The Gold Olive Branch Award Project

GOLDEN OLIVE BRANCH AWARD OR PRIZE RECOGNITION AND AWARDS PROJECT

This a project to give recognition and incentive to those who gave major contributions to establishing and promoting peace and order, security and safety within the Philippine community (neighborhood, Sitio, Purok, Barangay, etc.).

Even those that had died or passed away are entitled to receive the prize posthumous, and all the benefits therefrom.

It is a project that to help promote among the youth the importance of working for community-based peace and order by granting scholarships to young high school students and providing grant funds for the education of children of posthumous awardees.

The following compose the initial Core Members of the Organizing Committee:

Golden Olive Branch Award or Prize Recognition and Awards Project

Mario C. Garcia

Zacarias T. Aquino

Luisito L. Morante

Ferdinand M. Cabrera

Ernest Joseph P. Patanao

Antonio Rosario C. Catral

Alan S. Taruc

Philip Anthony P. Placer

Ramil L. Jumarang

Ruben G. Apostol

Solomon P. Botictic

Why a peace award in the Philippines

Reasons for a Peace Award

The Philippines has the longest running communist insurgency in the whole world

The Muslim secessionist rebellion has been going on in Mindanao for more than forty years or close to fifty years. The historical rift between Islamic people of Mindanao and the rest of the country as well as colonizers of the Philippines has been existent for many centuries, whereas in the beginning, the central core of governance of the populations in several major islands emanated from Mindanao even as the indigenous people of this country already had their own culture and simple system of government.

Finally, achieving peace and sustaining it within a community might be easy as it sounds, but it definitely is not.

Notwithstanding the secessionist acts of our Islamic brothers in Mindanao and the existence of rebellion in hot spot areas all over the country where communist insurgents cannot simply leave the masses alone nor the government forces pursuing them not bother the simple residents of communist-infested localities, there is a need to work for peace even in the areas where there is no secession or where there are no red communist fighters.

To spur individuals and institutions to work for peace in the community is not for other's advantage except one's own, one's own neighbors and one's own village. With the exception of extending one's efforts to work for peace in broader areas, actions leading toward community-based security, safety, peace and order is simply for one's own good and one's immediate family and circle. Still, human nature and certain ethics prevents people from working for causes that do not yield profit, affluence and fame.

That makes it difficult to work for the peace, even if only for one's own community and one's own neighbors.

Therefore, it is fitting to reward work that fosters this peace, serenity and tranquility in one's the very vicinity of one's own home.