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At PBCI, we join our peacebuilding colleagues in calling on the National Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to accelerate the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), with a particular focus on the Annex on Normalization, while ensuring inclusivity for marginalized groups such as women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples. Our call stresses the importance of unity among the Bangsamoro people, rejecting divisive initiatives, and urges a clearer process and understanding on Sulu’s historical and political relationship with BARMM. PBCI also emphasizes the need for prompt resolution of election-related petitions to avoid undermining self-determination and calls for strengthened protections for vulnerable communities and ancestral domains. Lastly, it appeals for collective solidarity to hold leaders accountable and advance peacebuilding efforts that promote justice and inclusivity.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/12/a-call-on-the-gph-and-the-milf-to-move-with-greater-urgency-in-completing-the-implementation-of-the-cab/
On the afternoon of 16 November 2024, the Malipayon Peace Hub in Managa, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, became the vibrant venue for PeaceBuilders Community, Inc.’s (PBCI) First Annual General Meeting. The hybrid event—combining onsite and online participation—brought together 42 attendees, including field volunteers from across the Philippines, from Canada, from among PBCI and Coffee for Peace (CFP) staff, partners, impact investors, friends, and online followers. This diverse gathering marked a milestone in the organization’s journey, fostering a collaborative spirit to shape its strategic direction. Emil Jonathan Soriano (PBCI Board Chair) and Joseph “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko (PBCI’s Executive Vice President for Institutional and Program Development) led the meeting with a balance of warmth and clarity, ensuring both onsite’ and online participants were fully engaged. The three-hour session was structured yet dynamic, creating space for individual reflection, group collaboration, and collective decision-making.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/11/first-pbci-annual-general-meeting-generates-strategic-plan/
“Only through sustained peace talks and the commitment towards a transformative political settlement of the conflict can we achieve an improvement in the quality of life of all Filipinos, implement significant socio-economic development for conflict affected communities that are sustainable, culturally and conflict-sensitive, and resolve the long-standing conflict towards a just and lasting peace.” This is the call of the Voices of Peace on the first-year anniversary of the Oslo Joint Communique signed last November 2023 by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). As the Mindanao Week of Peace also officially begins today, PeaceBuilders Community is taking this opportunity to stand together with the Voices of Peace and echo the call to resume the peace talks between the GPH and the NDFP as a necessary step to transform the conflict nonviolently.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/11/we-stand-together-with-the-voices-of-peace-in-the-call-to-resume-peace-talks-and-to-transform-the-conflict-nonviolently/
From November 15 to 20, 2024, a joint Field Operations Team of PBCI and CFP accompanied a delegation of Canadian Mennonites on a Partnership Appreciation Tour in Mindanao, Philippines. The tour featured meaningful activities that strengthened relationships and celebrated shared commitments to peacebuilding, including the dedication of the Malipayon Peace Hub in Davao del Sur, led by Bagobo Tagabawa and Talaandig elders; a Sunday worship service at Managa Alliance Church; a reflective visit to the Bagobo Tagabawa Peace Shrine; a learning tour of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government center; a dialogue with leaders at Camp Darapanan, the headquarters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); and bonding with the Baraguir Clan of the Maguindanao Sultanate. This journey deepened partnerships and underscored the critical role of collaboration in advancing peace, justice, and reconciliation.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/11/pbci-cfp-field-ops-team-accompany-canadian-mennonites-to-appreciate-and-strengthen-partnerships/
Every year in October, the Talaandig people of the Philippines come together to celebrate their rich cultural heritage, identity, and resilience through the Annual Talaandig Day. This special day honors the history, traditions, and values of the Talaandig, an indigenous group living primarily in Bukidnon, a province in the heart of Mindanao. The celebration serves as a reminder of their ongoing struggle to preserve their ancestral lands, culture, and ways of life in a rapidly modernizing world. The Talaandig tribal leadership invited our team at PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee For Peace (CFP) to celebrate with them and to express our solidarity as one of the guest speakers during the program. Here’s our reflection of that day, 14 October 2024.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/10/we-the-pbci-cfp-team-reaffirmed-our-solidarity-with-the-talaandig-indigenous-people/
21-22 September 2024, Davao City, Philippines. The Davao Regional Coffee Expo 2024 (DRCE24) welcomed local coffee farmers, industry leaders, and enthusiasts, marking a pivotal moment in Region 11’s rise as one of the Philippines’ top Arabica coffee producers. Organized by the Davao Regional Coffee Council, the expo, held in the heart of Davao City, brought together key players in the coffee sector to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and strategize on improving the quality and competitiveness of the region’s coffee products. In her opening remarks, Ms. Felicitas “Joji” Pantoja, President of the Davao Regional Coffee Council and Chair & President of Coffee for Peace, Inc., emphasized the vital role coffee plays in the local economy. She called for continued efforts to elevate production standards, aligning them with global demand.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/09/region-11-farmers-empowered-coffee-standards-elevated-at-the-davao-regional-coffee-expo-2024/
