Explained PH Showed Me What Real Media Work Means

Tight deadlines, snarky editors, and non-stop revisions — that’s what I used to imagine when I thought of media organizations. I thought everything would be rigid, cold, and cutthroat.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I first crossed paths with Explained PH during senior high school as a forwarded registration link. At the time, I was a science high school student who had only dipped into media during a district school press conference in elementary school. The idea of actually pursuing media work felt like a pipe dream for me but…

I clicked the link anyway.

Days passed and I didn’t think much of it. Who was I to compete with students already immersed in journalism? I didn’t even see myself writing beside journalists — let alone leading them as an editor one day.

Then the email came:

“Welcome to the Explained PH Volunteer Network.”

That was the beginning of everything.

The ride was easy at first: orientations, meetings, small chats with volunteers. What made it click wasn’t just my personality, but the advocacy we shared. That mutual desire to create impact made me feel like I belonged.

But even with that, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being behind. I was surrounded by people my age who were already thriving. Still, that pushed me — to learn, to try, to grow. I wasn’t the best writer, researcher, or artist. But I could be better. And I wanted to be.

Then something shifted.

One day, Prences Jhewen Albis, who was then the Training and Development Head, invited me to host a forum for the organization. That moment was a turning point. I wasn’t just participating anymore. I was helping lead conversations, opening up spaces for others to grow just like I had. I had found my place.

Events and educational forums became the heart of my volunteer life. Hosting, moderating, and connecting with people became second nature. I realized that I didn’t need to be the best at everything. I just needed to make others feel that they could be — and that, too, is a kind of leadership.

I fell in love with this process – unconventional compared to the write-ups and research that a media organization does, yes. But as once a campus journalist who did not know where to start or where to go – I felt like I owed it to myself and the other CJs who wanted to learn.

Now, as the head of the Training and Development Division, I carry that same mission. Campus journalism isn’t just about writing the best article or the design. It's about building a culture of mentorship, curiosity, and kindness — where volunteers don’t just produce stories, but grow into the kind of people who live them.

Explained PH didn’t just teach me how media works.

It taught me that purpose is louder than perfection.

That stories can build movements.

That even when you don’t feel “enough,” you still have something valuable to give.

This organization drew the path I now walk — and I’m beyond grateful to have taken that first step.