Women are excellent peacemakers'

MANILA, Philippines- The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) concluded its Gender and Development (GAD) lecture and forum series, highlighting the significant contributions of women in the Philippine peace process. The fourth series, which is among the major activities of this year’s National Women’s Month celebrations, featured a diverse panel of women peacebuilders, which includedIona Jalijali, Country Representative of Center for Humanitarian Dialogue; Nur-Ainee Tan Lim, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Services and Development; Elisa Lapiña, Opapru Director for Local Conflict Transformation-Field Implementation Support Unit Mindanao; and Veronica “Ka Inca” Tabara, GPH-Kapatiran Joint Enforcement and Monitoring Committee. In her opening remarks, Opapru Executive Director for Peace Sustainability Susana Guadalupe Marcaida lauded the panelists for being some of the best and most inspiring examples of how Filipino Women are playing key peacebuilding leadership roles across all sectors of society. “Together, these four women represent a single story of what meaningful participation actually looks like, diverse in context, grounded in experience, and unified in purpose,” she said. Marcaida said that these women are not just colleagues, but fellow advocates she had worked alongside over the years, especially during the peace process's most challenging and uncertain moments. “This forum is part of our 2026 National Women's Month celebration. But more than a celebration, it is a commitment to carry forward the lessons of our peace journey," Marcaida said. "To move from recognition to action, from policy to practice, and from participation to genuine leadership,” she added.

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