Forging Sustainable Peace Through Women’s Leadership:
Mindanao Stakeholders Convene for Regional Consultation
on NAPWPS 2023–2033

^{Pakiglambigit Stakeholder’s Consultation brings together, 21 civil society organizations (CSOs) among which are 5 women’s organizations, 13 regional government agencies,
and 13 local government units (LGUs) from Regions IX, X, and XIII to share insights and recommendations for localizing the Philippine National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (NAPWPS).}

Fifty-one women leaders, community advocates, and peacebuilders from Regions IX, X, and XIII connected in the PAKIGLAMBIGIT: Stakeholders’ Consultation on Women, Peace, and Security to make their voices heard in shaping a more inclusive and peaceful Bagong Pilipinas.

Organized by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) through its North Mindanao Field Office, in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), the multi-day consultation conducted on September 16 to 18, 2025 in Butuan City, tackled the localization of the Philippine National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (NAPWPS) 2023–2033. The consultation generated concrete steps towards turning policy into action by ensuring that women’s experiences, needs, and leadership guide the nation’s peace and security agenda.

Derived from the Cebuano word for “active participation,” Pakiglambigit embodies inclusivity, bringing together government agencies, civil society, and women’s groups to identify region-specific issues, share insights, and co-create strategies for advancing the NAPWPS. This initiative underscores the collective responsibility to build a peaceful, just, and gender-responsive Philippines where women are recognized as key actors in peace and security.

^{“Pakiglambigit”, the Cebuano word meaning active participation, is a call for women and stakeholders to advance peace, security, and gender equality.}

Setting the Stage: A Conversation on the WPS Journey

With the call #MakigLAMBIGIT Kita!, the event opened with “A Night of Conversation on the WPS Journey”—an engaging session that revisited the global WPS Agenda and the landmark United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security. 

The reflective discussion set the tone for deeper conversations on how women’s voices and leadership remain central to sustainable peace. UN Women Philippines Project Coordination Analyst Vanessa Pallarco delved into pressing concerns and identified the critical resources necessary to effectively address them.

^{The event begins with “A Night of Conversation on the WPS Journey,” featuring Vanessa Pallarco, UN Women Philippines Project Coordination Analyst.
She highlighted the global WPS Agenda and the UN Resolutions that emphasize women’s leadership and voices in peace building.}

“We will have the opportunity to identify and further examine the issues and concerns within our Regions and Provinces, and similarly to identify the existing resources that we can tap. We will anchor ourselves on our Plans, Programs, Funds, and People. You are our key partners who will hopefully help catalyze the localization of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security,” she said.

Panel Discussions on the Four Substantive Pillars of NAPWPS

On the second day, the consultation provided a strategic platform for stakeholders to discuss the substantive pillars of the NAPWPS 2023–2033, which are Empowerment and Participation, Protection and Prevention, Promotion and Mainstreaming, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL). 

In her video message for the consultation, PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla urged stakeholders to enhance women’s involvement in the peace agenda.

^{PCW Chairperson Ermelita V. Valdeavilla, though unable to attend in person, conveys a clear message via video: women’s participation is crucial for achieving sustainable peace.}

“We earnestly call upon you to recognize women’s participation and consultation in peace building not as a token gesture of inclusion, but as a vital and non-negotiable cornerstone of sustainable peace. Their voices must not merely be heard—they must be valued, prioritized, and embedded as an essential pillar of every peace process. This is the Bagong Pilipinas we strive for—a country where women have equal opportunities, where no one is held back by gender, and where every woman has the chance to succeed and contribute in peace building,” she transmitted via video message.

A notable segment of the event was the Panel Discussion with the NAPWPS Steering Committee. This discussion focused on the plan’s four foundational pillars and their strategic imperatives:

• Pillar I: Empowerment and Participation – advancing women’s leadership and inclusive engagement in local peace and development processes;
• Pillar II: Protection and Prevention – strengthening multi-stakeholder strategies to prevent violence and protect women and girls in crisis and conflict contexts;
• Pillar III: Promotion and Mainstreaming – deepening gender mainstreaming initiatives on WPS across government programs and institutions; and
• Pillar IV: MEAL – reinforcing systems that ensure accountability, learning, and evidence-based peace building.

