TANDAG, Surigao del Sur (MindaNews / 22 March) — When people read a news story, they see the headline, the facts and the byline. What they do not see are the stories that journalists carry within themselves long after the assignment is done.
The BAYI-LINES retreat, with the theme “Stories We Carry, Lives We Write,” reminded us that behind every report is a human being who listens, witnesses, absorbs and continues to move forward.
The retreat is part of the Safety Training Series of Media Impact Philippines, implemented by the Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MinJourn), which runs MindaNews, in partnership with International Media Support.
From March 1 to March 4, women journalists from across Mindanao gathered on Samal Island not for another training on reporting techniques, but for something more personal (to pause, reflect and care for ourselves).
In journalism, especially in Mindanao, we often live by the word Padayon (keep going). It is a mantra that fuels our commitment to the work. Deadlines do not wait. Stories continue to unfold. Communities rely on information.So we keep going.
But as trauma psychologist Dr. Rhodora Gail Tan-Ilagan reminded us during the retreat: “While the mind focuses on facts, the body is processing the environment.”
Journalists are trained to focus on facts, verification and clarity. Yet every assignment leaves traces in the body and the mind, the stories of conflict, disaster, abuse and injustice that we witness in the field. Sometimes we move from one story to the next without fully acknowledging what those experiences have taken from us.
For many of us, especially women journalists, the work does not end when the story is filed. We juggle many roles (mother, daughter, sister, wife, friend, colleague, entrepreneur and community nurturer) while continuing to carry the responsibility of informing the public.
People may never fully understand what women journalists go through.
We are not only newsmakers.
We are also human beings who feel the weight of every story we encounter, the grief we witness, the decisions we make and the responsibility of ensuring that every piece of information shared with the public is truthful and accountable.
Journalism is not only about writing headlines. It is about owning the stories we tell and the responsibility that comes with them.
The BAYI-LINES retreat created a space where women journalists could talk openly about these realities.
Veteran journalist Vina Araneta-Pilapil guided storytelling circles where participants shared the assignments that stayed with them, the stories that changed them not only as journalists, but as individuals.
Through art therapy sessions led by Amanda Fe “Mandy” Echevarria, participants shaped and painted emotions that words could not easily express.
And through the candle-making workshop facilitated by Kandiletita, founded by Yenna Angkang, we reflected on the idea of light, intention and boundaries, learning that taking care of ourselves is also part of sustaining our work.
More than a retreat, BAYI-LINES became a reminder that women journalists are not only chroniclers of history.
We are women with stories of our own.
We are witnesses to the lives of others, but we are also authors of the lives we choose to build.
There were moments of silence, moments of tears and moments of quiet understanding among women who knew the weight of the same profession.
For a moment, we allowed ourselves to pause, to breathe, to listen and to remember that resilience does not always mean pushing forward without rest.
Sometimes resilience means acknowledging what we carry and choosing how we move forward.
When we return to our communities and newsrooms, we will continue to report stories that matter. But perhaps we will do so with a renewed understanding:
That while we write the stories of others, we are also writing the story of our own lives.
And the life we choose to write deserves care, courage and compassion too.
My realization from BAYI-LINES is this: the stories we carry do not end when the article is published. They live within us, shaping how we see the world and how we choose to move through it.
As women journalists, we are witnesses to history, but we are also guardians of empathy, truth and care. And while we continue writing the stories of others, we must never forget that our own lives, our healing, our boundaries and our courage, are also stories worth telling.
(Queenie Casio is a journalist, media leader and entrepreneur based in Mindanao. She has over 20 years of experience in broadcast and community reporting, with a strong focus on responsible journalism, war and conflict journalism, social awareness, community engagement and on environmental issues. She is passionate about storytelling that empowers communities and amplifies unheard voices. She chairs the Media Association of SDS, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines- SDS and Surigao Del Sur Media Citizen Council, and was former member of the Board of Directors for Mindanao IAWRT Philippines.)
[BAYI-LINES is part of the Safety Training Series of the Media Impact Philippines project implemented by the Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MinJourn), publisher of MindaNews, in partnership with the International Media Support (IMS) with funding from the European Union and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.]
