[OPINION] What it means to have a voice through my community’s stories

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[OPINION] What it means to have a voice through my community’s stories

I was determined to write stories that projected me as a writer and, more importantly, as a member of my community. But then came the question: what stories deserved to be told?

Growing up in Llorente, Eastern Samar, I rarely saw my hometown mentioned on TV — except when a storm was about to hit. To the rest of the world, it was just another dot on the map, often overlooked and unheard. But I wanted to change that.

When I was accepted into the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship as one of the six campus journalist fellows for its 2024 cycle, I was determined to write stories that projected me as a writer and, more importantly, as a member of my community. But then came the question: what stories deserved to be told?

Early in the fellowship, my editor-minder, Herbie Gomez, gave me advice that stuck with me: Don’t overcomplicate things. The best stories are found in the community. He believed that every place — no matter how small — had a multiplicity of stories worth telling, whether about politics, culture, or everyday life.

That perspective guided me throughout the fellowship, but the journey wasn’t smooth-sailing. My co-fellows knew about my dying laptop during our onsite training. I remember feeling ready to give up and just focus on my thesis outline instead. But journalism, I realized, isn’t about having the best tools — it’s about persistence, resourcefulness, and the will to tell a story; with a thesis on the side.

Over the last five months, I covered Eastern Samar’s election shake-ups and expanded my scope to Leyte with a community feature on a local professor reminiscing about Martial Law and how university students helped vendor survivors of a large-scale fire at the Baybay City public market last September 2024. Overall, I published 11 community/feature stories, two fact-check articles, and a two-part in-depth long-form report.

For my final long-form piece, I wrote about how AI or artificial intelligence is being used to enhance profile pictures on Facebook and how people in rural areas like mine reacted to seeing polished, digital versions of themselves.

Speaking with local users in my community made me realize just how much technology — especially AI — has yet to become fully integrated into everyday life here. What delighted me even more was how eager my fellow Llorentehanons were to participate in my research, openly sharing their thoughts and granting consent, even when it came to their personal photos.

I also had the chance to verify information for a fact-check article with Dr. Willie Ong — an experience that still feels surreal, especially for my parents (who are certainly big fans of Doc Willie).

As for impact, I wouldn’t claim that my work shook the ground. I didn’t uncover a nationwide scandal or report on a cure for cancer. But for the first time, my community saw itself in national news — not just as a place on a weather map but as a home filled with stories that matter. Whether it was being recognized as a budding surfing hub in Eastern Visayas or for its inclusive local government unit hiring Persons With Disability workers, my town became part of a larger narrative.

On a personal level, this was my first experience doing intensive fieldwork as a campus journalist. It felt new and, at times, intimidating, but it was a necessary step if I saw myself continuing down this path. What made me proud was seeing the people I wrote about share my work — it meant they saw themselves in my stories.

Finally, I learned how to put my heart into it. Because for a journalist to be an effective storyteller, they must love their work. Journalism isn’t just about reporting facts — it’s about people. It’s about humanizing perspectives, making stories accessible, and giving communities a voice. In the process, I found mine. – Rappler.com

Efren Cyril Bocar is a student journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar, enrolled in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. A managing editor of Amaranth, Cyril is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024.