^{Mr. Michael Manaois of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Ms. Mary Jean L. Panchito of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga,
Dr. Macario T. Jusayan of the PCW Sectoral Coordination Division and Sir Rene Gandeza of OPAPRU serve as panelists,
moderated by Ms. Sophia Dianne Garcia, Program Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP).}

Panelists—Mr. Michael Manaois, Acting Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gender and Development (GAD) Office; Ms. Mary Jean L. Panchito, Local Government Operations Officer V and Regional GAD Focal Person-External of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga; Dr. Macario T. Jusayan, Chief GAD Specialist of the PCW Sectoral Coordination Division; and Mr. Rene Gandeza, Jr., Project Development Officer V of OPAPRU—shared valuable perspectives on the progress of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda. 

They highlighted important gains, such as gender-sensitive recruitment and deployment, stronger referral systems, improved oversight on gender mandates, and the establishment of a MEAL framework. At the same time, they noted persisting gaps, including weak evaluation capacity, underreporting of abuses, and limited enforcement of commitments. From these lessons emerged the clamor to localize interventions, strengthen CSO participation, and ensure that accountability mechanisms are backed with adequate resources—accentuating the imperative role of oversight and accountability in ensuring NAPWPS 2023–2033 commitments are effectively translated into concrete action.

Through various interactive sessions, including panel discussions, workshops, and focus group sessions, participants successfully identified peace and security issues specific to the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga regions that affect women. These include different forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, recruitment of children and youth into armed groups, human trafficking and exploitation, marginalization of Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable sectors, weak enforcement of gender and protection laws, environmental degradation, and the continuing challenges posed by poverty, corruption, and armed conflict.

They also critically assessed current mechanisms and identified their shortcomings. Based on these findings, actionable strategies were proposed to ensure that the perspectives and experiences of women in these regions are fully integrated into the national peace and security agenda. Key strategies include strengthening women’s leadership in peace councils, barangay GFPS, and community mediations; creating safe spaces for CSOs and women mediators; building the capacity of community leaders and fostering interfaith and tri-people dialogues; and advancing evidence-based action by mainstreaming WPS in development and DRRM plans, digitizing VAWC cases, and improving sex- and diversity-disaggregated data.

Orientations on Peace Processes, Frameworks, and the 11-Point CSO Agenda

In partnership with the OPAPRU, participants engaged in a comprehensive orientation on Conflict Sensitivity, the Philippine Comprehensive Peace Process, and the NAPWPS 2023–2033.

^{Mr. Rene Gandeza of OPAPRU orients participants on key action points and stakeholder roles in implementing the Conflict Sensitivity
and Peace Process and the NAPWPS 2023–2033.}

Mr. Rene Gandeza of OPAPRU presented the updated framework, which underscores four strategic outcomes—Empowerment and Participation, Protection and Prevention, Promotion and MEAL. The session detailed midterm targets and key action points, while also clarifying the shared responsibilities of both national and local stakeholders. 

This orientation emphasized the need for a whole-of-nation approach, ensuring that women’s perspectives are fully integrated into peace and security initiatives and that implementation is both inclusive and sustainable.

The afternoon session also featured We Act 1325 National Coordinator, Ms. Elizabeth Yang’s in-depth discussion on the 11-Point Civil Society Organization (CSO) Agenda on WPS, a framework that asserts the indispensable role of CSOs in advancing the WPS agenda at the grassroots level. 

^{Ms. Elizabeth Yang, National Coordinator of We Act 1325, emphasized the vital role of CSOs in amplifying women’s voices and ensuring accountability
in building an inclusive, gender-responsive peace process.}

Developed through nationwide consultations led by WEACT 1325, the 11-Point Civil Society Organization (CSO) Agenda consolidates the most urgent peace and security concerns from communities across the Philippines. It strategically aligns these grassroots issues with the national framework through five crosscutting priorities:

1. Preventing Conflict at its Roots — Addressing core issues like poverty, discrimination, and injustice while advancing social reforms and human rights protections.
2. Building Gender-Sensitive Governance and Justice — Ensuring safe spaces for all, establishing culturally sensitive and rights-based justice systems, and integrating WPS perspectives across all government plans.
3. Placing Women at the Decision-Making Table — Achieving gender parity in peace panels, guaranteeing CSO representation in security mechanisms, and strengthening community-led monitoring.
4. Empowering Communities with Skills for Peace — Equipping women, girls, and all community members with the skills to respond to conflict, access justice, and lead in peacebuilding.
5. Strengthening Civil Society’s Role as Peacebuilders — Advancing CSO-led initiatives in critical areas like climate security, gender-based violence prevention, human rights reform, and peace education.

Ultimately, the session affirms how CSOs serve as vital bridges between communities and institutions—amplifying the voices of women, documenting on-the-ground realities, and ensuring accountability in the implementation of WPS commitments—to foster an inclusive and gender-responsive peace process that truly reflects the lived experiences and aspirations of women and their communities.

