#CourageON: Good morning, class! I am Teacher Rubilyn

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Teacher Rubilyn is one of the many ways we experiment with story forms in the face of declining interest in news

Hello! 

There could only be two reasons why you opened this email. You probably have seen Teacher Rubilyn on Rappler. Or you haven’t — and are now curious to know.

My name is Ailla Dela Cruz, and I am Teacher Rubilyn.

You might recognize me from a skit or two on Rappler’s TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram accounts. My character came to life in the newsroom’s creative corner, after I and JC Gotinga, our senior producer, thought of making a skit of a government executive order mandating the singing of the Bagong Pilipinas hymn at the flag ceremonies of all government offices.

JC talked to me a day before the shoot with two instructions: to bring clothes that resemble a government employee’s uniform and to practice singing Bagong Pilipinas. I only started rehearsing the song hours before the actual shoot. So, it did come out raw and real. But I let you be the judge; watch it here. 

HOW TO SPOT AI-MANIPULATED MEDIA? We produced a video informing AI-detection tips and techniques as we anticipated the rise of AI-generated content as the election season came. 

Did we spend hours brainstorming on the name Teacher Rubilyn? No; it was also as spontaneous as how I belted out Bagong Pilipinas.

We were in the studio preparing to shoot, the lights and camera were all set up, and I was positioning in front of the camera when one of us said in jest: why not give Ailla another name, such as Rubilyn? After all, Rubilyn was the talk of the town then, being the identified “teacher” of the controversial Alice Guo.

And just like that, I became the face of the mysterious Teacher Rubilyn!

Our first video got around a million views on Facebook and thousands of views on other platforms. We continued to make satirical skits whenever government officials made questionable decisions and got involved in controversial issues, such as when Vice President Sara resigned as education secretary and attended a Senate hearing on the misuse of her confidential funds. 

Teacher Rubilyn is one of the many ways we experiment with story forms in the face of declining interest in news. 

Our challenge is to come up with funny scenarios or treatments without going overboard, and still delivering relevant facts or prompts for critical thought. It’s still the news, somehow, but with our value-add – comedy is commentary. While we can’t guarantee our skits will be funny to everyone, we make sure they aren’t cringeworthy or, worse, unsound.

As a fact-checker for more than two years now, I have seen how disinformation quickly spreads online. I have been made aware of how destructive these false narratives can be. The internet has been used to scam people, to spread negativity, to cause public hysteria, to instigate hate, to ruin reputations.

Thus, with the May midterm elections just around the corner, the Teacher Rubilyn team is focused on stories that raise questions or highlight issues that can help guide Filipino voters as they make their choices. 

Watch our satirical take on the various types of premature campaigning and the responsibilities of a senator.  

OUR TEAM. In most of our shoots, it is just me and JC Gotinga, who is my producer, videographer, and video editor in one! 

My videos won’t tell you who to vote for. I am not campaigning for any candidate. What I hope to do is help you realize that we can choose the ideal and not simply be content with what we have. 

Together, we can defeat the absurd and make things better. So, please feel free to share my videos with your family and friends. 

Let me take this opportunity to also ask you to support our work by becoming a Rappler+ member. This will allow us not only to produce more stories with impact but will also help keep independent journalism alive. – Rappler.com