By Menelito Mansueto
Mindanao has produced several notable philosophers and top scholars who have significantly contributed to various fields. This is typical of what I call the radical shift in philosophizing, which has created spaces for Philosophy away from the dominant centers of learning in Manila. In fact, these scholars have shaped thinking in the region and elsewhere.
1. Fr. Michael Moga, SJ is instrumental in establishing and developing philosophy programs across the three Ateneo schools in Mindanao, Fr. Moga's influence is evident through his extensive publications and the academic traditions he fostered in the region. He wrote on Heidegger, Husserl, the Philosophy of Religion, and Phenomenology.
2. Dr. Renante Pilapil is the current dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the Ateneo de Davao University. Dr. Pilapil wrote on the Politics of Recognition under Prof. Axel Honneth. He published several works on the subject matter including topics that dealt with human rights. Dr. Pilapil also wrote on political theory, including that of John Rawls.
3. Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc is a prominent albeit controversial figure in social and political philosophy, Dr. Maboloc has published on topics such as social justice, structural inequality, and political ethics. Under the tutelage of Thomas Pogge, he wrote about the causal factors of poverty in Mindanao. His most significant work deals with the radical politics of President Rodrigo Duterte.
4. Dr. Raymundo Pavo is the dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines in Mindanao. He is known for his work on Robin Collingwood. He also wrote about the ethics and politics of lived spaces, the Covid-19 Pandemic through the lens of Albert Camus, and post-modern thought. Dr. Pavo also dealt with feminism as a scholar.
5. Dr. Romulo Bautista's most important contribution is his moral philosophy and radical theory of politics, which he calls bayanicrasya, a combination of heroism and democracy. A product of the Universidad de Madrid, he trained many of the scholars in Mindanao today as a professor at Ateneo de Davao University, including Dr. Al Quiloppe, Prof. Fernando Garingo, and Dr. Peter Paul Elicor.
These individuals have shaped philosophical discourse in Mindanao, addressing both regional and universal issues through their scholarly endeavors. There are others not on the list. The list is not also a way to compare but rather, a very humble effort to recognize the contributions of the above scholars in the country's philosophical landscape and rich heritage.