MANILA, Philippines – Dozens of volunteers, among them campus journalists and civic leaders, recently completed MovePH’s two-day workshop at the University of San Carlos Downtown Campus in Cebu City, focusing on reporting on local issues to drive community action.
Organized by Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH and Rappler’s training arm RappLearn, the workshop was part of MovePH roadshow dubbed “#MoveCebu: Sugbo alang sa Sugboanon.”
To bridge journalism and advocacy, the workshop’s 35 participants on October 15 and 16 pitched story ideas and advocacy campaigns to address livability issues in their localities.
“Across history, social movements and change have been catalyzed by powerful storytelling,” said Rappler community lead Pia Ranada told participants during the workshop opening.
She cited Rappler initiatives like Project Agos, a citizen reporting platform connecting people in need with rescue and relief agencies, as well as citizens’ reporting of Primewater‘s poor services.
“Narrative is power. Information is power. That’s why powerful people seek to control public stories,” Ranada said.
Rappler managing editor Miriam Grace Go emphasized that effective journalism starts at the grassroots level, urging participants to look at national policies through a local lens, supported by hard data, official documents, and community voices.
“Why do you cover local? The local policies directly affect your daily life, and local is where you are influential,” Go said. “Local is not just an area; local also refers to community. The human stories that interest all of us are those of the communities.
She continued: “National policies are implemented by local governments. Ultimately, localities are the ones affected…. [So] if you want to be an effective journalist, you start local.”
From narrative to action
Participants pitched reports on underreported issues, like poor quality constructions along Mandaue City’s Butuanon River, the rise in working minors driven by living costs and parentification, how local carinderias navigate inflation to keep meals affordable, among others.
They drafted preliminary paragraphs, and mapped out paper, electronic, and people trails for how to complete their stories.
In the civic action track, participants proposed how to organize public action around community issues. They mapped out campaign objectives, community partnerships, and sustainability plans.
The resulting pitches tackled a range of community concerns across Cebu, like confronting stereotyping of performers with dwarfism, addressing food safety and sanitation at the Colon Street Night Market, documenting displaced families living under a bridge in Minglanilla, training motorcycle delivery riders on safety and income loss during heavy rain, and mounting a student-led HIV awareness and testing caravan.
On the second day, participants presented their campaign plans and opening story drafts to Rappler facilitators and peers for structured feedback, before concluding with a session on using the Muni app to bridge reporting and grassroots community action.
“I grew up on an island with barely any medical support. We would travel an hour on the water to reach the mainland and travel another hour to reach hospitals. When an emergency arises, this inconvenience only adds to the problem,” said Venice Lapingcao Quidato, a participant and Mover from Cebu.
Quidato said when stories like these are published, it does not ask for resiliency, but accountability.
She said attending the MovePH and RappLearn workshops made her realize the importance of developing campaigns rooted in lived realities.
“Narrative building makes people go to the streets, and this is why we need more storytellers and civic leaders in our community,” Quidato said.
For other participants, the training underscored how community-level reporting carries influence far beyond immediate geographical boundaries.
“Our perception of local stories and its impact is not limited to where it is coming from, but the power it holds to birth more stories and ultimately move people to action,” said Joshua Eli Narajos, a Mover from Cebu.
Narajos shared his takeaways in the Padayon Cebu chatroom during the session, saying local stories should never be underestimated.
Movers are expected to work on their story and action pitches in November. They will also receive mentorship and support from MovePH and its partners.
Interested in joining the Rappler Movers’ program? Sign up here. – Rappler.com