We are thrilled to introduce our new batch of media fellows for the #PatasNaBukas media fellowship: Reporting for a fair and feminist climate future. We have one team and six individual fellows from different media organizations, from local to national and from mainstream to alternative and community media.
The fellows will receive a grant to pursue stories about women and indigenous and vulnerable communities whose voices and actions are driving change and solutions for climate justice.
Kimberlie Quitasol is a Northern Luzon–based journalist covering human rights, social justice, and grassroots issues. She is managing editor of Northern Dispatch and a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, reporting on the Cordillera and nearby areas.
Ratziel San Juan is the deputy online editor of Manila Standard. He has reported on human rights, environmental issues, and marginalized communities. His interest lies in producing data-driven, accountability-focused reports on complex public interest topics, such as climate finance.
Maro Enriquez is a freelance journalist, documentary producer, and visual storyteller interested in underreported issues affecting women, bodily autonomy, and social injustices. She has written and produced reports for top TV networks in the Philippines.
Mildred V. Galarpe is the editor-in-chief of SunStar Cebu, the top newspaper in Cebu. She has led SunStar’s digital transformation, pioneering efforts to expand the publication’s online presence and integrate multimedia storytelling. She brings decades of experience to the fellowship and hopes to deepen her knowledge of the climate crisis and feminist issues and pass it on to her colleagues.
Gabriela G. Baron is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience advancing women-centered reporting across mainstream and alternative media. She writes for alternative media outfit Pinoy Weekly (pinoyweekly.org) and Bilyonaryo News Channel.
Geela Garcia is a freelance photographer, feminist storyteller, and lens-based artist. Her photographic work, which documents stories of women, food sovereignty, and the environment, aims to write history from the experience of its makers. In 2023, her photojournalism work was recognized by the Prince Claus Fund, as she was selected as one of the three Filipino artists for the non-profit’s Seed Awards. Her journalistic work is published on Mongabay, Dialogue Earth, and Rappler, among others; she is also currently a digital sub-editor for the Asia News Network.
Potre Leila Menchani I. Tilendo, Michelle Mikiko Pagaran, and Agatha Canape comprise the only team fellow, representing Bulatlat (bulatlat.org), an alternative media organization known for its in-depth reporting on marginalized sectors and social justice issues.
Their team focuses on cross-regional, women-led resistance against mining, displacement, and environmental degradation across the Philippines, highlighting how women are not only disproportionately affected by the climate crisis but are also leading collective responses and grassroots struggles that are shaping climate justice.
Potre Leila Menchani I. Tilendo is a contributor to Bulatlat, where she writes on international relations and the struggles of national minorities in the Philippines. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Philippines–Palestine Friendship Association. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Philippine Studies (Foreign Relations Track) at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Michelle Pagaran is an activist who writes and does research on human rights and social justice, with experience working with Indigenous communities and civil society organizations through community teaching, legislative research, and contributing to program-building for grassroots communities.
Agatha Canape is a writer and development worker with 10 years of experience in community-based participatory research and campaigning for human rights and social justice.
