PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Joseph Astrophel “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko as its new Executive Vice President for Organizational and Program Development. Mr. Ongkiko assumed his new position on 01 May 2023. His duties will involve developing and sustaining the organizational structure; expanding the stakeholder base; seeking partnerships with other organizations; keeping abreast of the latest developments in peacebuilding; leading periodic reviews of institutional strategic plans; developing inclusive programs for the coconut industry; and, institutionalizing a school of inclusive development. Ka Boyet will also be responsible for revenue generation, through the social entrepreneurial programs of PBCI, towards the sustainability and regeneration of activities under his areas of responsibility.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/05/joseph-astrophel-ka-boyet-is-pbci-evp-for-organizational-and-program-development/
It was a great opportunity to be chosen as one of the representatives of the Philippine coffee industry to participate at the Specialty Coffee Expo 2023 held in Portland, Oregon last 21-23 April 2023. As President & CEO of Coffee For Peace (CFP), I’m grateful to the efforts of the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) in bringing coffee industry stakeholders from the Philippines to this international coffee exhibition. By participating in this premier event, Filipino coffee industry players like me were able to showcase our products and connect with the international decision makers in the industry, gaining exposure to global markets and expanding our business opportunities.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/04/cfp-is-part-of-team-philippines-at-the-specialty-coffee-expo-2023-in-portland-oregon/
Coffee for Peace (CFP) was chosen as the lead enterprise among other business enterprises in Davao Region to support skills and competitiveness training for their employees. This is part of the Asian Development Bank’s SkillsUpNet Philippines (ADB-SUNPh) program, an innovative skills-delivery scheme led by employers in select locations. Under SUNPh, grants ranging from PhP1 million to PhP4 million were awarded to five networks of enterprises in five priority sectors. CFP-led “Kapehan Sa Davao” (Coffee Gathering in Davao) is one of the five networks in the country who received such grants. The 10-month SUNPh Program will allow CFP and the other enterprises in the Kapehan Sa Davao Network to provide training to their employees on new coffee roasting and brewing techniques, as well as on customer service and marketing skills.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/04/cfp-leads-kapehan-sa-davao-agribusiness-network-in-an-entrepreneurial-skills-development-program/
Last 30-31 March 2023, the folks at iDEYA — the Center of Innovation and Technopreneurship at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) — invited Lakan, Joji, and Tala for a two-day focused discussion group. Together, they worked on developing a Social Entrepreneurship training program framed in Indigenous Knowledge System and Practices (IKSP). During the meetings, they reflected on their experiences and reviewed their notes on Indigenous social entrepreneurial practices which they learned from the Talaandig Tribe of Bukidnon in the past year. They also planned two features of this project: (a) the production of an IKSP-framed training manual; and, (b) the Impact Day when IP entrepreneurs will present their social business and products to concerned government agencies, business corporations, and non-government organizations.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/03/academic-partners-journey-with-us-in-developing-iksp-framed-social-entrepreneurial-incubation/
16-19 March 2023. The Inclusive Development Team (IncluDev Team) of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace, Inc. (CFP) was invited by the Mandaya Coffee Producers Association (MaCoPA) to conduct a leadership training among their officers. This two-day seminar and workshop included a review of the technical aspects of coffee production, from crop to cup. It also included psychosocial and legal aspects of organizational development. This activity was done in partnership with TriPeople Development and Service Foundation. While PBCI focuses on the community development, CFP is committed to buy one ton of coffee cherries per community during their first harvest and to link the farmers to local, national, and international markets when the quality and quantity of supply is sustained.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/03/mandaya-coffee-producers-association-completes-leadership-training/
The Arrupe Office of Social Formation — the social formation arm of the Ateneo de Davao University — invited Joji and me as one of their resource speakers last 28 February 2023, for the event entitled “Love Stories: Paano Umibig sa Panahon ng Ligalig? The Way of Love in Troubled Waters”. This event is one of the activities in commemoration of the 32nd death anniversary of Jesuit Father General Pedro Arrupe. Our talk was part of a series of short talks and performances inspired by Fr Pedro Arrupe’s “fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything” and is grounded in Christ’s most fundamental teaching: love. Joji and I were so grateful for the privilege of sharing our harmonious view of love — that of loving the Creator, loving our being, loving others, and loving the whole creation.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/02/the-ateneo-de-davao-university-invited-us-to-share-our-love-story/
