.1/18/24 – 1/25/24 – co-sponsored Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Ecumenical Reflection on Palestine.

3/29/24 – Attended Immigrant Stations of the Cross Multifaith Prayer Service outside of Adelanto ICE Detention Center hosted by Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

4/23/24 – Attended community reception for Dr. Robert K. Ross of the California Endowment. Naida expressed NEFFCON-IE’s appreciation for the $50,000 grant from T he California Endowment (TCE) and presented a jeepney and sorbetes cast iron icons representing the Philippines.

5/3/24 – 1st education/reflection series talk – The Place of the People in Church & Society; conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish (Riverside) Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter. 27 people in attendance.

6/2/24 – participated/became a co-sponsor at the Fiesta Kalayaan (Philippine Independence Day) celebration in Palm Desert.

6/22/24 – PAIS-IE Summer Immersion (8;30am – 5:00pm) held at the Civil Rights Institute in Riverside. Theme – Placemaking and Belonging.

9/11/24 – Participated in and endorsed BAYAN USA Webinar entitled: Lumalaban ang Bayan Ko! Martial Law at ang Dinastiyang Marcos. Father Ben shared his experience of being detained during martial law in the Philippines.

9/13/24 – 9/15/24 – PAIS-IE Fall Immersion – Breaking Barriers and Building Communities Through Health and Wellness held at Coachella Valley.

10/12/24 – co-sponsored forum – A Biblical and Theological Perspective on Conscience Formation for the Common Good with the Office of Advocacy and Office of the Asian Pacific Ministry of the Diocese of San Bernardino. Conducted in hybrid format at OurLady of Perpetual Help parish (Riverside); 30 people in attendance.

10/26/24 – commemorated Fr. Ben Alforque’s 45th Sacerdotal Anniversary at Riverside Convention Center to: promote the work/services of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), and the devotion to the Sacred Heart; bring together the many friends of Fr. Ben and the MSC’s from all walks of life, faith and cultures to celebrate his milestone in the priesthood; and joyfully introduce NEFFCON-IE and its cause of human rights, justice, peace and integrity of creation and the Philippine American Intercultural School – Inland Empire (PAIS-IE), a project of NEFFCON-IE, with Fr. Ben as Education Coordinator. Raised over $40K in net proceeds to financially assist the MSC, including the San Luis Lumad Community High School and the many projects of NEFFCON-IE on justice, peace, human rights, and integrity of creation.

.1/18-23 – 3/14/23 – participated with the Brown & Black Redistricting Alliance in reviewing Ward Map for Riverside; was a signatory to the draft Map Ward for the City of Riverside.

1/27/23 – partnered with Pasion Performance Group in hosting Pacific Body Temple’s An Oceania Dance Meditation Open Dance Workshop to raise funds for the clean water project for Siargao Island, Mindanao, Philippines.

3/23 – 5/23 – involved in Free Ligaya and Jackie campaign (detained in Adelanto) and was a signatory to petition submitted to Alex Padilla seeking their release.

3/17/23 - 3/21/23 – supported the IE Native Council Apache Stronghold Convoy to the 9th Circuit Court in LA to protect sacred sites with Oak flats.

3/24/23 – participated in the survey conducted by UC Riverside to document the state of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander nonprofits in the communities they serve.

4/29/23 – sponsored film screening of “Tao Po” – a four-part monologue depicting Extrajudicial killings conducted under the Philippine President Duterte’s “Drug War” Campaign; Filipino social activist, actress, director and fil producer Mae Paner was Present and answered questions from the audience; approximately 50 people in attendance.

5/20/23 – participated in the HOPE Festival to celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month with the Asian American Task Force in Riverside.

6/8/23 – First education/reflection series for 2023 – Faith Community & Society –Theme – Salvation History and History of Salvation; conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetua Help parish (Riverside) 5:30pm – 7:30pm; Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

6/23/23 - 6/25/23 – PAIS-IE Summer Camp at Divine Word Retreat Center (Riverside) Attended by approximately 40 participants.

7/13/23 – held 2nd education/reflection series talk – Understanding the Situation of Our Common Home - conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish (Riverside). Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

7/13-23 – 7/14/23 – attended the Philippine Human Rights Act Lobby Days in Washington D.C.

8/10/23 - held 3rd education/reflection series talk – Social Divisions and Classes in the IE - conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish (Riverside). Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

9/14/23 – held 4th education/reflection series talk – Salvation History in the Bible and the People’s Quest for a New Humanity; conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish (Riverside); Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

10/12/23 – Cohosted (along with Anakbayan-IE) the Kapit-Bisig Solidarity Tour with Ka Bong Labog (chairperson of Kilusang Mayo). Event was held at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California in Riverside and focused on the labor situation in the Philippines and Inland Empire and how we can build international solidarity among workers.

