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Bringing Philosophy where it Matters

By Migs Mansueto 

A humble yet truly capable leader, Dr. Roger Bayod is one of those silent workers who is actually making a big difference in the real struggle for inclusion. When he previously worked at Cor Jesu College, he brought top-ranked and global scholars to the school. The list included Cambridge-trained Dr. Darryl Macer and Japanese scholar Wataru Kusaka, author of Moral Politics in the Philippines.

This Dr. Bayod did while doing his graduate studies in philosophy at Ateneo de Davao University. "He is a good leader. The right man for the job if you want to change things," says Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc. Dr. Bayod will go on acting as organizer and chair of two or three SES conferences. He had also brought to his former school other international scholars, including Daniel Mishori, Juichiro Tanabe, among others.

Dr. Bayod is now a consultant at North Valley College in Kidapawan City. The task at hand that he embraces is still intact. He has slowly done for NVM the things that he did for Cor Jesu. While being an administrator, he remains very active in the SES, both in advocacy and in defending the organization. More than the politics though, Dr. Bayod continues to bring philosophy where it matters the most - in the margins of society.

"Dr. Jeffry Ocay's work is inspiring," adds Dr. Maboloc. Of course, the SES recognizes the pioneering effort and philosophizing of Bro. Karl Gaspar. This is the reason why he was chosen as the keynote speaker during the SES Conference in Lake Sebu. Dr. Bayod is that silent worker who is getting things done for Mindanao and beyond. Thinking is never an exclusive privilege of people at the center of the universe. 

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