Rotary Update: The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has launched the year-long book campaign dubbed "Books for Peace" at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Rear Admiral Miguel Jose Rodriguez, Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations (CMO) of the AFP, said the project is in partnership with the Rotary Club of Loyola Heights. Rodriguez said that "Books for Peace" emphasizes the major part being played by education in our nation’s quest for peace. It also recognizes the glaring truth that conditions in conflict areas have spawned widespread poverty, contributing to the inability of families to send their children to school, he said. Rodriguez added that insufficient support to buy the needed reading materials hampers the education of those who are lucky enough to attend school. The project, he said, follows the success of the Philippine Marines battalion landing team in Sulu where more than a million books through a similar campaign were donated and distributed to the needy school-children. Rotary Club of Loyola Heights President Morris Agoncillo said that the project has a potential of making a big impact in the knowledge formation of the youth who intends to finish their studies but are in dire need of financial support.

Military Launches ‘Books For Peace’ | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: "During the one-year book drive, the AFP will collaborate with the Department of Education (DepEd) in identifying the project beneficiaries particularly in conflict areas.

The Rotarians will handle the tri-media advocacy and collection campaign which will start in Quezon City, then the National Capital Region (NCR), and eventually in other cities nationwide.

"The RC-Loyola Heights and the AFP recognize that prior to the internet boom, knowledge were accessed mainly through printed forms such as encyclopedias and almanacs. Only the financially-abled families, however, were able to buy these costly books, further contributing to a polarity in educational opportunities in the country," said Rodriguez."

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Peace Update: Muslim rebels waging a four-decade insurgency in the Philippines signed a historic pact with the government on Monday to end the conflict, but both sides warned the road to peace had only just begun. President Benigno Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Murad Ebrahim witnessed the signing of the accord, which aims for a final peace pact by 2016, in a landmark ceremony at the presidential palace in Manila.

President Benigno Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Murad Ebrahim witnessed the signing of the accord, which aims for a final peace pact by 2016, in a landmark ceremony at the presidential palace in Manila.
Philippines, Muslim rebels sign peace pact - Yahoo! News Philippines: "President Benigno Aquino, who has driven the process since assuming office in 2010, also hailed the agreement as a chance to "finally achieve genuine, lasting peace".
Ebrahim became the first MILF chief to visit the presidential palace, signifying the optimism from both sides about finally ending a conflict that has claimed 150,000 lives and the priority Aquino has put on achieving peace. Under the plan, the 12,000-strong MILF would give up its quest for an independent homeland in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao in return for significant power and wealth sharing in a new autonomous region there."

A Muslim girl flashes the peace sign after a nationwide peace caravan from Mindanao to Malacanang arrived to show its support for the signing of a framework agreement, during a vigil near Malacanang palace in Manila October 14, 2012. The Philippine government and Muslim rebels will sign on Monday the framework agreement to end a 40-year conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people, paving the way for a political and economic revival of the country's troubled south. REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo (PHILIPPINES - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS)

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