#CourageON: Learning by doing and training

My journey with Rappler began in 2014, nearly a year after our home in Tacloban City was devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan. In the months that followed, recovery was difficult for us, as many families struggled to rebuild their lives. 

Amid that uncertainty, I found hope through Rappler’s citizen journalism efforts. It became an avenue to share local updates, document recovery stories, and amplify the voices of my fellow Taclobanons who were finding their strength again.

November 8 marks the 12th anniversary of Haiyan. The storm that once brought unimaginable loss also opened a path for me: to discover my purpose in storytelling and in nurturing the next generation of truth-tellers. The pain it brought will always be part of my story, but so is the courage that continues to guide and ground me.

Hello! I’m Jene Anne Pangue, a training coordinator for Rappler. Today, I co-lead many of Rappler’s training programs including its journalism fellowships, on-ground training workshops, roadshows, and our learning platform, RappLearn. 

Unknown to many, training has been an integral part of Rappler since it started in 2012 and I am a testament to that. 

From being a mover in 2014, intern in 2015, and citizen journalist covering the 2016 local elections, I never imagined that those early steps would come full circle in 2019, when I officially joined Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH to coordinate a citizen journalism training for regional campus journalists during the midterm elections.

Now, I continue that work as part of Rappler’s training cluster, designing and facilitating programs that empower young journalists, community storytellers and changemakers to think critically, tell stories responsibly, and use their voices for good. 

I still remember requesting a day off back then from my hospital job just to cover a local event. The story I worked on didn’t make it to publication, but experiences like that have always been crucial to learning.

Over the years, I’ve seen how training transforms people. As part of Rappler’s journalism fellowships, I help ensure that our fellows complete the program and produce stories that reflect their unique local perspectives, stories that not only get published but also create real impact in their communities.

Since the fellowship program’s launch in 2021, Rappler has trained 21 Filipino community journalists and 17 Filipino campus journalists through the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship, as well as 10 Southeast Asian journalists through the #FactsMatter Journalism Fellowship. 

As we wrapped up the fifth cycle of the program this year, I wrote about the fellows and the stories they’ve told that challenged complacency around long-standing local issues and highlighted underreported topics. These stories are products of training that pushed them to challenge, report, and demand accountability. 

Our work extends beyond fellowships. This year, we also launched several new courses on RappLearn, including modules on understanding local governance and the budget, and using data in telling stories. 

One course especially close to my heart is the Media and Information Literacy, which we piloted last year. Before RappLearn, I had organized over 50 webinars on fact-checking and digital literacy during the pandemic that trained thousands of Filipinos. Now, with this learning platform, we continue to make learning simpler, more accessible, and paced to fit the learner’s journey.

I would not be here if Rappler hadn’t believed in my potential. Even with my background in health rather than journalism, Rappler’s initiatives helped me find my voice and the confidence to learn, grow, and lead.

We continued that mission through a new offering, our workshop on “Teaching and Thinking in the Age of AI,” on November 29, Saturday. The session helps guide educators and learning advocates through the basics of Generative AI, its impact on education, and how we can keep learning human-centered in an increasingly digital world. This new workshop reflects Rappler’s ongoing mission to strengthen learning communities. 

Much of what I know now I learned by doing, mentored by Rappler’s veteran journalists to design learning experiences that build both skills and the courage to take action.

Who would have thought that a typhoon survivor like me would be here? Thanks to Rappler, I’m one of those shaped by its mission to keep learning, growing, and paying it forward.

Learning by doing builds courage, and courage sparks change.

With your support, we can keep doing just that.

Help us keep that alive. Support Rappler+.

Support independent journalism. Support Rappler. Consider becoming a Rappler+ member today, where each membership helps sustain our mission of training and mentoring the next generation of truthtellers. Our Ripple tier even allows you to subscribe for yourself while sponsoring membership for one of our fellows/Movers, extending the impact beyond your own access. With the holidays coming up, it’s a meaningful way to pay it forward and invest in young journalists who will shape the stories of tomorrow. – Rappler.com