A group of civil society organizations consulted me and asked me to facilitate a seminar on how to understand the current conflict they are facing as they do their peace and development work. These organizations have been in dialogue with us since April last year. So, last 20-21 February 2023, I went to Zambales province and continued our partnership talks by listening to them and by seeking to understand their context while immersing myself in the community for a couple of days. Based on the needs I saw, I introduced to them basic conflict transformation and conflict mapping skills. These organizations are walking in solidarity with certain Aeta Indigenous communities in Zambales who are experiencing land-based conflict with certain powers.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/02/we-shared-conflict-transformation-and-conflict-mapping-skills-to-our-zambales-partners/
As part of our inclusive approach in peacebuilding, I and one of my Field Operations staff members, Arafat ‘Toto’ Balono, participated in a military-organized conversation on counterinsurgency, peace, and development in Davao Region. It was held last 24 January 2023, 0830-1300PHT, at the headquarters of the 10th Infantry Division (10ID) of the Philippine Army, Datu Balunto Hall, Camp General Manuel T Yan Sr., Barangay Tuboran, Municipality of Mawab, Province of Davao de Oro. We listened to the military reports and conversation between civil society leaders and Philippine Army officers. When given the chance, I shared our perspective on justice-based peacebuilding beyond the box of the counterinsurgency campaign of the military.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/01/pbci-shared-justice-and-peace-concerns-of-civilians-at-the-armys-10th-infantry-division/
At Mennonite Church Canada, they refer to this as Peace Learning Tour Philippines. For us at PBCI-CFP Team, we see these partners and friends as faith-siblings who did accompany us in our field work. This field trip happened last 13-22 January 2023. Norm Dyck led the group — Andrea, Anita, Brent, Dorothea, Dorothy, Edna, Lois, and Rose. They travelled with us, the Inclusive Development Team of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. and Coffee for Peace (PBCI-CFP IncluDev Team), and visited some of our field partners in Mindanao. The tour included visiting Davao Bible Community, our local church partner; the Talaandig Indigenous People’s community; the Obo Manobo IP community and our common partner, the Energy Development Corporation; the Tri-People’s Farm owned by Romy and Lulu Elusfa; and the Bagobo Tagabawa IP community. We concluded the tour with a rest and recreation day at the Paradise Beach Resort.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/01/canadian-peace-learning-tour-participants-accompanied-us-in-our-field-work/
2022 was like seeing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. We felt we were getting out of the darkness of 2020-2021 paralyses due to Covid. Joji was able to visit and bond with our three adult children and eight grandchildren last Fall. They bring so much joy to our lives. Meanwhile, the operations of Coffee for Peace (CFP) in the context of the new realities are being appreciated by the global social enterprise community. The Field Operations Team of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) revived our on-the-ground projects with various community partners. With both the PBCI Board of Trustees and the CFP Board of Directors, we reviewed the past 16 years of justice-based peace and reconciliation ministry in Mindanao and we all agreed that this Philippine ministry is now entering into a leadership transition phase.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/12/family-development-and-ministry-transition-bring-joy-to-us-as-we-journey-through-the-pandemic/
A total of 500 Teduray and Lambangian families affected by “Paeng” were identified by their local Indigenous Political Structure as most vulnerable. WEA Manila, led by Bishop Efraim Tendero, sent 500 Sphere Standard Relief Packs to two communities of Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The first wave of relief operations was done last 15-16 November in Barangay Kuya, Municipality of South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur. The second wave was done last 14-16 December in Barangay Matuber, Municipality of Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. PeaceBuilders Community served as the “delivery team” along with the enthusiastic volunteers from Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG) within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Formal courtesy letters were sent to municipal, barangay, and military authorities.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/12/wea-manila-brings-relief-supplies-to-teduray-lambangian-tribes-through-pbci-tjg-part-2/
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was severely affected by Typhoon Paeng (international name Nalgae). According to a report by ReliefWeb International, in this region alone, around 1 million people or 202,000 families were affected. 467,000 people were displaced. The death toll is 51, and 14 are missing. Within the BARMM, we’re focusing on the Teduray and Lambangian Tribes — the Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the region. PBCI works in partnership with the Timuay Justice and Governance regarding the needs on the ground. We’re also charged by Bishop Efraim Tendero of WEA Manila to deliver Core Humanitarian Standard packs to 500 Teduray and Lambangian families.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/11/wea-manila-brings-relief-supplies-to-teduray-lambangian-tribes-through-pbci-tjg-part-1/
