Social Ethics Society

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Social Ethics Society (SES) and the Universal Science Education Research Network (USERN) led by Fr. Dexter Veloso and Dr. Nima Rezaei respectively, will be signed on the occasion of the Mindanao Conference on Public Health at North Valley College this coming August 3, 2026. Dr. Rogelio Bayod chairs the event. The MOU involves cooperation between the SES and USERN on coordinating scientific programs, exchanging and training of scientists and researchers, sharing of information and technology in support of educational and research activities, exchanging information and academics, and holding meetings, workshops, and scientific conferences

  The Davao School of Radical Democracy will be launched on September 10, 2026, at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. To mark the occasion, co-editor Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc will deliver a lecture on the book, which features 16 chapters on Philippine politics and democracy authored by scholars from Mindanao and the Visayas. The volume is co-edited by Dr. Mansoor Limba. Book ABOUT THE BOOK “The Davao School of Radical Democracy is a compelling and provocative academic volume that examines the contested terrain of democracy, power, and political identity from the perspective of the Global South. This book challenges dominant liberal and Western-centric narratives of democracy by foregrounding conflict, affect, and historical marginalization as constitutive elements of political life.” ––Rakhmat Hidayat, PhD, Professor of Sociology, State University of Jakarta “This volume is an excellent introduction to contemporary Filipino political and philosophical mind. It examines liberal...

  In July 2026, Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc, an Associate Professor from Ateneo de Davao University and one of the Philippines' top philosophy researchers, served as a Visiting Scholar at the prestigious Lanzhou University in Gansu Province, China. His academic exchange, funded by Lanzhou University, was marked by key lectures, policy study, and collaborative engagements. ​Dr. Maboloc delivered a major lecture to an audience of faculty members, graduate students, and representatives from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). He argued that true leadership is fundamentally about serving the people and meeting the expectations of citizens. He noted that China's governance system stands as a practical example of a social governance model that successfully integrates classical Confucian principles and ideals. ​​Following his lecture, Dr. Maboloc collaborated with Lanzhou University's academic community to study modern technological tools in public administration: ​He ...

Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc traveled to Beijing for an immersion in the Chinese development model, with an emphasis on rapid growth, AI integration, and cultural harmony. He was accompanied by members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences from Lanzhou, where he received an orientation on various aspects of Chinese society and culture. Unlike Western development models that rely heavily on free-market capitalism and liberal democracy, China utilizes a state-led, top-down model that attempts to balance rapid economic expansion with some degree of social control and equitable wealth distribution to achieve what it calls a moderate progress in the living standard of the people. ​The core philosophy behind China's system is called people-centered development. In official doctrine, the primary objective of the state has shifted from pure, high-speed GDP expansion to "high-quality development"—focusing on social stability, sustainability, and human well-being over the absol...

Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc visited the Chengguan District Comprehensive Social Governance Center located in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China. He met and was briefed by Director Ju Yafang on the functions of her office and how it contributes to the Social Development Model of China. Director Ju i s a local government official serving as the head of a district governance center in China. She has been involved in spearheading local administrative reforms aimed at streamlining dispute settlements so residents no longer have to shuttle between multiple departments to resolve issues.  Director Ju explained that the center attends to the needs of the people, from land disputes to tax issues, traffic violations and emergency services to business processing, among many. Dr. Maboloc asked about universal health care to which she replied that China ensures such for all of its citizens. 

  Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc explored the AI Laboratory at Lanzhou University. Prof. Zhao Yanhai, the dean of the School of Management, briefed Dr. Maboloc on the AI Laboratory of the school. The most prominent and internationally recognized AI-focused Laboratory is the UAIS Laboratory (Ubiquitous Awareness and Intelligent Behavior Systems) Laboratory.  According to Dr. Yanhai, the AI Lab is capable of analyzing human emotion and cognitive states by mapping bio-signals. The lab also pioneered the research utilizing smartphone data (sleep patterns, location features, motion, circadian rhythm) with AI models to assist in diagnosing and screening for mental disorders.  Founded in 1909, Lanzhou University is one of China's oldest and most prestigious universities, directly administered by the Chinese Ministry of Education. It is part of China's Double First-Class initiative and was previously included in Project 211 and Project 985, programs that supported the country's top...