Meanwhile, Ms. Bai Hyriah Raihanna R. Candao, Project Analyst of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines Peacebuilding Team, led the session on the localization of the Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (RAP-WPS). The Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) launched the third-generation RAP-WPS, a milestone initiative running until 2028 that aims to strengthen the participation and leadership of women and girls in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and governance—anchoring their vital role in advancing the region’s peace and development agenda.

^{Ms. Bai Hyriah Raihanna R. Candao of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines led the session on localizing
the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (RAP-WPS) that amplifies women’s leadership in peace, security, and governance across the-region.}

Crafted through a series of consultations and validation workshops across the Bangsamoro region and aligned with both the Philippine National Action Plan on WPS and key international frameworks, the updated RAP is supported by the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the European Union, in partnership with UNDP Philippines and UN Women.

Workshops, Action Planning, and Localization

The heart of the consultation centered on Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Action Planning workshops where participants—composed of CSOs, local government units, national agencies, the security sector, women’s groups, and community actors—worked in breakout groups representing Regions IX, X, and Caraga.

Grounded in the NAPWPS framework and informed by earlier discussions, each regional group:

• Identified priority peace and security issues affecting women in their locality;
• Reflected on existing efforts, challenges, and lessons; and
• Proposed actionable and context-specific strategies aligned with the four pillars of the NAPWPS.

^{The heart of the consultation is the region-based focused group discussions and action planning workshops, engaging stakeholders
from CSOs, LGUs, agencies, and the security sector to localize the NAPWPS 2023–2033 across Regions IX, X, and Caraga.}

The groups later presented their outputs during a Plenary Session, where the PCW and OPAPRU teams provided feedback, guidance, and recommendations to strengthen regional adaptation efforts.

Sustaining the Spirit of Pakiglambigit

As a symbolic gesture of reaffirming their dedication, stakeholders signed the NAP-WPS Commitment Pledge Wall, symbolizing their shared responsibility in advancing the WPS Agenda, lead by OPAPRU Executive Director, Susana Guadalupe H. Marcaida.

“What is most important in the National Action Plan is localization,” she emphasized. “Mainstreaming means ensuring that programs truly reach the communities where they are needed the most. These should not remain only on paper, but must be felt by the people on the ground—the transformation and change that the National Action Plan promises.”

Stakeholders vowed to champion women’s leadership in peace building, push for gender-responsive policies, foster multi-sector collaboration, amplify marginalized voices, and ensure the accountable localization of the NAPWPS. 

Through this collective pledge, they strengthened the Pakiglambigit movement’s call for a just, peaceful, and inclusive Mindanao.

^{United for Women, Peace, and Security, stakeholders pledged to build a just and inclusive Mindanao.}

The consultation concluded with a workshop envisioning a peaceful and inclusive society. Participants affirmed that Pakiglambigit—anchored in connection, solidarity, and collaboration—must move beyond a concept and be lived out in everyday governance, leadership, and community building. This means translating commitments into concrete initiatives–embedding WPS principles in policies and action plans, ensuring inclusive participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in decision-making, and strengthening collaboration with regional mechanisms like Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC). It also involves regularly monitoring progress through NAPWPS indicators and recognizing good practices.

^{PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar declares in her closing remarks that Pakiglambigit is just the beginning—a united effort
to build a peaceful Philippines where women are truly empowered to shape peace, security, and development.}

In her closing remarks, PCW Executive Director Nharleen Santos-Millar urged stakeholders to translate Pakiglambigit into concrete policies, collaborative actions, and steadfast commitments. She called on everyone to help realize the vision of a Bagong Pilipinas: a nation where justice is shared, peace is sustained, and every woman is empowered to lead, contribute, and thrive.

“This consultation is not an ending, it is a beginning. This is the start of a stronger, united effort to build a peaceful Philippines, where women are not just included, but truly empowered to shape peace, security, and development. Let us carry the spirit of Pakiglambigit forward: to stay engaged, to act together, and to commit fully to a future where no one is left behind, especially the women who continue to fight for peace in the hardest places,” she said.

As stakeholders take this call to heart, they pledged to ensure that women are recognized not as afterthoughts but as equal partners in shaping a peaceful, just, and inclusive Bagong Pilipinas. They committed to strengthen women’s role in peacebuilding, ensuring protection mechanism for women and girls in conflict-affected areas, and allocating resources for the implementation of the NAPWPS at the local level.