BACOLOD CITY, Sept. 30 (PNA) -– Residents of three villages in Murcia, Negros Occidental declared their areas as “peace communities” as the observance of the National Peace Consciousness Month drew to a close Monday.
In rites held at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Center here, residents of barangays Santa Rosa, Amayco and Lopez vowed to support the peace effort of the government and denounced violence.
The ceremony, led by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Col. Jon Aying, commander of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, was attended by at least 120 families from the three Murcia villages.
For his part, Maraňon reiterated his appeal to give peace a chance in Negros Occidental.
“If there is no peace, there is no progress, ” said the governor, who received a Bayanihan Award from the Armed Forces of the Philippines for his contribution to the peace and development efforts in the province.
Maraňon said the provincial government is doing its best to maintain peace and order in the province to attract more investors.
“If there is no peace, then nobody will invest here,” he said.
Paduano, who said that he is a product of a peace agreement with the national government, also called for support for the peace and development initiatives of the government.
As Carapali Lualhati, Paduano served as the national commander of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade that entered into peace talks with the government in 2000.
Harry Pineda of the Alter Trade Foundation led the pledge for peace.
Prayers for peace were offered by Rev. Fr. Ernie Larida, director of the Diocese of Bacolod-Social Action Center, Msgr. Fernando Flores of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Imam Omar Betita of the Dar-Al-Dhikr Islamic Center, Pastor Allan Tupas of Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, Rev. Sam Menguito of United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
Other activities include candle lighting and posting of peace cards and the distribution of dry goods to families in Barangay Santa Rosa, Murcia.(PNA)