DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 21 July) — For a traditional Filipino household, the last thing my family wants is a daughter who believes she can change the world.
No, I’m not talking about those who dream of superpowers to end world hunger, or the children who wish to rid the world of all its crimes. Instead, I’m talking about me— an eldest daughter of a conservative Filipino household who had the guts to forgo two medical school scholarships, her family’s wishes, and a guaranteed career after graduation in the hopes to pursue a lofty dream of “telling stories.” And in true Filipino fashion, my family would often ask “unsaon nimo pagkabuhi ana?” (How will you make a living out of that?”)
As a result, I always hated going to family gatherings where the comparisons were inescapable. My relatives, all accomplished in their own right as nurses, engineers, and accountants, seemed to epitomize the successful, secure paths that my family valued. Each time I was introduced as the one who chose an unconventional career in the media arts, I always felt the weight of expectations and judgments pressing down on me — that no matter how stellar my grades and projects were, they would never measure up to the conventional forms of success I deviated from.
Despite the discomfort, these comparisons became the backdrop against which I examined the meanings of my own aspirations. For the longest time, I was led to believe that the path I chose was merely a pursuit of a personal dream. It was not until my internship with Mindanews where I began to think otherwise.
At Mindanews, I discovered that the most impactful stories arise from the ordinary. More often than not, it is the seemingly small, everyday experiences of ordinary people that resonate most deeply with audiences. Whether it was a local community initiative, or an individual’s struggle in living their daily lives after a tragedy, each story held multiple layers of meaning that when carefully examined and told, hold broader truths about society.
This shift in perspective transformed my approach to storytelling. I learned through my internship that it’s not enough to simply present facts; it’s about helping readers see reality through your eyes. This lesson became crucial during our visit to the landslide-stricken families in Masara, Davao de Oro. To truly capture the community’s grief, growth, and hope, I needed to write vividly, from describing the stifling heat inside their tents, to sharing their personal stories of survival. These stories did not just communicate data, but the raw, emotional truth of their daily lives, ensuring their experiences resonated deeply with readers.
On the other hand, I also learned the critical importance of accuracy. For now, a data gap or an inaccuracy means a scolding from an editor, but in the real world, these mistakes can have far-reaching implications that can impact lives and decisions beyond the newsroom. Through these experiences, I was able to learn that ensuring that every detail is correct and complete is not just about maintaining professional integrity, but also about safeguarding the truth and honoring the stories of those we report about.
Yet beyond the technicalities of writing and reporting, my biggest takeaway from my 160 hours with MindaNews was the power of perseverance. At times, the work felt overwhelming, and self-doubt made me question whether I could achieve the dream I had fought so hard for. However, amidst these doubts, I recalled my supervisor’s advice: “Don’t overthink it.” Despite staring blankly at my screen or grappling with writer’s block, I kept writing. I pushed through endless hours of questioning my career choice, realizing that the hunger to improve was key to overcoming these challenges, all in the pursuit of proving that writing, too, can contribute to society.
Now, I find comfort in knowing that I don’t need to follow conventional career paths dictated by my family to find fulfillment. I don’t need to be a superhero or the next big thing to change the world. Instead, I’ve come to realize that change can be made by seeing the extraordinary in the everyday lives of ordinary people, one story at a time.
As I bid goodbye to my internship experience, I am gifted with the reassurance that believing in my ability to make a difference is, in itself, a way to change the world.
(Batang Mindanaw is the youth section of MindaNews. Alyssa M. Ilaguison, 20, is from Panabo City. She is a BA Communication and Media Arts student at the University of the Philippines- Mindanao).