1. Genaro V. Tanlogon Jr., RSW, MSSW (North Valley College Foundation, Inc.) - Handling Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL): The Chronicles of Social Workers 2. Noel Andrada II & Josemaria Lorenzo Trinidad (Davao Advancement for Center of Excellence (DACE) Foundation, Inc.) - Leveling the Playing Field: An Aristotelian Study of Grassroots Football, Community Health, and Human Flourishing 3. Kert Gemmuel Comoda Fronteras (Davao Advancement for Culture of Excellence Foundation Inc.) - Mental Health as the Integration of Empathy, Meaning, and Virtue: Toward a Philosophical Account of Human Flourishing 4. Leda Pacate, RN (North Valley College) - Knowledge, Self-Care and Quality of Life Among Older Adults with Hypertension in Kidapawan City  5. Francis Deus Ibanez (Bohol Island State University) - Medical Concepts and Epistemic Pluralism: Operationalism, Falsifiability, and the Experiential Dimension 6. Hyeth Miscelle Sision (North Valley College) - The Weight of Endurance: Exp...

Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc delivered a lecture as a Visiting Scholar at the School of Management of Lanzhou University. The event was attended by faculty, graduate students, and members from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Lanzhou University is one of China's top institutions of higher learning. ​The title of Dr. Maboloc's lecture was "Leadership, Inclusive Policy Making, and the Moral Training of Citizens." His presentation focused on how values enable the moral training of citizens toward achieving justice and harmony. He mentioned the Dabawenyo DCPlinado Curriculum Integration Program. ​Dr. Maboloc emphasized that serving the people is the essence of true leadership. The role of government, he explained, is to meet the expectations of its citizens. He noted that China serves as proof of the success of a social governance model that largely incorporates Confucian principles and ideals. The academic exchange was well-received. Following the event, Assoc. Pr...

  CALL FOR PAPERS SPECIAL ISSUE SES JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY To be released in January 2027 Theme: Global Justice, Human Poverty, Peace and Sustainable Communities. The SES Journal of Applied Philosophy is calling scholars and local academics to submit their papers for the 2027 Special Issue of the journal. Topic must be anchored on issues pertaining to globalization and global justice, the rise of China, Eastern European conflicts, the Middle East, the Russian war on Ukraine, AI and Governance, Sustainable Communities, and the Eradication of Global Poverty. Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc (Ateneo de Davao University), Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera (MSU Main) and Prof. Menelito Mansueto (MSU-IIT) are co-editors. The paper must be between 5,000 to 8,000 words, APA style. It will be subjected to a double blind review. Submit your manuscript to migs_mansueto@yahoo.com on or before November 30, 2026. The issue will be released in January 2027.

Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc, an Associate Professor at Ateneo de Davao University and the Chair of the Social Ethics Society, will travel to China as a Visiting Scholar at the invitation of Lanzhou University. He will have the opportunity to conduct academic work at the university's research facilities and libraries, engage with professors and students, deliver a lecture in a forum, and visit Beijing and Shanghai. The trip is fully funded by Lanzhou University as part of its academic exchange program. He will also visit Beijing and Shanghai as part of the cultural aspect of the program. Dr. Maboloc's research paper focuses on the moral cultivation of citizens. As part of one of China’s elite "Double First-Class" (formerly Project 985) institutions located in Gansu Province, the school carries a unique reputation for anchoring rigorous academic thought in the historically and culturally rich gateway of Northwest China. Dr. Maboloc is a former fellow of the ASAP Yale G...

1. Erwin Richmond Bautista (University of Santo Tomas) - When Political Equality Breaks: Democratic Legitimacy Under Extreme Economic Inequality 2. Klein Fernandez, PhD (University of the Philippines Los Baños / UP Manila) - Exploring the Feasibility of Multispecies Justice as Alternative Ethical Framework to Strengthen Environmental Laws in the Philippines 3. Yrein Canzon (Waseda University) - Who Deserves to Belong? A Foucauldian Critique of Recognition, Citizenship, and Relational Precarity among Japanese-Filipino Children 4. Roland Theuas DS. Pada, Ph. D. (University of Santo Tomas) - From My Problem to Everyone Else’s Problem: A Prolegomena to Socialised Violence 5. Kenneth Centeno, CM (Adamson University) - Listening to the Voices from the Peripheries in the Digital Age: Exploring Anadialectics as an Ethical Framework 6. Lorenzo Bandillon, Jr. & Gian Carlo Villaluz (Divine Word Mission Seminary / University of Santo Tomas) - Sapagkat ang Pilosopiya ay Ginagawa: A Struggle for...

