Category: PAR COMMUNITIES
These are articles on specific activities and events of the Peace and Reconciliation (PAR) communities in some of the 81 provinces in our country where we have developed partnerships.
PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. or PAR Philippines has no administrative control over these organizations, communities, religious groups, or business corporations who have embraced PAR Principles and Practices. We simply cast the vision, provide training, and serve as consultants as each of them develop their respective sustainability as a part of a national network of PAR Communities.
Last 30 October 2024, the Office of the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) of the Bagobo Tagabawa Tribe bestowed upon Joji and myself the Lumabat Award. The awarding ceremony was held during the Sinub’badan Festival 2024. Receiving the Lumabat Award is a profound honor that fills me with deep gratitude to Manama–the Great Creator, not only for the recognition but for the journey that led to this moment. Named after the legendary figure Lumabat, a cultural hero of the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe, the award embodies the values of resilience, wisdom, and the quest for a meaningful connection between humanity and the divine. As I hold this award close to my heart, I am reminded of the intricate relationship between our work, the tribe’s heritage, and the transformative power of peace and reconciliation. Joji and I are grateful to the IPS for their welcoming embrace, mentorship, companionship, and partnership. We’re also grateful to our sending Body, the Mennonite Church Canada, who gave us freedom to listen and to work with the Bagobo Tagabawa based on local definitions of partnership, companionship, and development.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/10/celebrating-a-sacred-honor-the-bagobo-tagabawa-bestow-us-with-the-lumabat-award/
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.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/10/we-the-pbci-cfp-team-reaffirmed-our-solidarity-with-the-talaandig-indigenous-people/
Last 17-22 May 2024, I, Joji Pantoja, Board Chair and President of Coffee for Peace, had the privilege of traveling to the island provinces of Sulu and Basilan in the southern Philippines. Accompanying me on this journey was Joseph “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko, Executive Vice President of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. Our mission was clear and purposeful: to explore the potential for developing a sustainable coffee industry in these regions, fostering both economic growth and peace. We were invited by Maradeca Inc., a dedicated local non-governmental organization, and People in Need (PIN), a reputable international NGO. Both organizations recognized the transformative potential of coffee farming in these provinces and sought our expertise in designing a comprehensive training program for the local coffee farmers. This is part of the LEAP Project (Leveraging and Expanding Agri-Aqua Production), a groundbreaking initiative by PIN designed to boost economic development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/05/were-glad-to-be-involved-in-a-collaborative-coffee-industry-development-in-basulta/
30-31 January 2024. Our CFP-PBCI Inclusive Development (IncluDev) Team hosted the most productive farmers from Lanao del Sur for Coffee Farmer-Entrepreneurial Training. In the morning of the first day, they were brought to the Davao Peace Hub to enhance their skills in practicing and sharing Peace and Reconciliation (PAR) Principles; they also had coffee roasting and packaging workshop there. In the afternoon, they were welcomed to the Coffee for Peace Cafe to learn about coffee tasting and aroma appreciation. On the morning of the second day, our staff at the Malipayon Peace Hub facilitated a workshop on post-harvest processing skills; they also presented the coffee beans they brought from their farms which were evaluated by seasoned coffee entrepreneurs.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/01/top-six-coffee-producers-from-lanao-del-sur-receive-advanced-farmerpreneurial-training/
We, at PeaceBuilders Community, join our colleagues in expressing our support and appreciation to both the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in resuming the Peace Talks as communicated in the Oslo Joint Statement signed last 23 November 2023. Our perspective from the ground compels us to amplify the voices of the people with whom we’ve been working. We pray that both GRP and NDFP would focus on resolving the root of armed conflict — that is, the persisting landlessness of the farmers, widespread poverty, depressed wages of workers, and the lack of local, inclusive, industrial development. We are listening to the fresh perspective of the GRP and to the clarifying focus of the NDFP as they both approach the negotiating table. May the God of justice and peace sustain and bless this resumption of peace talks.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2024/01/along-with-our-colleagues-we-welcome-the-resumption-of-the-ndf-gph-peace-talks/
