The National Social Entrepreneurship Conference (NSEC) 2025, held on 29-30 April 2025 at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, was a transformative gathering of over 500 changemakers—social entrepreneurs, government leaders, academics, grassroots advocates, and impact investors—committed to building a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future through social enterprise. It was spearheaded by four remarkable institutions—the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship (ACSEnt), the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), the University of the Philippines Institute for Small Scale Industries (UP ISSI), and the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship (PReSEnt) Coalition. The conference highlighted both the urgency of our nation’s social and ecological challenges and the powerful role that over 164,000 social enterprises across the country are playing in response. With its theme, “Scaling Change: Advances of Social Enterprises in Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development,” the event served not only as a platform for sharing solutions and innovations, but also as a celebration of resilience, collaboration, and our shared responsibility to center people, planet, and purpose in economic life.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/05/05/scaling-change-from-the-heart-my-reflections-on-the-national-entrepreneurship-conference-2025/
What began as a joyful day at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival quickly turned into a nightmare I’ll never forget. After packing up our Tahanan Studio booth, I stayed behind to enjoy the evening—only to be pulled into chaos minutes later by desperate calls for medics. I found myself moving into crisis mode, helping where I could, then caring for a young boy who had been separated from his injured mother. I stayed with him through the fear, the questions no child should ever have to ask, and the long hours at the hospital. Since that night, I’ve felt like I’m moving through water—trying to show up for my community while struggling to feel grounded in my own body. Yet even in the midst of pain and trauma, I’ve witnessed deep love, courage, and collective care. We can’t unsee what we’ve seen—but I believe healing is possible when we walk through it together.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/04/30/holding-community-in-the-wake-of-violence-my-daughters-account-of-the-vancouver-lapu-lapu-festival-tragedy/
This Easter Sunday, I walk and reflect in the spirit of the empty tomb—not as a monument to triumph, but as a living witness to the power of nonviolent love. As an Anabaptist Christian, shaped by a tradition of costly discipleship and radical peace, I hear the Risen Christ speaking again: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). He does not come back with vengeance. He comes bearing wounds. He breathes peace on fearful disciples and sends them out into a world ruled by empire, militarism, and religious complicity. That same world surrounds me today—in Southeast Asia where I live and serve as a peacebuilder, and in Canada, where my family and spiritual community remain deeply rooted.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/04/20/my-contemplative-walk-on-a-resurrection-sunday-a-revolutionary-call-to-the-peace-of-christ/
As Canadians wake up to the economic uncertainties stirred by protectionist policies from our neighbor and largest trading partner, the United States—particularly under the renewed threats of tariffs by US President Donald Trump—a deeper national introspection is warranted. It is in moments like these, when the ground beneath us seems to shift, that sacred texts offer more than spiritual comfort; they present frameworks for national reflection and transformation. Jesus offers a vivid image of growth through surrender: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). This imagery is striking, not only in its spiritual implications but also in its relevance to the soul of a nation confronting change, pressure, and adversity.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/03/31/the-cross-and-the-nation-a-canadian-reflection-amid-tariffs-and-turbulence/
As I read today’s Philippine Daily Inquirer headline, “From ‘Tokhang’ to The Hague: Duterte handed over to ICC,” I found myself pausing—not out of surprise, but in solemn reflection. This is a momentous day for our nation. The arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) signifies more than just a legal milestone. It marks a profound shift in our collective conscience—from a time when extrajudicial killings became normalized under a brutal “war on drugs,” to a moment of reckoning before an international tribunal. It is the beginning of an accounting long delayed, yet urgently needed. As a justice-based peacebuilding worker and a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, I do not see this event merely through the lens of legality. I see it as a moral and ethical crossroads for the Filipino people. This is a test of our commitment to truth, justice, and accountability—not only for the powerless, but now, remarkably, for the once-powerful.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/03/12/former-president-rodrigo-duterte-is-arrested-and-transferred-to-icc/
Over the past decade, significant efforts have been made to promote gender justice and economic empowerment in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with Bangsamoro women playing a crucial role in peacebuilding and development. Oxfam and The Asia Foundation (TAF), supported by the Australian Government, have implemented programs that provide marginalized women with training, mentorship, and access to financial resources to help them thrive as entrepreneurs. These initiatives culminated in the Bangsamoro WEE Learning Exchange in 17-19 February 2025, which highlighted policy support, Islamic Finance, and inclusive growth strategies. As a panelist at this event, I shared insights from my work with Coffee for Peace and PeaceBuilders Community, reinforcing my belief in the transformative power of inclusive economic growth as a path to lasting peace in the region.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/02/20/building-peace-through-empowerment-the-role-of-bangsamoro-women/
08 February 2025, Upi, Maguindanao Del Norte — As a long-term advocate for justice and reconciliation in Mindanao, PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) joins the Indigenous Peoples (IP) of Bangsamoro in celebrating the historic passage of the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act of 2024 by the Bangsamoro Parliament on 10 December 2024. This landmark legislation strengthens the rights, recognition, and empowerment of Indigenous Peoples within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), marking a major step forward for peace and inclusivity in the region. For decades, PBCI has walked alongside Indigenous communities in Mindanao, advocating for their land rights, self-determination, and cultural preservation. The Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples Act of 2024 provides a long-overdue legal framework that formalizes these rights, ensuring mechanisms for ancestral domain recognition, cultural preservation, access to government resources, and active participation in governance.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/02/10/pbci-celebrates-passage-of-bangsamoro-indigenous-peoples-act-reaffirms-commitment-to-inclusive-peacebuilding/