The Department of Sociology and Developmental Studies at Ateneo de Davao University has extended an invitation for us to collaborate as a partner in their Sociology Practicum Program. This program is designed to enrich students’ understanding of the social world by offering them hands-on experience through work with real communities, organizations, or institutions. The Sociology Practicum Program bridges academic learning with structured, supervised work experience, allowing students to apply classroom theories and principles in real-world settings. Through this integration, students are not only trained in the practical use of research and project management but are also guided in developing problem-solving skills rooted in sociological concepts.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/07/coffee-for-peace-accepts-graduating-sociology-students-from-ateneo-de-davao-university-as-interns/
Last 27 March 2024, our team participated in the Commemoration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte. CAB is a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), aimed at ending decades of conflict in the Bangsamoro region. The commemoration prompted us to think differ about CAB. How was it implemented in the past 10 years? What were its accomplishments, gaps, and challenges? In the intricate landscape of peace negotiations and conflict resolution, the journey towards stability is often marked by milestones and challenges alike. Honorable Mohagher Iqbal’s 2024 Status Report on the CAB encapsulates this nuanced narrative, delineating the accomplishments, gaps, and challenges in the implementation process. Here are our notes and reflections on what we’ve heard.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/03/notes-and-reflections-on-hon-mohagher-iqbals-2024-status-report-on-the-comprehensive-agreement-on-the-bangsamoro/
This afternoon, 27 March 2024, our team at PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) participated in the 10th Year Commemoration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) at Camp Darapanan, the Administrative Offices of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF presented a Plaque of Appreciation to PBCI in recognition of our “unwavering support to the Bangsamoro Peace Process” and for our “tireless efforts to promote peace and development in Mindanao.” Our President & CEO, L. Daniel ‘Lakan’ Pantoja, received the plaque on behalf of our community. The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), aimed at ending decades of conflict in the Bangsamoro region.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/03/milf-recognizes-pbci-for-our-unwavering-support-to-the-bangsamoro-peace-process/
In a landmark move towards combating poverty and fostering inclusive growth, the submission of Senate Bill 782 or the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) program marks a significant milestone. “The essence of the PRESENT bill,” Joji Pantoja explains, “lies in its commitment to empower communities through social entrepreneurship.” By recognizing the impoverished not merely as recipients of aid but as active participants in the economic landscape, the program aims to create sustainable solutions to systemic issues. Ms Pantoja was invited to the Philippines Senate to share the vision of collaborative progress, where communities are equipped with the tools and resources to uplift themselves. “Through the PRESENT Program,” Joji adds, “we embark on a journey towards a more equitable and prosperous future… let us embrace the power of social entrepreneurship to transform lives and build thriving communities.”
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/03/joji-speaks-at-the-senate-of-the-philippines-to-promote-senate-bill-782-also-known-as-the-present-bill/
The Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) recently hosted a Conference on Social Ethics and Entrepreneurship, featuring Joji Pantoja, President & CEO of Coffee for Peace (CFP), as the keynote speaker at the plenary session held on 20 February 2014. Joji’s presentation centered around the peacebuilding framework of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) that emphasizes achieving harmony across various aspects of life and transformation: harmony with the Creator (spiritual-ethical transformation); harmony with our being (psycho-social transformation); harmony with others (socio-political transformation); and, harmony with the creation (economic-ecological transformation). Joji also delved deeper into how human dignity, environmental responsibility, and good governance contribute to her vision of multiplying ethical social entrepreneurs.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/02/joji-pantoja-sees-her-vision-of-multiplying-ethics-oriented-social-entrepreneurs-through-par-framework/
09-11 February 2024, Cotabato City. A gathering of Civil Society Organization leaders who compose the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) marked the commemoration of the organization’s 22nd Founding Anniversary. The event also served as a poignant reminder of MPC’s transformative role within Mindanao’s social fabric. We have had the privilege of being part of MPC since 2006, and it’s been an incredibly transformative experience for us. Through our involvement with MPC, we’ve witnessed firsthand the power of dialogue and collaboration in fostering peace and understanding among diverse communities in Mindanao. Together, we’ve participated in forums, engaged in discussions, and worked towards common goals of social justice and reconciliation. MPC has provided us with a platform to contribute to positive change in our region, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a vital movement for peace and development.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/02/we-celebrated-the-22nd-founding-anniversary-of-the-mindanao-peoples-caucus/
