There is No Peace When the Stomach is Empty

A peaceful world is not one that builds itself. It is constructed constantly and consistently, brick by brick, through sweat, sacrifice, and conviction of everyday architects of peace—those who refuse to let peace become merely an ideal, building communities where understanding prevails over conflict and cooperation is fostered over division.

Every 21st of September, the International Day of Peace calls on people across nations to reflect on the value of peace and become active participants in building societies where conflict is addressed through dialogue rather than violence. In the Philippines, this call resonates throughout the month of September as the country observes National Peace Consciousness Month. This seeks to instill greater awareness and appreciation of the peace process and encourage the Filipino people to take part in shaping a culture of peace.

Beyond international agreements and peace treaties, several questions linger: What does it truly mean to be at peace? Is peace solely the absence of war? Is there truly peace in communities that continue to experience injustice, extreme poverty, and inequality?

Peace is often imagined on a grand scale—peace talks, ceasefires, peacebuilding, and most notably, conflicts ending. While these are undoubtedly fundamental, war does not end simply because people sit at negotiating tables. Just as peace is not found but built, war is also not only experienced on battlefields. More often than not, behind what is captured by cameras, where headlines fall silent—war is much closer. A home may be free from armed conflict and still be far from peaceful: a child who goes to bed on an empty stomach, a mother who has to choose between buying food and buying medicine, a father who struggles to make ends meet, a family that lives from hand to mouth.

The numerous political and legal controversies in the Philippines, with reports of betrayal of public trust, plunder charges, and cases involving political leaders continually dominating media outlets, reflect not only concerns surrounding corruption within the country’s political landscape but also shed light on a reality that is often overlooked: the struggles of ordinary Filipinos, whose dining tables may never see the fruits of their labor.

The national Social Weather Survey reports that 52% of Filipino families identified themselves as poor. This is equivalent to 72 million Filipinos unable to meet basic needs. This widespread hardship reflects economic pressures, including rising inflation, the peso’s depreciation from ₱52 to ₱61 against the U.S. dollar, and soaring commodity prices, all of which have steadily eroded household purchasing power and pushed segments of the middle class into poverty.

For many Filipinos, economic hardship is an everyday reality—a circumstance that does not simply disappear because the streets are silent. This is where the call for peace and peace consciousness must go beyond commemorations and slogans. To be conscious of peace is to confront the realities that keep it out of reach for many. For peace is not an event; it is a condition. If we want peace, then we must also care about opportunities for people to build better and more stable lives.

Peace should not only push us to ask for weapons to be put down; it should also challenge us to question, confront, and act. The responsibility for peace does not fall on the shoulders of the government alone because when the government turns a deaf ear when it comes to people’s pleas, it is our voices that ought to ring louder.

The International Day of Peace and National Peace Consciousness Month should encourage us not only to expand our understanding of what peace means but also to take an active role in creating peaceful environments. A community where peace that belongs to everyone is a community that includes the fight against poverty as part of the conversation. A truly peaceful community is one enough with opportunity, dignity, and hope.

Written by Pia Natalie A. Daymiel
Proofread by Harris Donmoen Iligan
Art by Akitha Cadutdut