In a ceremony held at Signal Village National High School (SVNHS) in honor of the 10th anniversary of the January 24th Peace Day, a peace monument was unveiled. It is the 18th monument in the Philippines and the first of its kind to be unveiled within a school in Metro Manila.
In addition, the HWPL Peace Club was launched by the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace advocacy group through its youth arm International Peace Youth Group in cooperation with SVNHS’s Indayaw Dance Company (IDC). IDC won the Grand Championship in the Dance for Peace organized by IPYG in 2022.
The peace monument and the creation of the peace club signify the strong support of HWPL to the young generations of peace advocates to promote peace and unity among their peers.
“This is very monumental since this is the first ever monument of this kind to be installed in a school, especially in a public school in NCR (National Capital Region); it’s a must-visit place. Since we have Catch-up Friday wherein peace education is one the components of this program, this will help us a lot, especially in giving inspiration to our students and all the stakeholders within and outside the school premises,” said Dr. Ferdinand Paggao, Education Program Supervisor for Araling Panlipunan from DepEd Schools Division Office of Taguig City and Pateros.
Ms. Robeemane Balisi, the consultant of Indayaw Dance Company and adviser of the HWPL Peace Club, also shared, “Signal Village National High School has around 9,000 students, and with such a large number, I believe that when students see this monument, they will pause and wonder what it is about. They will search for it and talk about it with their friends and family. Through these conversations, the knowledge about the peace monument will spread throughout Signal Village.”
Known for their performances that celebrate cultural diversity and unity, IDC showcased a dynamic performance during the program.
Last year, members of the dance group attended the Youth Empowerment Peace Class (YEPC), hosted the “Dance for a Cause” event, and became part of the Youth Engagement Peace Building Working Group during the HWPL World Peace Summit held in South Korea in September 2023.
Mr. James Mark Tayag, former captain of the dance group said, “I feel extremely happy seeing all the hard work we put into this come to life. As a former captain, I am very proud of the members of the Indayaw Dance Company because they have grown even more and have been motivated since winning the contest we participated in. I would like to thank HWPL and IPYG for their efforts and materials that helped make this peace monument possible in our school. This monument symbolizes our hard work and dedication, and it brings us so much joy to see it.”
The peace monument serves as a concrete testament to the power of art and dedication of the youth in contributing to a peaceful and inclusive environment that inspire and empower other students to become advocates for peace within their school and beyond.
