Social Ethics Society

  Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc will present his paper "Addressing Poverty in Muslim Mindanao: Perspectives from Thomas Pogge and Iris Marion Young" in the ASAP - Yale Global Justice Program Annual Conference, 23 to 26 October 2025.  Dr. Maboloc will be presenting under the theme Labor Rights & Social Justice. The hybrid event will be participated in by global experts and scholars. It is organized by Dr. Thomas Pogge, the director of the Yale Global Justice Program.   

  Dr. Rogelio Bayod (North Valley College and Notre Dame of Marbel University) will be conference chair in the forthcoming 16th Social Ethics Society Annual Conference to be held at Holy Cross of Davao College in February 2026. The invited speakers include Dr. Wataru Kusaka (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), Dr. Layne Hartsell (Chulalongkorn University), Fr. Jose Conrado Estafia (Holy Name University), Dr. Bernardo Caslib Jr. (UP Manila and Ateneo de Manila University), Dr. Jeffry Ocay (Eastern Visayas State University) and Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera (Mindanao State University - Marawi). The proposed theme of the conference is The Future of Philippine Democracy as seen in different lenses (contemporary politics, feminism, critical theory, human development, and ethics). The Call for Papers will be released before the end of October 2025. 

The Social Ethics Society condemns the widespread and systemic corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways now highlighted by ghosts flood control projects worth billions of pesos that have gone to waste and into the pockets of corrupt government officials. The Philippines has suffered from institutional failures and the most recent scandal in the country will only exacerbate the already difficult situation of the Filipino people.  The investigations done by the Office of Senator Panfilo Lacson, the hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, and the recent creation of the Independent Commission om Infrastructure are important mechanisms in exposing the corruption in the DPWH. But the investigations must conclusively lead to the roots of the scandal, - the budgetary insertions done by some members of Congress meant to serve their selfish interests.  The SES, as an organization, supports the efforts of civil society in holding protests to maintain public vigilan...

  By Menelito Mansueto  The first International Ethics Conference held at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan last September 5 and 6, 2025 has been successfully concluded. The event was attended by over 40 delegates from across Asia and Eurasia, particularly, the Philippines, Turkey, and Japan. Joining the event are our very own delegates from the MSU System, Asst. Professor Menelito P. Mansueto of the Department of Philosophy and Humanities from the College of Arts and Social Sciences, of MSU-IIT, and Professor Godiva Eviota-Rivera of MSU-Marawi.  The International Ethics Conference was hosted by the Center for International Education of Waseda University. Professor Juichiro Tanabe served as Conference Chair. Professor Maji Rhee, Dean of the Center for International Education, gave the Keynote Address. Asst. Professor Mansueto presented what could be the first among a planned series of researches about the Higaonon farmers of Sumilao, Bukidnon. Professor Rivera, on the other...

  Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera stands firm as a woman's voice for the Social Ethics Society. "Mindanao has its own unique philosophical identity and we are proud of it," says the full professor from Mindanao State University in Marawi. Dr. Rivera is the secretary of the SES.  A trailblazer in Peace Education, Dr. Rivera said she will lead the initiative to promote local knowledge. She plans to bring her colleagues to Waseda in the next edition of the conference. The SES has truly found its strength and woman power from within as the organization moves ahead of its time. 

  The delegates of the Social Ethics Society in the SES-PUP International Ethics Conference at Waseda University enjoyed a day tour around Tokyo through the generosity of Dr. Juichiro Tanabe who acted as their guide. The group visited Shibuya Crossing, the Meiji Shrine, the Tsukiji Fish Market, the Imperial Palace, and the Tokyo Tower. They enjoyed sashimi, grilled ill, ramen, and the famous Kobe beef barbecue. Dr. Godiva Rivera expressed her elation as the group walked around Tokyo's busy streets such as Shinjuku and Takadanobaba. They used the subway and Tokyo's expansive train network to visit the prominent tourist spots in the metropolis. Tokyo is beautiful, clean, and the locals are eager to help whenever one needs to ask for directions. 

  Dr. Ian Clark Parcon, editor of the SES Journal of Applied Philosophy, announced the Special Issue on Conference Proceedings for papers presented during the SES-PUP International Ethics Conference at Waseda University. A separate announcement will be made on a Call for Chapters for a book to be edited by Dr. Parcon and Dr. Juichiro Tanabe. The book is indexed in Scopus. All submissions are subject to regular review.  For the SES Journal Special Issue, please visit the journal website for the format. Send your manuscript to icrparcon@addu.edu.ph on or before October 31, 2025. 

  The SES-PUP International Ethics Conference was successfully concluded today, September 6, 2025 at the Center for International Education at Waseda University in Tokyo. Two more plenary lectures were delivered and another dozen papers were presented in the concurrent discussions during the day. Dr. Juichiro Tanabe, Conference Chair, formally closed the event.  Papers presented during the conference will be published in a special issue of the SES Journal of Applied Philosophy. A Call for Book Chapters will be released. Papers presented during the conference can be submitted subject to regular review. Prof. Agnes Oblefias thanked Waseda University and the SES for the successful conduct of the event. Dr. Ian Clark Parcon and Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera served as event hosts.