Margie Markland

Explained PH volunteer Marjuice Destinado has been selected as one of only nine campus journalists in the Philippines for the fifth cycle of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.


The program, led by Rappler, aims to train student reporters in public interest journalism—focusing on accountability, governance, and development reporting ahead of the 2028 national elections.

Destinado is one of three campus journalists selected from the Visayas, alongside five from Luzon and one from Mindanao, chosen from over 50 applicants nationwide.

In an interview with Explained PH, she shared how she initially thought her journey with Rappler was coming to an end when she applied to be a contributor at Bulatlat earlier this year.

“During the interview, I told them I wouldn’t have any scheduling conflicts because my Rappler internship was supposed to end in January. I really believed my time at Rappler was coming to a close,” Destinado said.

She later reflected that journalism “has a way of pulling you back in. You think you’re just passing by, and suddenly, a door opens.”

Destinado also described the rigorous selection process for the fellowship, recalling sleepless nights spent perfecting her first news story.

“For my first news story, I didn’t sleep. I spent hours writing and rewriting, only to finally figure out the right angle at 3 a.m.,” she shared.

Despite the challenges, Destinado said the experience taught her that sometimes “quality speaks for itself, and trust in your work is as important as the effort you put in.”

Six months since her return to Rappler, Destinado now has over 40 published articles under her belt—proof, she says, that one internship can lead to something “I never could have scripted.”

In addition to the fellowship, Destinado is a contributing writer for Bulatlat and currently serves as the feature editor of Ang Suga, the official student publication of Cebu Normal University.

She has also been an active news volunteer and fact-checker for Explained PH since 2024, contributing to both national and local coverage through the Cebu bureau.

Named after the late investigative journalist Aries Rufo, the fellowship provides intensive online and onsite training, where fellows are mentored by Rappler’s veteran journalists and editors.

This year marks the first cycle exclusively for students, following four previous cycles that welcomed a broader range of community journalists.