  Dr. Nima Rezaei of Tehran University of Medical Sciences will deliver the keynote address at the Mindanao Conference on Public Health. The event, hosted by the Social Ethics Society and North Valley College, will be held in-person at North Valley College, Kidapawan City, on August 3, 2026.  Conference Theme: "Bridging Science and Society: Mindanao and the Future of Public Health"  The conference aims to gather academics, researchers, students, and medical practitioners to discuss and engage with vital issues concerning the role of science in public health policy. About the Keynote Speaker  Dr. Nima Rezaei is the founder of the Universal Science Education Research Network (USERN). A leading expert in immunology, he holds a doctorate degree from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. He has published more than 1,000 Scopus-indexed papers and has been cited over 140,000 times.  Submission Guidelines To join the conference as a presenter, please submit...

  Dr. Nima Rezaei of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences will deliver the Keynote Address (in-person) in the Mindanao Conference on Public Health that will be hosted by the Social Ethics Society and North Valley College this coming August 3, 2026 at North Valley College in Kidapawan City. The theme of the conference is Bridging Science and Society: Mindanao and the Future of Public Health. The event hopes to gather academics, researchers, students, and medical practitioners to discuss and engage on important topics and issues concerning the role of science in public health policy. Dr. Nima Rezaei is the founder of the Universal Science Education Research Network. He has published more than 1,000 Scopus-indexed papers and has been cited more than 140,000 times. His research is on immunology. He holds a doctorate degree in the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.

1. Erwin Richmond Bautista (University of Santo Tomas) - When Political Equality Breaks: Democratic Legitimacy Under Extreme Economic Inequality 2. Klein Fernandez, PhD (University of the Philippines Los Baños / UP Manila) - Exploring the Feasibility of Multispecies Justice as Alternative Ethical Framework to Strengthen Environmental Laws in the Philippines 3. Yrein Canzon (Waseda University) - Who Deserves to Belong? A Foucauldian Critique of Recognition, Citizenship, and Relational Precarity among Japanese-Filipino Children 4. Roland Theuas DS. Pada, Ph. D. (University of Santo Tomas) - From My Problem to Everyone Else’s Problem: A Prolegomena to Socialised Violence 5. Kenneth Centeno, CM (Adamson University) - Listening to the Voices from the Peripheries in the Digital Age: Exploring Anadialectics as an Ethical Framework 6. Lorenzo Bandillon, Jr. & Gian Carlo Villaluz (Divine Word Mission Seminary / University of Santo Tomas) - Sapagkat ang Pilosopiya ay Ginagawa: A Struggle for...

  Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc,  author of The Harshest Things You'll Ever Learn about Love, is a contemporary Filipino political philosopher. Recognized as the top-ranked researcher for philosophy in the Philippines by the Alper-Doger (AD) Scientific Index from 2023-25, he is an Associate Professor at the Ateneo de Davao University where he is primarily based and a Visiting Professor at Silliman University. He was awarded the Public Intellectual Prize by the Philosophical Association of the Philippines (PAP) in 2020. He was a fellow of the ASAP Yale Global Justice Program and was mentored by the renowned philosopher Thomas Pogge. Trained in political party building and democratic governance in Bonn and Berlin, Germany by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Maboloc’s philosophical work is uniquely anchored in the geopolitical and cultural realities of the southern Philippines, specifically Mindanao. Rather than simply echoing Western thought, his philosophy seeks to deconstruct elit...

The Davao School of Radical Democracy: Southern Voices Reimagining Philippine Politics, a volume edited by Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc and Dr. Mansoor Limba, has been released. The book is published by ElziStyle Publishing. About the Book “The Davao School of Radical Democracy is a compelling and provocative academic volume that examines the contested terrain of democracy, power, and political identity from the perspective of the Global South. This book challenges dominant liberal and Western-centric narratives of democracy by foregrounding conflict, affect, and historical marginalization as constitutive elements of political life.” ––Rakhmat Hidayat, PhD, Professor of Sociology, State University of Jakarta “This volume is an excellent introduction to contemporary Filipino political and philosophical mind. It examines liberal versus radical democratic theory through the prism of Philippine political experience, especially the challenges of the rise of Rodrigo Duterte and the re-emerge...

