By Gizelle Amour Tagabi / SILAK Media
Photos by Ma. Ella Nicole Untaran / SILAK Media
Establishing itself as a home for peace education research and innovation in Region VI, the West Visayas State University – College of Education (WVSU-COE) hosted the 1st West Visayas Peace Education Research Forum on May 20, 2023, at the Center of Teaching Excellence Main Hall.
With the theme, “Celebrating SDG #16 Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions,” the University’s Center of Peace Education (CPE) led by Dr. Rejie F. Palmos and Mentoring the Mentors Program convened peace education advocates and researchers of the region with the aim of inspiring COE graduate students and extension teachers to have a peace education agenda in their research and prepare them for graduate research or field and community work.
“We are so happy that, hopefully, we can take you on for a commitment to see the peace education agenda — whether you work in Math, Science, Language, Policy, Administration, etcetera — because that’s the kind of dignified, humane world we want to live in,” said Donne Jone Sodusta, award-winning alumni of the WVSU-COE in the field of multicultural education research in Taiwan.
Furthermore, this regional forum enlightened master’s degree students taking up the Peace Education elective course on strategies for integrating peace education into their subject areas of specialization through examples shared by peace education research trailblazers of the region coming from universities and schools in Iloilo, Aklan, and Antique, including studies conducted by the COE’s own Dr. Myra Angelie Oliveros and Dr. Verna Jade Janay.
“Most of us are inspired sa mga research studies nila so maybe after this, I will self-reflect on how can I do it myself, kay kung hindi man man siya subong nga Master’s, maybe [I will pursue peace resaerch] someday and sa school man or sa workplace,” said Jollina M. Mateo, a Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) Major in Mathematics student who participated in the forum.
Pursuant to the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) mandate to integrate peace studies and education in higher education institutions, this is the first regional conference on peace education that highlights the research aspect of the program.
“I hope that CHED recognizes the efforts of West, making it a Regional Center for Peace Education. Through this activity, I hope that you will be able to lay down the foundations and set directions for peace research in our education curriculum,” said Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, WVSU president, in his message during the program.
The day-long activity also featured a peace art exhibit that spotlighted the works of Dante Masculino, a teacher, painter, and student of MAEd Major in Language Teaching from Dingle, Iloilo.