Ned Legaspi

01/10/2025

This afternoon at Ateneo de Davao, I explored a radical idea: resistance is care. To resist systems that diminish us is to care deeply for our culture, our communities, and our future.

What made it meaningful was the exchange. When someone asked how we practice care as resistance daily, when another connected this to their organizing work - that's when these ideas came alive.

Thank you Philippine Sociological Society and Ateneo de Davao for the space, and to everyone who sharpened my thinking with your questions.

30/09/2025

Off to Davao City for the Philippine Sociological Society 2025 Conference at Ateneo de Davao University.

Later today, I’ll be presenting my paper:

“Reclaiming Story, Restoring Care: Southeast Asia and the Crisis of Cultural Representation.”

Excited to share insights from my work on Culturally Intelligent Storytelling with fellow scholars and practitioners.

23/09/2025

After my presentation at SOAS University of London and before flying back home to the Philippines, I paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Ambassador Teddy Locsin.

Back in my younger years as a media professional, I was Head Writer of two shows where he was one of the hosts. Meeting him again felt like a reunion across time and careers. I shared with him the new direction I’m taking as a Cultural Intelligence Consultant and about my upcoming book. He expressed support and even opened the door to possible collaboration.

Maraming salamat, Ambassador.

P.S. Special thanks to Luis Bariuan for making this meeting possible.

22/09/2025

While in London, I had the honor of being invited by The Filipino Correspondents Network (TFCN) to speak at their Journalism Summit at The Hague, Netherlands! Though it was virtual, I was thrilled to share insights on how cultural intelligence can be applied to framing news with fellow journalists and media professionals. Thank you, TFCN, for the fantastic opportunity - it was truly my honor to be part of this important conversation. More power to you and the incredible work you do!

21/09/2025

19/09/2025

Currently in London for my first European presentation at the world-renowned SOAS University of London!

SOAS is THE global authority on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with over 100 years of expertise in understanding diverse cultures. Being here feels incredible - the campus, the energy, the history!

I’ll be sharing insights on narrative repatriation and culturally intelligent storytelling - how we can honor cultural origins while building bridges of understanding across our interconnected world.

Can’t wait to bring these conversations and experiences back to our global community! The journey continues…

06/09/2025

Honored to present at the 2025 ASEAN University Network Conference on Ecological Education & Culture (AUN-EEC), an international gathering on sustainability and education held at Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines, last August 27–28, 2025.

I joined Parallel Session 5: Climate Change Education in Media and Classrooms, where I shared insights alongside fellow educators and researchers on how stories can help climate science resonate across cultures.

Special thanks to the AUN-EEC and the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) for the invitation, recognition, and for these official photos.

28/08/2025

Thank you, Ateneo and AUN-EEC, for the invitation. I shared a simple idea. Start with culture so climate science connects.

18/08/2025

My mother, whom I call Mader, wanted me to be a doctor. At 16, wanting to please her, I took pre-med college entrance exams at UP, UST, UE, and CEU. I FAILED THEM ALL. Though disappointed, Mader still supported me by allowing me to pursue my real interest at the time: mass communication.

Years passed, but the idea of becoming a doctor never completely left me. Thirty-seven years later, I took another exam, this time to become a doctor of a different kind. It was the most difficult one of all: the PhD Comprehensive Exam at the University of the Philippines. For the first time in all my qualifying exams, I PASSED and even earned a HIGH PASS in one area.

So to Mader, heto na po! In this way, I will finally fulfill your dream of having a doctor son, not as the doctor you once hoped for, but as the doctor I have chosen to become: a Doctor of Philosophy.

09/07/2025

Just wrapped up my presentation at the 15th ACFEA Conference here in Hanoi.

I am grateful for the opportunity to share a Southeast Asian perspective on culturally intelligent storytelling, where narratives not only cross borders but also carry meaning with them.

I genuinely appreciate the engaged attendees who asked thoughtful questions and sparked meaningful conversations after the talk.

Thank you to the organizers, fellow presenters, and everyone in the room today. And to the UP Office of International Linkages, thank you for making this journey possible through your support.

09/07/2025

Presenting this afternoon at the 15th Biennial Conference of the Asian Consumer and Family Economics Association (ACFEA 2025) here in Hanoi, Vietnam 🇻🇳

My talk is on Culturally Intelligent Storytelling: A Southeast Asian Lens on Narrative, Identity, and Engagement — exploring how stories travel across cultures, and how they act not just as entertainment, but as cultural goods that shape values, meaning, and memory.