SINGAPORE — The 8th Humanistic Buddhism Youth Forum (HBYF), held from October 10 to 12, 2025, at Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Singapore, successfully concluded its three-day gathering centered on the theme “Co-existence and Co-prosperity.” The international event, which aims to promote the awareness, research, and propagation of Humanistic Buddhism among young scholars and practitioners, welcomed participants from various countries, including a notable delegation from the Philippines’ Guang Ming College (GMC). 

The forum’s organizers, the Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism (Advisory Unit), FGS Singapore, and the Humanistic Buddhism Research Centre-University of Malaya, orchestrated an event packed with keynote speeches, panel discussions, paper presentations, and academic exchanges. These activities aligned with the forum’s core objective: to study the roles and functions of Buddhism in purifying minds and positively influencing society, and to examine the crucial role of the youth in propagating Dharma.

The participants from GMC included a mix of faculty, staff, alumni, and students, reflecting the institution’s deep engagement with the study of Humanistic Buddhism. The College was represented by its faculty and staff members, including Shena Marie Pacano, Chair of BA Buddhist Studies; Heidi Salih Emelo-Ato, Chair of BPA Theatre; Ralph Jade Tampal, Theatre Faculty and Coordinator for Research and Development; Katherine Mae G. Sabate, Director of the Office of Academic Affairs; Charie Natividad Eusores, Officer of Student Welfare; and Diane Rose Cabugawan, a staff member at FGS Mabuhay Temple.

Adding to the robust group were the College’s alumni and current students. The alumni present were Mario Neil Villariaz (BA Dance 2018), DZ May Ambros (BA Buddhist Studies 2023), Gail Abbie Matan (BA Buddhist Studies 2025), and Red Mike Cinco (BA Buddhist Studies 2025). The student body was proudly represented by Linel Jo Perez (BPA Theatre student) and Mae Geraldez (BA Buddhist Studies student).

During the English Academic Category presentations of Director Sabate, Ms. Eusores, Ms. Pacano, and Mr. Cinco, the session reviewer, Assoc. Prof. Jack Chia underscored the significance of the research papers on Humanistic Buddhism written by participants from GMC. He emphasized that research outputs from the Philippines—particularly those from GMC—constitute a rich resource and body of work that documents and analyzes the propagation and impact of Humanistic Buddhism in a predominantly Catholic country, making them worthy of publication and further scholarly inquiry.

The forum provided a global platform for these representatives to engage with topics under the “Co-existence and Co-prosperity” theme, which covered a wide scope, including Buddhism and Wisdom, Innovation, Education, and Interfaith Conversations. The submissions were divided into Academic, Literary and Arts Categories. The broad participation from GMC underscored its commitment to fostering the next generation of Buddhist thinkers and leaders.