  A workshop on Building Institutional Well Being through Core Values and Critical Thinking was successfully held at Benguet State University - Bokod Campus. Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc delivered a talk on the Philosophy of Education, Critical Thinking, and Institutional Core Values to the faculty.  Dr. Maboloc also discussed the issues pertaining to the proposed reframing of the General Education Curriculum, establishing a research culture, publishing and writing in Scopus-indexed journals, Philippine politics and its implications to education, sustainability and human wellbeing. The participants engaged the speaker on the above topics. Dr. Maboloc also shared his experience on the value of collaborating with other academics and researchers, both local and international. Dr. Gleemoore Makie, school administrator, delivered the opening remarks while Dr. Shakira Herman introduced the speaker

RATIONALE            The 2nd SES-PUP International Ethics Conference at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan is a joint undertaking between the Social Ethics Society (SES) and the Center for Philosophy and the Humanities of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Center for International Education at Waseda University. The event will be held on September 9-11, 2026 at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. The theme for this year’s conference is “A New World Order: Peace, Democracy, Global Security, and a Sustainable Future.” This gathering expects to bring together scholars and researchers from the Philippines and Japan to discuss and engage on ethical questions and socio-political issues of global relevance,           After the success of the pioneering event that was held last year, the organizers deemed it important that a follow-up should be held to continue the important dialogue between researchers and s...

  - Dr. Jeremiah Joven Joaquin is a Full Professor at De La Salle University in Manila. He served as President of the Philosophical Association of the Philippines.  He is the most published scholar and most cited researcher in Scopus-indexed journals among current Filipino philosophers. He is one of the leading figures in analytic philosophy in the Philippines.  - Dr. Ian Clark Parcon is an Associate Professor at Ateneo de Davao University. He is the Chief Editor of the SES Journal of Applied Philosophy. He finished his doctorate in Philosophy at Ateneo de Manila University. He is an Erasmus Mundus scholar in Applied Ethics at Linköping University. His expertise is Jurgen Habermas and deliberative democracy. - Dr. Hammim B. Casan is the Assistant Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities of Mindanao State University in Marawi. He is an Associate Professor of English in the same University. He holds a Doctor of Arts in Literature and Communication. His research...

The Social Ethics Society, in cooperation with the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Philosophy Department of Mindanao State University - Main, and North Valley College, invite you to a public forum, Context and Culture: Situating Mindanao's Position in the General Education Curriculum, this coming May 20, 2026, (Wednesday) from 1PM to 6PM via ZOOM.  This activity intends to gather the voices and ideas from Mindanao and others - the Jesuit and Catholic identity of education, the perspectives of Muslim Filipinos, Lumads, professors and young teachers, including those teaching basic education and the vantage points of college students. Dr. Jeremiah Joven Joaquin of DLSU will provide the history and context of the General Education Curriculum in the Philippines. As we try to navigate the contentious discourse on the reframed GE curriculum, this discussion hopes to provide Mindanao an open and democratic platform towards inclusivity and social justice. The output of th...

    Dr. Jeremiah Joven Joaquin of De La Salle University will headline the public forum organized by the Social Ethics Society in cooperation with the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Philosophy Department of Mindanao State University in Marawi, and North Valley College this coming May 20, 2026 via Zoom. The line up of speakers in Context and Culture: Situating Mindanao's Position in the General Education Curriculum include Dr. Ian Clark Parcon (Ateneo de Davao University), Dr. Randy Tudy (University of Southeastern Philippines), Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc (Ateneo de Davao University), Dr. Hammim B. Casan (MSU Marawi). Other speakers include Mr. Khalid Rinamuntao (MSU Marawi), Fr. Urbano Pardillo Jr (XACOSE), Dr. Godiva Eviota-Rivera (MSU-Marawi), Ms. Maria Myrna Imperial-Gelvosa (High School Department, Ateneo de Davao University), and Ms. Christine Joyce Gallinero (graduating Mass Communication student, Ateneo de Davao University). The distinguished speake...

Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ateneo de Davao University. He was mentored by Thomas Pogge during his ASAP Yale Global Justice Fellowship. Mansoor Limba, PhD, SCL, is an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Ateneo de Davao University. He is a recipient of the 13th International Farabi Award (2022) on Humanities and Islamic Studies. Layne Hartsell, PhD, is a Research Professor at the Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Society, Department of Philosophy, Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok. Ian Clark Parcon, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ateneo de Davao University and the Chief Editor of the Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy. Benjiemen Labastin, MA, is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at La Salle University – Ozamiz. Asuna Yoshizawa, PhD, is a Research Fellow at Kyoto University. Her research interests include Muslim-Christian relationships a...