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Wazzup Pilipinas!?
In a time when the planet’s survival hangs in the balance, five Filipino media professionals have been chosen to represent the Philippines on the global stage. They will fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of a prestigious gathering of 30 journalists from across Southeast Asia—an elite cohort tasked with reshaping how the world reports on the intertwined crises of health, climate, and power.
The Capacity Development and Training Workshop Series for Media Professionals, hosted by the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University, has a singular mission: to empower journalists with the tools to cut through misinformation, challenge power structures, and expose the stories that will determine the future of humanity.
This year’s installment, “Planetary Health and Power: Covering the Intergovernmental Agenda,” is not merely another workshop. It is a frontline intervention in the fight for truth at a time when global negotiations often unfold behind closed doors, leaving billions in the dark.
The Filipino Five
The Philippines, a nation acutely vulnerable to the consequences of climate change yet fiercely resilient in the face of adversity, sends a formidable delegation:
1. Xer Jason Ocampo – Content Coordinator/Fact-Checker, MindaNews, Davao City
A watchdog of accuracy in a region often battered by both storms and disinformation, Ocampo brings a sharp eye for truth-telling. His fact-checking expertise ensures that climate narratives are anchored on reality, not rhetoric.
2. Joshua Mendoza – Reporter, Climate Tracker Asia, Manila
Mendoza is part of a youth-powered movement monitoring climate negotiations across Asia. His work highlights how global policies ripple into the lives of ordinary Filipinos, especially those living on the margins.
3. Ross Flores Del Rosario – Editor in Chief, Wazzup Pilipinas, Rizal
A veteran of both international journalism and grassroots advocacy, Del Rosario bridges local stories with global conversations. As founder of one of the Philippines’ most recognized community and lifestyle blogs, he brings with him not just a platform, but a mission: to ensure Filipinos are never left behind in the planetary discourse.
4. Rachel Ganancial – Information Officer/Writer, Philippine Information Agency, Quezon City
Ganancial represents the government’s communication arm, a vital voice in linking policy to the people. Her role ensures the country’s narratives are woven into both local and international awareness.
5. Shaina Mariella Aguilar – Writer/Program and Community Manager, FYT Media, Quezon City
From storytelling to community engagement, Aguilar exemplifies new-age journalism—where information is not just broadcast, but built in partnership with audiences.
Together, these five voices form a cross-section of Philippine media: community-based, youth-driven, institutional, independent, and digital. Their perspectives, shaped by different landscapes of experience, converge on a single responsibility—reporting on the global negotiations that will decide the health of our people and the fate of our planet.
Journalism at the Crossroads of Power and Planet
The workshop unfolds at a critical time. Across the globe, tipping points loom: ice sheets collapsing, diseases spreading with rising heat, ecosystems unraveling under relentless exploitation. At the same time, governments and corporations convene in boardrooms and summits, drafting agreements that could either protect the future or mortgage it away.
In such spaces, the role of the journalist is both shield and sword. Reporters must decode jargon-heavy negotiations, pierce through layers of greenwashing, and hold power to account. As the organizers put it:
“This is where planetary health meets power. And this is where journalism must rise to meet history.”
The workshop is not merely about skill-building. It is a call to arms—an acknowledgment that journalism is not neutral when survival is at stake. Every headline, every exposé, every investigative report has the power to influence policies, mobilize communities, and save lives.
The Philippines at the Forefront
That the Philippines is well-represented in this gathering is no coincidence. The country stands as ground zero for the climate crisis—battered by super typhoons, sea-level rise, and public health emergencies worsened by ecological decline. Filipino journalists have long chronicled stories of survival and resistance, from small island communities fighting erosion to urban centers grappling with smog and heat waves.
By sending five delegates into this international arena, the Philippines asserts its place as both a frontline witness and a frontline voice. It is a reminder that the battle for planetary health is not abstract. For Filipinos, it is lived daily—etched into flooded streets, lost harvests, and the resilience of communities who refuse to surrender.
Toward a Future Worth Reporting
As the workshop unfolds in Kuala Lumpur, the Filipino Five will stand shoulder to shoulder with peers from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Pakistan. Together, they will form a network of media professionals equipped not only to cover the headlines but to shape them—ensuring that what happens in intergovernmental chambers reverberates where it matters most: the lives of ordinary people.
For Ross Flores Del Rosario and his fellow delegates, this is more than an invitation. It is an obligation—to turn training into action, stories into movements, and reporting into history-making.
Because when the planet itself is the beat, there is no deadline more urgent than now.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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