Creation of Department of Peace pushed
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said that he would propose to Congress the creation of a Department of Peace in place of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru).
Opapru, formerly known as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, was renamed under then President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 158 in December 2021.
It was tasked to manage, direct, integrate and supervise the implementation of the government’s comprehensive peace process.
Galvez pointed out that the move to transform Opapru would address the security tenure and career advancement of peace builders “who have dedicated their lives to peace work in the pursuit of institutionalizing and cultivating a culture of peace as well as sustaining the gains of the comprehensive peace process.”
—NESTOR CORRALES
Garin calls renaming of DOH costly, futile
The proposal to rename the Department of Health (DOH) into the Department of Health and Wellness may be well-intentioned but ultimately a futile endeavor for the country’s public health outcomes, former Health Secretary and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said on Thursday.
“Honestly, it would not make any difference,” Garin told reporters. “The DOH has far more problems that should be paid attention to. And in any case, wellness is already part of health.”
“It also goes without saying that this would entail costs,” she said.
“You’ll have to replace the logo from the central office, down to the hospitals, until the very bottom rungs of our government—it would have been okay if the impact would be great in terms of public health, but it won’t.” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa earlier proposed to rename the DOH as the Department of Health and Wellness to align the country with global goals to lengthen lifespans.
—KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
