The Philippine Cheon Il Guk Leaders Meeting 2026, organized by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Philippines was held on June 14–16, 2026 at the FFWPU Philippine Headquarters located at 32 Samar Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines, and via Zoom. The gathering was attended by 36 leaders both onsite and online.
This leadership meeting focused on strategic planning for church growth and the development of the Philippine Region centered on the providence of True Parents.
Day 1: Transition and Sharing of Hearts
The first day opened with a simple gathering and sharing of hearts of appreciation held at the Education Room, as Rev. Ronnie D. Sodusta formally bid farewell from his position as Regional Director of FFWPU Philippines.
An individual consultation session followed, where Area Directors met with the newly appointed Regional Director, Rev. Leo Angelo Halog, to present reports and updates from their respective mission fields.
Day 2: Leadership Inputs and Strategic Directions
The second day resumed with Philippine Regional Director Rev. Leo Angelo Halog welcoming all participants. He expressed gratitude for the leaders’ dedication and hard work in the mission fields toward the fulfillment of Heavenly Parent’s and True Parents’ providence.
Rev. Yutaka Yamada, Continental Director for Heavenly Asia Pacific, shared insights on the importance of engaging second- and third-generation members while strengthening family-centered communities.
Dr. Julius Malicdem presented the “two-stream strategy” shared by Rev. Ken Doo from World Mission Headquarters (WMHQ). This emphasized the parallel development of:
*The providential direction of True Parents and national restoration
*Blessed family growth and community development
He stressed that both streams must progress together, likening them to “two wings of a bird” and “railroad tracks moving in parallel.” He also emphasized the importance of a sound economic foundation, financial transparency, and legal compliance, especially in the transition from a wilderness course to a settlement phase.
Group Work: DVDM Framework
The meeting proceeded with group discussions using the DVDM framework (Definition, Values, Difficulty, Methods). Leaders participated in open forums and small group brainstorming using sticky notes to identify concerns and propose solutions for improving the Philippine movement.
The focus was on building a more welcoming environment and strengthening community engagement beyond numerical growth alone. Participants were divided into four teams to facilitate discussion.
Day 3: Presentation and Synthesis of Findings
On the final day, each team continued discussions and presented their outputs to everyone.
The process successfully gathered voices from multiple groups, which were not only heard but recognized and documented. Despite working independently, the teams identified similar concerns, priorities, and solutions. These reflected shared issues across the Philippine movement rather than isolated opinions.
Key Findings
The activity revealed that the primary challenges are not limited to external concerns such as witnessing, membership growth, or financial shortages. Instead, the deeper issues are internal: leadership, systems, accountability, communication, education, family ministry, and member care. In other words, before pursuing greater growth, the church must strengthen its foundation.
In essence, the participants emphasized that internal strengthening must come before external expansion. A healthy foundation is necessary before expecting sustainable growth in members, resources, and spiritual results.
Major Themes Identified by All Teams:
1. Leadership and Accountability
2. Financial Transparency and Sustainability
3. Education as a National Priority
4. Family Ministry, Blessing Education, and Faith Inheritance
5. Youth Development and Future Leadership
6. Member Care, Community Building, and Reconnection
Dr. Julius Malicdem presented a 90-day action plan for the Philippine providence, outlining key initiatives including finalizing national priorities, reviewing organizational structures, conducting member surveys, assessing financial reality, and inventorying educational resources. The plan follows a transformation process beginning with leadership development, building trust, strengthening systems, and ultimately nurturing families and youth.
Closing Remarks and Future Direction
Rev. Yutaka Yamada emphasized the importance of leadership, trust, and cooperation. He noted that while the Philippines possesses significant assets, key challenges lie in strengthening trust and alignment between leadership and members.
The Philippine Cheon Il Guk Leaders Meeting concluded with the announcement of the upcoming 7-Day Yeongseong Leadership Workshop scheduled on July 13-19, 2026. This program will focus on deeper alignment with True Mother and continued spiritual development.
Moments captured on this day.
Reflections shared by participants during this event.
“This marks a new beginning for Philippine Region, we thank our outgoing Regional Director Rev. Ronnie Sodusta and we welcome the appointment of Rev. Leo Angelo Halog as our new Regional Director of Philippine Region. This CIG leaders meeting is a chance to discussed the current status of our church Providence and make a strategic plan and contribute solutions from all stakeholders or leaders for this transition period, in order to identify current issues and have practical solutions. May our new Regional Director address the long time problem of the Philippine providence and we want to support him to the best we can as True Parents representative to our nation. We are praying for his victory in his leadership and good health always. Aju! Kamsahamnida!”
Rev. Froilan Matbagan Jr.
Area 3 Director
“The recent gathering of our leaders was a meaningful step in shaping the future of our church. Using the DVDM Tool may have taken time, but the process was deeply rewarding—it allowed us to listen, to communicate sincerely, and to discover together the kind of church we all long to build. I was especially moved by how Dr. Julius captured and summarized our collective thoughts with clarity and vision. This meeting is not just an event, but a seed of hope. I pray that it will grow into a series of leaders’ meetings with thorough follow-up, so that our shared dreams can take root and flourish. With faith and unity, I will always pray for the success of everyone, that our efforts may bring lasting blessings to our members, families, and nation.”
Ronnie D. Sodusta
