After two decades of ministry in the Bangsamoro region of the Philippines, Lakan and Joji Pantoja are stepping back from formal leadership of PeaceBuilders Community Inc. (PBCI). The couple, Witness Workers with Mennonite Church Canada, founded the organization in 2006 to address Muslim-Christian conflicts and violence in Mindanao.
A companion initiative, Coffee for Peace, emerged as a social enterprise supporting local farmers and weaving economic relationships across long-standing divides.
The March 2026 celebration brought together groups once divided: the Maguindanao Sultanate clan, Indigenous Bagobo Tagabawa leaders, and evangelical church representatives, all now collaborators through PBCI's work.
Bennette Grace Tenecio assumes the role of President and CEO in April 2026, bringing a youth-centered approach to community regeneration.
The Pantojas describe the anchor of their ministry as a peace theology grounded in harmony with the Creator, our own being, others, and creation. A witness that resonates with the global Anabaptist vocation RADAR shares.