Tag: coffee for peace
Coffee for Peace (CFP) and Malipayon Peace Hub (MPH), located in Purok Malipayon, Barangay Managa, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, serve as a community-based Learning Site supporting the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities (DAR-VISTA) Project. The Learning Site integrates coffee value-chain development, inclusive livelihoods, Indigenous community development, environmental stewardship, and peacebuilding through experiential learning and practical demonstrations. It provides farmers, agrarian reform beneficiaries, community enterprises, and development practitioners opportunities to explore sustainable coffee production, post-harvest processing, value addition, enterprise development, and market engagement. Situated within the ancestral domain of the Bagobo Tagabawa people, the Learning Site emphasizes respect for Indigenous knowledge, cultural identity, community participation, and responsible land stewardship. In partnership with PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI), it connects agricultural innovation with trust-building, constructive conflict transformation, and inclusive economic opportunities, advancing resilient agrarian communities and sustainable rural development through coffee enterprise and collaborative learning.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2026/10/08/coffee-for-peace-at-malipayon-peace-hub-a-learning-site-of-the-dar-vista-project/
The 28th Davao Agri Trade Expo 2026 demonstrated the continuing evolution of Mindanao agriculture — from an emphasis primarily on production toward a more integrated vision involving innovation, enterprise, investment, market access, technology, regional trade, and inclusive growth. Held at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang, from 17–19 September, the expo provided a significant meeting place for agricultural and business stakeholders from Mindanao and beyond. The event was organized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) and was held alongside the inaugural ASEAN Innovation Summit 2026. Within this larger gathering, Joji Pantoja of Coffee for Peace brought an important human and social dimension to the conversation through her roles as plenary speaker and panelist. Her participation connected agricultural development with the realities of farmers, Indigenous communities, social entrepreneurship, peacebuilding, and responsible stewardship of creation.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2026/09/20/agriculture-and-trade-as-pathways-toward-dignity-inclusive-prosperity-and-peace-our-take-on-the-28th-davao-agri-trade-expo-2026/
The “Hawak ng Babae ang Kalahati ng Mundo” session provided a meaningful space for women and men from Indigenous Peoples (IP) and non-IP communities to reflect on gender roles, leadership, livelihoods, identity, and community life. Through participatory activities, participants examined the realities of their daily responsibilities and recognized the often-unseen labor and leadership of women in households, farming, coffee production, entrepreneurship, and community governance. The 5Rs Framework encouraged reflection on recognizing, reducing, redistributing, representing, and building resilience around shared responsibilities. Discussions on the Three Layers of Life and the Four Harmonies deepened participants’ understanding of purpose, well-being, relationships, spirituality, and stewardship of creation. The session also created opportunities for dialogue between IP and migrant communities, particularly on ancestral domain rights, coffee farming, economic cooperation, and peaceful coexistence. Ultimately, the gathering affirmed women’s vital contributions while promoting inclusive, respectful, resilient, and harmonious communities.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2026/08/31/women-hold-half-the-world-leadership-livelihoods-and-community-transformation/
It was both an honor and a privilege to serve as one of the plenary speakers during the First Lumin-awa International Multidisciplinary Research Conference (LIMRC) 2026, held on 25–27 May 2026 at the Teatro Kalinga of Kalinga State University in Bulanao, Tabuk City. The conference brought together researchers, educators, practitioners, government leaders, and development partners from across the Philippines and abroad under the theme, “Innovating Justice and Governance: Multidisciplinary Pathways to Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainable Development.” The event was jointly organized by Kalinga State University and the state universities of the Cordillera Administrative Region through a landmark academic partnership that seeks to strengthen research collaboration and social innovation.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2026/05/29/i-represented-cfp-at-the-first-lumin-awa-international-multidisciplinary-research-conference-2026/
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.
Continue reading
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/
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.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/05/05/scaling-change-from-the-heart-my-reflections-on-the-national-entrepreneurship-conference-2025/
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.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/02/20/building-peace-through-empowerment-the-role-of-bangsamoro-women/
