Diether Ocampo delights 400 kid evacuees with peace story
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TALAYAN, MAGUINDANAO, Sept. 25 – For some 400 internally displaced children in this war-torn area of
Central Mindanao, their long wait paid off when their favorite actor Diether Ocampo appeared in person before
them for a storytelling session about two ancient kings, who went to war over trivial matters, but eventually
realized their mistake and smoked the peace pipe for the good of their subjects.
The kids as young as three, shrugged off the enervating heat at their makeshift homes dubbed as Temporary
Shelters constructed by the government.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Kids for Peace Foundation, Inc.
(KFPI), tapped Ocampo to conduct a peace storytelling session for children displaced in the fighting in Central
Mindanao to imbue in their young minds the importance of peace and for the people irrespective of race and
creed to live in harmony as God’s creation.
These Muslim and Christian children, who have been experiencing the dire condition of limited food and water
supply at the evacuation center, were very elated to see their favorite actor in the flesh and hear him deliver a
peace story.
Over 500,000 people in Central Mindanao have been displaced since fighting broke out between wayward
elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Commanders Bravo and Umbra Kato, and
government forces last year after the Supreme Court declared the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral
Domain (MOA-AD) unconstitutional.
Ocampo, the second celebrity storyteller of the OPAPP-led Kids for Peace workshop project since veteran
comedienne-actress Nova Villa, read the story of “Ang Dalawang Haring Siga,” which tells about two
kingdom's perpetual battle over petty grounds.
The book is written by Rene O. Villanueva and published by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
In the story, King Emong's loud snoring annoys King Porong while the latter's loud burping infuriate the former.
Both kings refused to resolve their conflict and later declared war against each other and their respective kins.
However, the war, which went on for several decades, was a complete irony to King Emong and King Porong's
great grandchildren who became very good friends.
The young ones convinced their great grandfathers to talk their issues over as their countries have been
greatly damaged by this senseless war.
For the love of their great grandchildren, King Emong and King Porong eventually agreed to resolve their
conflict by signing a peace agreement.
Spearheaded by OPAPP, the Kids for Peace workshops aims to advance a “culture of peace” among children
and complement school-based storytelling sessions.
The workshops have been conducted all over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in partnership with various local
government units, non-government organizations, academe and civil society groups.
For this particular affair, OPAPP collaborated with the municipal government of Talayan and the KFPFI, a
children's foundation based in Cotabato City.
Other than the peace storytelling session, the workshops are highlighted by sharing of lessons learned
among participants, reciting the Pledge of a Young Peace Advocate and doing the Dance for Peace.
Dubbed, “Kuwentong Pangkapayapaan: Mga kuwentong binasa mo, natutunan ng puso,” the storytelling
session endeavors to increase awareness in children on basic peace concepts and conflict resolution.
During the processing of the story, Ocampo, who enjoyed himself despite the noisy crowd and the smothering
heat, asked the children some moral lessons they have gained from the story of King Emong and King Porong.
Among these included the importance of open communication during misunderstandings and coming up
with an agreement to pave the way for peace.
The storytelling session yesterday was held simultaneously with World Food Programme's (WFP) relief
operation wherein sacks of rice and liters of cooking oil were turned over to the evacuees.
Shortly after the session, the children were given pairs of slippers courtesy of Ocampo, light snacks,
notebooks and pencils to their delight.
Deputy Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Nabil Tan,who represented Secretary Avelino I. Razon Jr.,
said the activity is an opportunity for the children to have fun amid their predicament in the evacuation area.
“Sana ito ay makapagbigay sa inyo ng kaunting saya dahil alam namin ang kalagayan niyo dito sa evacuation
center, lalo na ang kalagayan ng peace and order (I hope this will make you happy even just a bit because we
know your condition at the evacuation center, as well as the peace and order condition).”
Also present were OPAPP Undersecretary Salick Pandaand Dir. Rolly Asuncion of the OPAPP Peace
Institutions Development Office.
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