Waldorf education has been heralded as the fastest growing independent school movement in the world, providing a conscious alternative to mainstream conceptions of education. Recent growth in Asia is particularly remarkable. This raises questions about how educational philosophies, discourses and practices spread around the globe and how they are transformed and adapted locally. This research seeks insights on this matter via an ethnographic case study in Iloilo, the Philippines. Here, pioneers aim to create a foothold with innovative educational ideals based on Waldorf principles, informed by a vivid global Waldorf community but implemented in a unique local context.