There are moments in global politics when a small spark of hope shines through the heavy fog of rivalry. The recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea, felt like one of those moments to me. On October 30, 2025, the two leaders met face-to-face for the first time since 2019—this time amid the strains of economic sanctions, trade wars, and intensifying competition across Asia (ABC News, 2025; Reuters, 2025). Held during the APEC Summit 2025, their nearly two-hour conversation seemed to ease some of the bitterness that has long defined U.S.–China relations. Reports from Reuters and The Guardian confirmed that both sides agreed to reduce damaging trade barriers and reopen cooperation in key sectors like agriculture and critical minerals (The Guardian, 2025; Reuters, 2025).
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/11/02/xi-jinping-donald-trump-meeting-in-busan-hopeful-lessons-for-the-philippines/
The moral, social, and ecological wounds of our nation converge into one urgent call for healing. As I reflect on the Philippines through the eyes of a peacebuilder journeying with Indigenous Peoples, I see that corruption, inequality, environmental destruction, and human rights violations are not isolated crises but symptoms of a deeper moral fracture. Justice cannot thrive where integrity is absent, and peace cannot flourish where truth is silenced. From the misuse of public funds to the hunger of our farmers and the cry of the Earth itself, we face the consequences of greed and neglect. Yet amid this pain, I also witness signs of renewal — communities demanding transparency, young people organizing for justice, and faith leaders reclaiming their prophetic voice. The healing of our nation must be integral — moral, economic, ecological, and spiritual — rooted in integrity, compassion, and the collective pursuit of peace through justice.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/10/27/justice-integrity-and-the-healing-of-our-nation-looking-at-crises-as-a-whole/
When I first heard about Donald Trump’s new Gaza ceasefire plan, I felt a mix of disbelief and déjà vu. Once again, the political destiny of Palestinians—whose struggle for self-determination and dignity I deeply empathize with—was being shaped not by their voices, but by external powers and billionaire interests. The plan, presented as a bold path toward peace and prosperity, reads less like a genuine peace framework and more like a real estate prospectus masquerading as diplomacy. As I delved deeper into the contents of this so-called “Trump Peace Plan for Gaza”, it became clear that the proposal was designed to serve the geopolitical and economic interests of powerful actors, not the people of Gaza who have endured unimaginable suffering. Its language of reconstruction and redevelopment hides a familiar pattern of dispossession, reminiscent of colonial “civilizing missions” repackaged for the twenty-first century.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/10/14/gazas-reconstruction-or-recolonization-a-filipino-peacebuilders-view-of-trumps-plan/
Dana Takruri’s AJ+ video, “Why the Two State Solution Never Worked,” presents a powerful and concise thesis: The two-state solution has failed because it was never a sincere goal for the Israeli state, which has instead, through systematic and deliberate actions, created a single, unequal reality of apartheid from the river to the sea. The “peace process” has been a smokescreen, allowing Israel to entrench its occupation and settlement project while paying lip service to a Palestinian state that it was simultaneously making impossible. Here is how the historical and current facts align with and prove her thesis, supported by academic and human rights documentation.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/10/06/the-illusion-of-a-two-state-solution-analyzing-dana-takruris-aj-report/
Today, 21 September 2025, the day that reminds us of the dark legacy of Martial Law—I monitored thousands of Filipinos at the Trillion Peso March at the People Power Monument in Quezon City. The march was a thunderous cry against corruption, particularly the scandal surrounding the alleged misuse of ₱545 billion (C$13.3 billion) in flood control funds by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). For decades, the DPWH has been at the center of corruption controversies—from ghost projects and overpriced contracts to collusion with contractors—that have cost our people trillions of pesos in lost development opportunities (Chanco, 2021). Instead of protecting lives and building resilient infrastructure, systemic corruption in the agency has left communities drowning in floods, while a wealthy few flaunt luxury cars and mansions purchased with blood money.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/09/21/september-21-trillion-peso-march-at-edsa-responding-to-brilliant-proposals-for-reform/
On 13 September 2025, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) convened a timely forum entitled “The Hidden War: Information as the New Battleground in the Philippines” at the Calungsod–San Vitores Jesuit–Lay Collaboration Center. In partnership with the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), the event brought together academics, students, civil society representatives, and security sector leaders to examine the weaponization of information and the spread of disinformation. The forum underscored that false narratives are not mere online irritants but potent tools that shape political decisions, deepen social divisions, and endanger lives. Veteran journalist and AdDU Trustee, Ms. Jamela Alindogan, delivered the keynote address, offering sharp insights drawn from decades of frontline reporting. She emphasized the moral responsibility of journalists, peacebuilders, and educators to defend truth as a cornerstone of justice and peace. Her reflections also exposed the vulnerability of local communities who are deliberately targeted by disinformation to weaken their voices and distort their realities. The forum served as a vital space for critical reflection and collaborative strategizing to protect information integrity in Philippine society.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/09/15/standing-for-truth-in-the-hidden-war-of-disinformation-a-new-peacebuilding-struggle-in-our-world/
The Davao Regional Coffee Expo 2025 (DRCE 2025) has left me deeply moved—not only by the knowledge shared, but by the spirit of unity that flowed through every session, exhibit, and conversation. I witnessed farmers embrace new tools for climate resilience, women take their rightful place as leaders in the coffee value chain, and researchers bridge science with the lived realities of rural communities. What struck me most was how coffee became more than a crop; it became a story of culture, resilience, and collaboration. Listening to farmers, entrepreneurs, baristas, and academics share their hopes and innovations, I saw a vision of a future where coffee sustains both livelihood and community. For me, DRCE 2025 was not simply an event—it was a movement planting seeds of empowerment, sustainability, and peace, with ripples that will continue to transform lives across Davao and beyond.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/09/05/from-farm-to-future-the-transformative-impact-of-drce-2025-on-mindanaos-coffee-sector/
