Phl schools included in Tony Blair Foundation

MANILA, Philippines -  Schools and universities in the Philippines have been included in the list of beneficiaries of the foundation of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for religious and cultural awareness as well as education programs.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro and Commission on Higher Education chair Patricia Licuanan signed a memorandum of agreement with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation during a press conference held yesterday at The Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

Blair said he was happy that the Philippines has become a beneficiary of the peace-building program.

“This is a very important moment in the development of my foundation,” Blair told reporters.

Blair said that Filipino children, especially Muslims and Christians in Mindanao, would benefit from the program.

The program aims to teach basic education to schoolchildren in elementary and high schools, while tertiary students would be taught religion and culture.

Blair noted that peace can be achieved by “eradicating ignorance among individuals living in the community.”

Under the MOU signed by Blair with Luistro, the Face to Faith program will initially identify six public schools in different areas of the country for school year 2012-2013. The program will be expanded to an additional 18 schools in the succeeding school year.

Under the Faith & Globalization Initiative with CHED, four universities – Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Mindanao State University, Xavier University and Ateneo de Manila University – were identified as beneficiaries.

“We thank the Tony Blair Faith Foundation for the opportunity for peace to take root in the hearts and minds of Filipino teachers and students by developing their skills at peace-building and engagement across different faiths. Many social, ethnic and cultural conflicts are born out of mistrust which is fueled by wrong or incomplete information or outright falsehood against a certain race, faith or ethnicity,” Luistro said.

Licuanan echoed Luistro’s sentiments.

“The Philippines can immensely benefit from the help of our friends at this stage of our quest for lasting peace in the country,” Licuanan said.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation was founded in 2008 with the goals of promoting respect for and understanding between peoples of different faiths.