By Benjamin Cuaresma
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) have formalized a new government framework designed to turn commitments on women, peace and security into concrete and funded programs.
The agencies signed Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2026-01 on September 8, establishing a mechanism for incorporating the priorities of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS) into government Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and Budgets.
The agreement is intended to move the women, peace and security agenda beyond policy commitments by providing government agencies with guidance on developing programs that have corresponding resources for implementation.
Under the circular, agencies are expected to craft initiatives that reflect the specific conditions and requirements of communities, giving greater emphasis to localized and responsive peacebuilding interventions.
The partnership also reinforces the role of women in peace and security processes, ensuring that their participation and perspectives are incorporated into government efforts rather than treated as secondary components.
For the PCW and OPAPRU, the agreement provides a government-wide framework for translating the NAPWPS into actionable programs while linking policy commitments with planning and budget processes.
The signing marks a step toward institutionalizing women’s participation in peacebuilding by making funding and implementation part of the government planning process.
