Social Ethics Society

"The Davao School of Radical Democracy: Southern Voices Reimagining Philippine Politics" challenges the dominant, Manila-centric liberal narratives that have long treated the regions as footnotes to history. By employing “Southern theory,” the authors decentralize political philosophy, grounding it in local histories, indigenous wisdom, and the visceral struggles of the marginalized. It is a “clarifying storm,” unsettling the status quo and inviting readers to confront uncomfortable questions about violence, memory, and the limits of Western-style liberal norms. The book’s central thesis rejects the myth of “perfect consensus,” which often masks the interests of the powerful. Drawing from Chantal Mouffe’s concept of “agonism,” the contributors argue that democracy is a permanent struggle where conflict is not a flaw, but a productive force. The volume provides a scathing critique of the 1986 EDSA Revolution, framing it as a “failed project” of the elite that restored an oliga...

  The Humanitarian Observatory for Policy and Education in Southeast Asia (HOPESEA), an organization based in Chiang Mai University, has awarded completion certificates to 11 international researchers who finished the program in the Global Summer School on Climate Change and Human Mobility held at the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathum Thani, Thailand.  Dr. Thida Chaiyapa, head of HOPESEA and the chief organizer of the event. expressed her elation and showed appreciation for the efforts of the participants and climate change experts who delivered lectures and helped direct the field work in Thailand's Ayutthaya Province. The researchers conducted interviews and also visited cultural heritage sites. Dr. Paula Banerjee, the director of the AIT Center on Gender and Forced Migration, gave an inspirational message during the week-long event. Dr. Bhichit Rattakul, the former governor of Bangkok, also delivered a talk. Below is the list of researchers who completed the Global Su...

  Top officials of the Social Ethics Society (SES), including Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera of MSU Marawi and Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc of Ateneo de Davao University, have expressed that none of the courses offered under the present GE Curriculum should be removed. Both do not agree that that CHED's move will improve Philippine education. Dr. Rivera, a trailblazer in peace education. mentioned the importance of context in the teaching of ethics. "It should be enhanced by including local issues on peace, not removed," she said. Meanwhile, Dr. Maboloc questioned the scholarly credentials of Edcom and TPGE officials, saying that they have not published articles in high caliber journals. The proposal of CHED will displace thousands of college teachers once implemented. The SES has held consultations with its members on the issue. Many believe that the proposal is elitist, undemocratic, and baseless. For Maboloc, the reframed curriculum reduces Filipinos into labores as it only ...

The Global Summer School on Climate Change and Human Mobility hosted by HOPESEA or the Humanitarian Observatory for Policy and Education in Southeast Asia has been concluded. The event, held from May 4-8, 2026 at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, was organized by Chiang Mai University, Thammasat University, and AIT. Dr. Thida Chaiyapa, the director of HOPESEA and the event's head organizer, expressed her gratitude to stakeholders for the successful conduct of the summer school which was attended by 11 researchers and scholars chosen from a field of 800 applicants worldwide. The week-long program, which included lectures ftom top scholars, is funded by the Canadian Government. The gathering included research presentations on a host of topics related to climate change, including resilience and sustainability, gender based mobility issues, displacement of refugees and migrants, climate modeling  and disaster response and preparedness, indigenous wisdom and sustainable pra...

  1. Ian Clark Parcon, PhD (Ateneo de Davao University) -  The Democratic Dilemma: Conflict and Consensus in a Shifting Global Order 2.  Bernardo Caslib Jr, PhD (UP Manila) -  Prompting Virtues: Generative AI and the Pursuit of Character Formation 3. Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD   (Ateneo de Davao University)  -  History and Indigeneity: A Preliminary Inquiry into Mindanao Philosophy 4. Godiva Eviota Rivera, PhD (MSU Marawi) -  Constructing Peace: The Power of Metaphorical Thinking 5. Fr. Urbano Pardillo Jr (XACOSE) - The  Tranquility of Order: Deconstructing Peace in the Catholic Tradition 6. Menelito Mansueto, MA (MSU-IIT) -  Archipelagic Decentralization and Political Dynasties: Inspirations and Challenges, Political Irony in the Philippines 7. Fr. Dexter Veloso, PhD (Holy Cross of Davao College) -  Christian and Confucian Humanism: A Sensible Ethics for a Peaceful Future 8. LJ Zaphan Lamboloto, PhD (Silliman University) - ...

  Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc, an Associate Professor at Ateneo de Davao University and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Social Ethics Society, attended the Global Summer School on Climate Change and Human Mobility at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, May 4-8, 2026. He is one of the 13 who were chosen out of the more than 800 applicants. The event gathered scholars and activists from the Netherlands, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, to discuss climate change resilience and sustainability, migration and displacement, data driven policy analysis, indigenous peoples and urbanization in relation to the existential threat from changing climate landscapes and patterns across the globe.  The gathering included lectures, workshops, and inputs from experts. The group also did some investigative fieldwork in Ayutthaya as well as a cultural immersion in Thailand's northern region. The event is jointly hosted by Thammasa...