The National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) participated in the 25th ASEAN Regional Forum Meeting of Heads of Defense Universities, Colleges, and Institutions (ARFHDUCIM) held from 1 to 3 August 2023 at the Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The NDCP Delegation is comprised of the NDCP President, LtGen Ferdinand C Cartujano PAF (Ret), Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, Dr. Alan A Lachica, and Training Specialist II, Ms. Patricia Lee T Yanga.

The theme of the meeting was “Defense Education Diplomacy for Sustainable Peace and Security”. The topics covered enhancing collaboration among defense institutions for the integration of peace education into the curriculum of respective curricula. Dr. Lachica presented on behalf of NDCP in Session II, “Peace Education in Professional Military Education as Pathway for Increasing the Role of the Military in Peacebuilding Operations.” He discussed the role that peace education plays in societies and communities experiencing violence and conflict.

In the presentation, Dr. Lachica underscored that the NDCP, in the performance of its mandate to provide defense and security education and training to senior military officers, has several programs and activities that cater to the promotion of peace education in professional military education such as the Operational Law (OPLAW) Seminar, the Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSGR) Workshop, and the Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) Program. He underscored how crucial peace education is to peacebuilding operations and sustainable peace. Lastly, Dr. Lachica suggested ways forward such as integration and mainstreaming of peace education, internal collaboration, and promotion of security sector governance.

The ARFHDUCIM is a Track 1 Forum of the ARF member-states. It provides a platform for key defense educational institutions of member states to share professional military education and best practices. Heads of defense and military education and training institutions from 27 member states gather annually to share their experiences in the areas of leadership, curriculum development, and the role of education in the grooming of leaders.