Presidents and school heads of private schools, colleges and universities in Mindanao gathered last June 23-24at the Liceo de Cagayan University in Cagayan de Oro City for the 1st COCOPEA Mindanao Congress on  the theme “Waging Peace in Mindanao: The Role of Private Education”- Fr Antonio F. Moreno SJ, chair of the COCOPEA Mindanao Chapter explained that  the  congress was convened to provide a forum where heads of private schools, colleges and universities in Mindanao can have a meaningful exchange of concerns and opportunities as far as these relate to private education and explore ways and means of collaborating to strengthen the role as partners of peace and development in Mindanao.

 Sec Annabelle Abaya, Head of the Office of thePresidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) was guest speaker of thecongress. In her address, she explained the Comprehensive Peace Process of thePhilippine government. She concluded her message by posing challenges for theprivate education sector in the peace building efforts of the government.

Other highlights of the congress include:  workshop per region  on their own assessment of the peace processand sharing of best practices on peace . Those who participated as resource persons for the workshops were  Mr. Agney  C. Taruc of Region X11, Prof.  Sheila G. Algabre of Notre Dame University and Mr Howard A. Manego of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

The congress  formally concluded with the address by Msgr Gerardo O. Santos, President of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Manila  Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association.