Workability Asia (WAsia), a network of organizations that provides work and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Asia, on Thursday confirmed that Japan will be the next host of its annual conference in 2026.
This development follows the Philippines’ successful conclusion of the WAsia Conference 2025.
Held from September 22 to 24 at Novotel Manila Araneta City, the three-day event gathered 300 delegates from WAsia’s member countries to highlight effective strategies for fostering equitable and inclusive workplaces.
WAsia vice chairperson and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Center for External Linkages director Oscar Sherlo Reyes has since officially handed over the official flag to Workability Japan.
“The conference is such a big success. It’s well attended. Benilde is a proud host of Workability Asia 2025, primarily because inclusion is really within our DNA. So, we have been advocating and promoting inclusion as well as access, not only for the PWDs or the deaf, but also for all other disabilities and other sectors of society. At Benilde, inclusion is at the very heart of our DNA,” Reyes said in an interview.
Hosted by the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde and co-presented by The Nippon Foundation, the event was themed “Inclusion at Work: Transforming Perspectives, Creating Opportunities.”
The conference convened leaders, employers, and PWD advocates to share strategies, foster regional cooperation, and significantly advance the discourse on inclusive employment for PWDs across the continent.
“This is why gatherings like today matter because they allow us to weave these stories together, to listen, and to learn from each other, not just from research but from lived experience. This is what Workability Asia has always been about: bringing voices together, creating spaces for dialogue, and building bridges across communities and countries. All participants who travelled from different countries, regions, and provinces, thank you for joining us,” Benilde President Br. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC, said.
Throughout the event, delegates participated in several high-impact sessions, such as BizTalks focusing on the core pillars of visioning, partnerships, and reframing disability inclusion in business.
The conference likewise featured abstract presentations exploring tracks focused on enabling the ecosystem and mainstreaming livelihood and skills development for PWDs.
One of the key highlights was the masterclass “Inclusive by Design: Rethinking Accessibility in the Workplace,” delivered by Architect Erico “Rix” Abordo, UAP, UIA, AFA, co-founder of Architects for Accessibility Philippines.
Attendees also participated in the Cultural Networking Night, which offered a platform for meaningful connections through interactive cultural exchanges and recognized featured speakers and partners.
On the final day, delegates even got to engage in an industry visit to benchmark best practices in inclusive development from government offices such as Quezon City Kabahagi Center and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s National Vocational Rehabilitation Center, as well as leading private companies, including Shell and Accenture.
