wars, and abuse. He shares that these experiences led him to consider peace his prime advocacy.

Talks on Drug Identification and Dangerous Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program were tackled by PDEA Intelligence Officer II, Ray Bahiyan, and Dr. Paul Josef Pinniliw of DOH La Union.

According to Dr. Pinniliw, Pangasinan has the most number of cases of drug addiction in 2022.

In his talk, he focused on demystifying drug abuse and clearing the stigma of drug addiction. He emphasized that drug addiction is a medical condition and is treatable when provided with the proper treatment program.

On the other hand, Police Staff Sergeant Jonathan Fernandez says that the youth are the most exposed to drugs and terrorist recruitment. They believe that recruitments happen inside universities.

PSSg Fernandez urged the attendees to observe and take action. “It’s either you’re with the government, or you’re against the government,” he says.

Atty. Phillip Raymund Rivera of NAPOLCOM touched on the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Four police officers, including PSSg Gladys Esguerra, PSSg Jonathan Fernandez, and PEMS Rizel Lumiguen from PPPO, gave Crime Prevention Education and Security Awareness talks.

Seven students from PHINMA-UPang attended the event onsite, while 29 others participated via Zoom Meeting.

Season 3 of the Peace Education Project is expected to be scheduled in 2023.

KAPADYAK - CHED stages a project dubbed KaPaDYAK, October 2, 2022

Photo from Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan Supreme Student Council