10/21/23 – commemorated Fr. Demetrio’s 40th Sacerdotal Anniversary held at Double Tree Hilton in Ontario to: financially assist in providing services at the SVD Riverside Residence Community, the home of our confreres who have given their lifelong service as missionaries in various countries around the world and are now retired and/or medically unable to actively serve our worldwide mission; and financially assist the San Luis Lumad Community High School (SLLCHS) in Agusan del Sur to thrive by providing the much-needed secondary education for the indigenous children of the Manobo, Banwaon, Talaandig and Higaonon tribes who would not receive education otherwise. The school is designed to use an alternative indigenous curriculum that uses math and the sciences to preserve, develop and promote their cultural identity, customary laws and tradition, reclaim their ancestral land and domain and uphold their right to self-determination.
. 480 guests in attendance. Over 480 people in attendance. Raised over $22K in net proceeds.

10/27/23 – held 5th education/reflection series talk – Faith & Ideology: Faith in the Bible – Ideology in History; conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (Riverside); Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

11/6/23 – 11/9-23 – attended human rights conference organized by ICHRP (International Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines) in Bangkok Thailand.

11/17/23 – held 6th education/reflection series talk – History of the Church and Development of Society; conducted in hybrid format at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (Riverside); Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

12/8/23- held 7th education/reflection series talk – The Place of the People in Church and Society; conducted in hybrid format at Our lady of Perpetual Help parish (Riverside) Fr. Ben Alforque was presenter.

12/10/23 – Cohosted (along with Anakbayan-IE) a gathering for December 10 International Human Rights Day. The event was held at OLPH and included reflections on the human rights situation in the Philippines and Palestine, a vigil for martyrs, and musical offerings.

• Held 5th General Assembly on April 23, with Rev. Fr. Danny Pilario, CM, PhD, STD (2021-22 Vincentian Chair of Social Justice), speaking on Faith, Truth and Politics and Mr. Jose Enrique "Sonny" A. Africa, Executive Director of IBON Foundation, sharing the Philippine Situation — providing updates on the current socio-economic and political situation in the Philippines, as well as the relevance of the upcoming Philippine Presidential elections in May 2022
•During the 2nd quarter of 2022, collaborated with other local affiliates of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) Southern California, planned, organized, and mobilized network of contacts to participate in the "Lakad 5K For Bayanihan" walkathon in Long Beach, to provide financial assistance to the Lumad
•Participated AB 1766 on August 5 at Press Conference held at Pasadena Job Center, hosted by California Immigrant Policy Center and Asian American Advancing Justice to allow issuance of CA ID to all Californians regardless of immigration status; AB1766 signed by Gov. Newome on September 27
•Welcomed interested individuals and new members to a Meet and Greet on October 29 at St. George, Ontario
•Shared the successes, challenges, and needs of the Filipino community in the Listening Session conducted by the CA Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander hosted by the Asian American Task Force (AATF) on November 15 at the Riverside University Health System -Behavioral Health Conference Center.
•On November 17, PAIS-IE Consultant Fr. Benjamin E. Alforque, MSC, and NEFFCON-IE Chairperson Naida Castro were interviewed by WordNet Productions Executive Director Rev. Fr. Sony Sebastian, SVD on the programs of PAIS-IE in strengthening the American identity as a multi-cultural and intercultural community rooted in the richness of the indigenous cultures and histories of its diverse peoples.
•On December 3, 2022, PAIS-IE Workgroup conducted Student and Instructor Orientations in preparation for the Transitional Phase of PAIS-IE — Fall 2022 Immersion funded by TCE from November 18 -20 at Divine Word Retreat Center; 45 participants representing the multicultural and intercultural communities in the IE, including but not limited to, Filipino, Indigenous, Native American, Latinix, Mexican, African/Black, European, Indian, Indonesian, as well as those with disabilities. As Keynote Speaker Catholic Diocese Bishop Emeritus Gerald Barnes, DD, shared his own exposure and personal experience in transforming the Diocesan Pastoral Center to be inclusive of all cultures and ethnicities — a message well-received and experienced by PAIS-IE learners.
•Collaborated and participated in NAFCON 2022 Conference and General Assembly in Los Angeles held during the first weekend in November, where over 200 young people from all over the United States gathered to the theme "Umahon at Magpunyagi: Together We Rise & Overcome Adversities." On December 3 commemorated the 74th Anniversary of the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights with speaker from the Philippines, Jigs Clamor (Deputy Secretary General of KARAPATAN, Philippines), speaker from Palm Springs, Edwin Ramoran (Human Rights Commissioner of Palm Springs, CA), and international speaker Rev. Fr. Benjamin "Ben" E. Alforque, MSC, (founding member of KARAPATAN, a human rights group).

