A lifeline for Bicol’s underserved

The ‘alampay’ we now wear seals our sacred calling: to awaken, empower, and protect our community, emerging stronger and fiercer than ever

When human rights violations are normalized and vital truths are obscured, courageous, critical reporting emerges as a lifeline for the underserved. Witnessing this firsthand throughout my four years of education in Bicol profoundly deepened my understanding of education’s true value, rooted in public sacrifice.

This realization — a purpose forged by the urgent need for graduates to actively dedicate themselves to the communities that made their learning possible — has defined my path. I am Reinnard Balonzo, chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Bicol and a 2024 Aries Journalism Fellowship graduate from Rappler and Journalism for Nation Building.

I recently graduated from Bicol University’s journalism program. However, my reporting in Bicol began long before graduation, spanning over a decade as a campus journalist and, since last year, through Rappler.

Initially, I viewed college as a journey primarily focused on collecting achievements. My driving force was a deep sense of obligation to repay my place in the university; after all, I was a qualified below-quota applicant who had to switch programs just to secure an education at a state university. This often-uncertain path to admission is a familiar struggle for countless students striving to enter public universities across the country.

At Bicol University (BU), admission has always been a tough fight. In 2021, the same year I was granted admission to the university, only 4,039 students were offered slots out of 17,602 applicants. The trend continued in 2022, with 4,116 admitted from 13,881 applicants. Admission slots further decreased in 2023 to 3,776, despite a surge to 19,523 applicants. The situation in 2024 remained challenging, with only 4,736 passers out of 18,300 applicants.

The significant disparity between admitted students and applicants reveals a graver truth: access to free and quality education in the region remains scarce. In Bicol, with over one million youth, data indicates that only 18% pursue higher education.

This stark reality highlights how our system continues to fall short in providing the constitutional right to accessible and competent education for all citizens — effectively denying many Bicolanos their right to education.

Driven by personal experience with these pressing issues, I became deeply involved in progressive organizations. My journey began with CEGP, where I helped revive and reform both the Albay and Bicol chapters. For three out of my four years in college, I had the privilege of serving as their regional chairperson.

My time as chairperson often meant prioritizing the needs of marginalized communities and the welfare of my fellow campus journalists over classroom attendance. There were countless instances where I worked for days on end, preparing legal defense papers, compiling reports, and coordinating tirelessly with regional publications. Our aim was always to address campus press freedom violations — whether they required discreet, confidential handling or, like TheSPARK’s case, exploded into a national issue.

According to CEGP-Bicol’s latest records, the chapter has documented over 20 reported campus press freedom violations (CPFVs) between its revival in 2023 and early 2025. This alarming figure aligns with CEGP’s national report, which identifies Bicol as the most red-tagged region.

Given the gravity of these situations, we actively pursued further training. This led to my role as chief paralegal in the KAKAMPI network, a regional alliance of paralegals and rights defenders that we helped establish in 2024.

Even with all my efforts, I was not exempt from the very press freedom and human rights violations I fought against. For three years, I was subjected to continuous censorship, harassment, and red-tagging — including the terrifying experience of having a gun pressed against me — all because I was actively pushing for the advancement of critical reporting and defending the rights of my fellow Bicolanos.

My ordeal included surveillance and, in 2023, an official red-tagging letter from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that lacked any substantial basis. While the soldiers apologized months later after considerable pressure, their mere words did little to alleviate the chilling effects. These same violations continue to plague many campus journalists and activists in Bicol, echoing my own experiences.

Far from backing down, I redoubled my efforts, expanding my network to establish more safe spaces for young reporters and rights defenders. This included actively assisting in protests — from street demonstrations to school-based actions. The situation also called for me to teach youth in diverse, often overlooked public settings, such as far-flung settlements and bustling wet markets.

Through these experiences, I understood that the struggle of the Filipino youth transcended my personal difficulties and that conformity to systemic pacification was simply not an option. This collective effort instilled in me a profound sense of service for my fellow youth and Bicolanos, sustained by the many individuals and organizations who shared and championed our causes.

After all, this fight neither began nor ended with my years at BU; it has been waged for decades. My journey is but another tribute to the martyrs of Bicol, including Cris Hugo — a fellow journalism student who fought until his demise to advance the people’s rights in the region.

Finally, with my degree in hand and the honor of magna cum laude, I earnestly pray that all my fellow youth, graduates, and Bicolanos embrace their calling to serve. May they stand resolute in their commitment to reach marginalized communities — especially their places of origin — and champion the rights of their own kin. The precious right to an education, forged by the relentless toil of the masses, unequivocally demands scholars’ active participation in building up their own communities.

May they all remember that Bicol — vibrant and glorious — has always been a region worthy of our unwavering fight and service. The alampay (a ceremonial graduation sash) we now wear seals our sacred calling: to awaken, empower, and protect our community, emerging stronger and fiercer than ever. – Rappler.com