18 December 2023. In the tapestry of our existence as members of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace (CFP), gratitude serves as the golden thread that weaves together the fabric of our lives. It is a powerful force that connects us to the Creator, the journey of becoming, our community, and the vast creation that surrounds us. In this season of remembering the Birth of Jesus Christ in the context of the 2023 ethnic cleansing and genocide in the Land of Palestine — his country of birth, we spend a day of reflection together. We delve into the profound significance of expressing gratitude in these various dimensions of our existence. Gratitude goes beyond mere politeness or saying “thank you”; it is a heartfelt and intentional practice that can have transformative effects on both individuals and communities.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/12/pbci-cfp-family-holds-day-of-gratitude-to-the-creator-to-the-journey-of-becoming-to-our-community-to-the-creation/
Last Wednesday, 05 October, our team visited the Malipayon Peace Hub construction site for an exciting update! The owner of the 3A Modular PreFab, the company entrusted with this project, joined us to provide a comprehensive technical overview of the construction’s current status. We are thrilled to report that the progress is right on target and is comfortably staying within the allocated budget. This inspiring journey of building a hub dedicated to justice-based peacebuilding and reconciliation is progressing smoothly, thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, especially our impact partners.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/10/the-malipayon-peace-hub-construction-is-on-target-and-within-budget/
Davao City, August 24, 2023 — The Kapehan Sa Davao Network (KSDN) hosted a seminar titled “Building Sustainable Peace and Gender Responsive Coffee Industry” at Sebastian’s Restaurant in Barangay Baganihan, Marilog, Davao City. The event witnessed the participation of 36 prequalified individuals hailing from the Matigsalog Indigenous People, including farming cooperative leaders, youth leaders, spiritual leaders, and tribal leaders. The central theme of the seminar was conflict transformation in the workplace, with a specific focus on coffee farms and companies.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/08/matigsalog-ancestral-domain-seminar-promotes-sustainable-coffee-industry-and-peacebuilding/
Last 06-07 July 2023, the Kapehan Sa Davao Network launched the Social Impact Business Incubation Program (SIBIP) for eight coffee enterprises in Region 11. It was held at Coffee For Peace Café in Davao City. I’m so inspired by the enthusiastic participation of Kape Ora, Kepeweñoz Specialty Coffee, Peding’s Café, Kape Maddiger, Gré Coffee, Tres Rosas Coffee Farm, Tribung Kape, and Kapeyapaan Farmers’ Association. These Incubation Sessions were facilitated by Upgrade Innolab Inc. This program is funded by Asian Development Bank’s SUNPh Program, to whom I and the whole Kapehan Sa Davao Network are grateful. I look forward to seeing the positive impact that the SIBIP will have on the coffee industry in the provinces of the Greater Davao Region.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/07/im-happy-to-see-the-launching-of-kapehan-sa-davao-networks-incubation-program/
Joseph “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko started his field work in his new capacity as PBCI Executive Vice President for Institutional & Program Development. This position involves developing and sustaining the organizational structure and expanding the stakeholder base of PBCI. He is now beginning to seek partnerships with other organizations, and keeping abreast of the latest developments in peacebuilding. Soon, his team’s tasks would include leading periodic reviews of institutional strategic plans, developing inclusive programs for the coconut industry, and institutionalizing a school of inclusive development. Ka Boyet and his staff will also be responsible in solidifying the sustainability and communication strategies at PBCI.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/06/ka-boyet-starts-with-his-field-work-as-evp-institutional-and-program-development/
The Sondawa Coffee Farmers Association (SoCoFA) held a two-day leadership training on value-based strategic planning last 26-27 May 2023, at the Mt. Apo Facilities of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC). The training was facilitated by PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace (CFP), who are partners with the Manobo Apao Descendants Ancestral Domain of Mount Apo (MADADMA) and EDC. This value-based strategic planning was a culmination of more than 5 years of journeying together and partnership between the MADADMA, EDC, and PBCI-CFP. Through those five years, a Peace and Reconciliation (PAR) Community and a social enterprise have been established, and a set of well-qualified, equipped, and enthusiastic leaders were elected to sustain and regenerate this inclusive development program, which is partly a result of an on-going MCCanada peacebuilding ministry in the Philippines.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/05/obo-menovu-coffee-farmers-hold-value-based-strategic-planning/
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.
Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/04/cfp-leads-kapehan-sa-davao-agribusiness-network-in-an-entrepreneurial-skills-development-program/