• Issued a statement in solidarity with the Lumads (Indigenous people) when 26 community members comprising of minor students, teachers, and local leaders were violently taken by Philippine Police and military from the Indigenous/Lumad Bakwit/Evacuation School in the University of San Carlos, Cebu City in February
• March 27 - Inland Empire and in solidarity with STOP AAPI HATE, joined The Inland Empire STOP AAPI HATE RALLY held in downtown Riverside;
• April 22 - Congress passed an anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill to Denounce discrimination against Asian Communities.
• June to October - We have been involved with the Brown & black Redistricting Alliance in writing, developing, and configuring Communities of Interest (COI) testimonies/maps, as well as participating in the development of VRA (Voting Rights Act) compliant maps in the Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, Supervisorial District and City wards for submission to the California Citizen Redistricting Commission and the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties Board of Supervisors.
• September 14 - California Gubernatorial Recall Election, we conducted outreach (vote safe) campaigns to the Asian and Hispanic/Latinx communities in the inland empire urging voters to participate and vote.

• Organizationally committed to outreach to the Filipino community and other hard-to-count groups to promote participation in CENSUS 2020 count
• Initiated/attended over 40 small group meetings (prior to covid-19 restrictions) among Filipinos, Latinos, Indonesians, Samoans, Vietnamese, African-Americans, seniors, and people with disabilities
• Organized Trusted messenger Training sessions and recruited 50 Census Champions, collected Census pledge cards, posted Census 2020 educational videos on the Facebook page
• Submitted/published 3 op-ed articles to the Asian Journal detailing the importance of Census 2020 to the lives of Filipinos in the Inland Empire; and
• Collaborated with the Diocese of San Bernardino and other community-based organizations encouraging online completion of Census count

•Issued a Solidarity Statement condemning the arrest of Fr. Art Balagat (former Director of FILMIN-DSB) and peace consultant Renante Gamara by the Philippine military.
•Attended the National Summit of Human Rights and Democracy in the Philippines in Washington D.C. (attended by over 350 delegates) and met Alabama Congressional Representative Martha Roby.
•Organized thanksgiving dinner, and dance celebrating the 35th Sacerdotal Anniversary of Fr. Antonio G. Abuan, Ms, and the 40th Sacerdotal Anniversary of Fr. Benjamin E. Alforque, MSC.
•Attended the Parish Ambassadors Solidarity Training (sponsored by the Global Solidarity Committee, Diocese of San Bernardino, and Catholic Relief Services) at St. Catherine of Alexandria, in Riverside.
•Participated in the PSONA (People’s State of the Nation) mobilization in front of the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles.
•Attended the "Compassionate Not Cages” mobilization in front of the Adelanto Detention Center (organized by CHIRLA – Coalition for Human Rights).
•Joined Social Justice leaders in a meeting with Congressional Representatives Mark Takano (Riverside) and Tim Aguilar (San Bernardino) advocating support for anti-poverty programs of the Catholic Church
•Had Congressional Rep. visit with Pete Aguilar sharing human rights situation in the Philippines.

• Formal launching of NEFFCON-IE
• Issued statement condemning police brutality and aggression against the Lumads (Indigenous people of the Philippines) and Moro people
• Fund-raising Christmas celebration of Prayer
Food and Caroling for medical mission to Philippines for cholera victims

• Held musical fundraising event “Asin ng Lupa” for Lumad “Save Our Schools Campaign”
Issued Solidarity Statement condemning brutal killings of 3 Catholic priest in the Philippines (Frs. Tito Paez, Mark Ventura and Richmond Nilo) and held Memorial Mass at St. George Catholic Church (Fontana)
• Held fundraising event and donated proceeds to Filipino Migrant Center (Long Beach)
• Held Memorial Mass for the 9 sugar farmers massacred in hacienda Nene, Barangay Bulanon, Negros Occidental on October 20
• Organized reflection/sharing commemorating Human Rights Day

• Conducted presentation of Peace Talks in the Philippines (GRP and NDF)
• Collected and donated to Salugpongan International
• Participated in the Lakad 5K for Peace