Social Ethics Society

  16TH SOCIAL ETHICS SOCIETY CONFERENCE [CALL FOR ABSTRACTS]  RATIONALE  Is moral education failing in the Philippines? In 1970, Robert Youngblood said that the Philippines is characterized by 'strong demands' and 'weak institutions'. Recent events suggest that more than 50 years thereafter, the country has failed to improve the lives of Filipinos, especially those in the margins of society. Power has remained in the hands of the ruling class and the economic elite. Despite two peaceful People Power revolutions, the state of Philippine society is far from being just and equal. Where have we failed? One might look into what Clarita Carlos calls democratic deficits - the lack of transparency, poor policy, and the absence of public accountability. Freedom House also notes that the Philippines has a weak political culture. Civil society plays a critical role in promoting democratic values. But while the Church and the Academe, or what John Rawls calls 'background cultur...

  Menelito Mansueto (#21) of MSU-IIT continues to rise in the AD World Scientific Index 2026 Rankings while Ruben Balotol (#34) of Visayas State University has also improved his ranking. The index measures the citations and scholarly achievements of academics. Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc (#1) of Ateneo remains at the top for the Subfield Philosophy in the Philippines. Dr. Ian Clark Parcon (#42) climbed up in his new position while Dr. Aldrin Quintero (#50) of NDMU enters the rankings for the first time. 1. Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc - #1 2. Menelito Mansueto - #21 3. Ruben Balotol - #34 4. Dr. Ian Clark Parcon - #42 5. Dr. Aldrin Quintero - #50

  The Holy Cross of Davao College will be the host of the 16th Social Ethics Society Annual Conference in Davao City come February 2026. This was revealed by Dr. Rogelio Bayod, the conference chair and head organizer. The SES will be meeting on October 11, 2025 to decide on the theme of the conference. The prospective keynote speakers include Dr. Wataru Kusaka (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), Dr. Layne Hartsell (Chulalongkorn University), Dr. Jeffry Ocay (Eastern Visayas State University), Fr. Jose Conrado Estafia (Holy Name University), Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera (MSU Marawi), and Dr. Bernardo Caslib Jr. (UP Manila). The Call for Abstracts will be released next month. 

  Dr. Randy Tudy will deliver his research paper entitled "Students' Attitudes and Motives for Using Artificial Intelligence: A Structural Model Development" on October 26, 2025 in the  Annual Yale University Global Justice Program Conference.  The theme of the hybrid event is, “Sustaining Justice: Food, Environment, and New Technologies.” The annual conference gathers scholars around the world to discuss solutions to the problem of poverty. It is organized by Dr. Thomas Pogge.  Dr. Tudy has been chosen as one of the fellows of the Academics Stand Against Poverty - Yale Global Justice Program for 2025. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Southeastern Philippines. He is a member of the BOD of the Social Ethics Society. 

  Ateneo de Davao University has awarded a publication incentive to Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc for his book The Politics of Peace and the Mindanao Problem: Tracing the Roots of a Historical Injustice. The book was published early in 2025 under Elzystyle Publishing. The information about the award was relayed to the author by Dr. Lourdesita Chan, the chairperson of the University Research Council.  The book was launched in July this year. The work examines the historical and structural reasons for the exclusion of the Bangsamoro. It also investigated the causal factors of poverty in the region. Dr. Goran Collste of Linköping University in Sweden wrote the Foreword while Dr. Mansoor Limba, the book publisher, penned the Introduction to the latest work of Dr. Maboloc. 

  An active peace educator, Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera, who is a full professor at the Mindanao State University in Marawi, is an inspiring moral voice to her students and colleagues at MSU as well as the Social Ethics Society. Dr. Rivera pushed for the research on narratives on the ground during the Marawi siege, resulting in a highly original paper that gave voice to the struggles of civilians and the heroic deeds of ordinary folks who helped their fellow human beings escape the war that lasted for six months. Dr. Rivera holds a master's in philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University and has a doctorate degree in language studies from MSU Marawi. Recently, she presented a paper at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. She was also a speaker in a talk organized by the Philosophical Association of the Philippines in March. Dr. Rivera has spoken about her peace advocacy in various venues, including events hosted by Ateneo de Davao University and the Social Ethics Society. She accepted ea...

The Board of Directors of the Social Ethics Society, in a meeting held last September 6, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, has passed a resolution to withdraw its membership from the Union of Philosophical Societies and Associations in the Philippines (USAPP).  The Board also expressed, in a letter sent to SES members, that it is grateful to have been a part of USAPP and that it recognizes the honest efforts of the organization to empower philosophical associations, scholars, and academics in the country.  The Board added that the decision does not prevent any member of the SES to take part in any USAPP sponsored event nor preclude them from leaving the SES should they want to do so. The resolution is up for ratification by the General Assembly in February 2026.