Dr. Mario “Mayong” J. Aguja is currently a full Professor at the Department of Sociology of the Mindanao State University, General Santos City, Philippines, where he teaches undergraduate sociology courses and graduate courses in Public Administration, Sustainable Development Studies, and Philippine Studies.
He holds a PhD in International Cooperation Studies from the Nagoya University, Japan; an MA in Sociology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman; and, an AB in Sociology at the MSU-Gen. Santo City. He was an International Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Sociology at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He took up graduate studies in Comparative Culture with specialization in International Economics and Development Studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
As a son of Mindanao, Prof. Mayong is actively involved in various culture of peace initiatives in Mindanao. He is currently a member of the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), a seven-member body tasked to oversee the process of decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons. His research interests include Mindanao peace and development, Sustainable Development Goals , and Security Sector Reform.
Prof. Aguja was a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress during the 12th and 13th congresses.