#CourageON: You showed up. That’s why we’re eager for next year.

Hi! I’m Jodesz Gavilan, the lead editorial researcher for Rappler. In a few months, I will mark my 12th year in journalism, all spent with this newsroom. 

I sometimes joke that a dozen years in this field should come with a medal for emotional endurance. However, the truth is that these years have changed me in ways I never expected when I graduated.

I was just turning 21 when I joined the media industry. Two years later, the dark days of the Duterte administration began. So you can say that I witnessed, over the years, how journalism in the Philippines has become more vulnerable to the pressures of power and state machinery. We lived through policies and actions that tried to limit the space for truth, and actions that targeted not only our credibility but also our right to operate.

I covered many of those years from the field and from the newsroom. I can say, without exaggeration, that they tested what it means to hold the line. The more these pressures grew, the more I believed that one way to counter efforts to silence us is to keep doing good journalism.

I’ve been part of Rappler’s research unit since I joined the newsroom in 2014. A big part of my work is helping our multimedia reporters and editors whenever they need something checked, contextualized, or dug deeper into for their stories. 

This is collaboration in practice, the kind that reminds you that the biggest investigative pieces, documentaries that take months, and even the daily journalism that keeps people informed are almost always the product of many hands working together. 

And this past year has shown us that you, our community, are very much part of that equation. Your tips on flood-control controversies, your messages about local issues we should scrutinize, and your willingness to share what you know helped guide us toward the right path. (READ: Martin Romualdez transfers P130-M US property to corporation for just $1) 

People often think that courage in journalism is about standing up to power, exposing wrongdoing, or pursuing risky stories. Those are true, yes, but courage also comes from people believing in what we do and choosing to support us.

This is why your support matters so much since your contribution strengthens our ability to report without fear or favor. 

We want to expand this work further in 2026 — to reach more communities, investigate more complex but relevant issues, and create spaces for constructive public conversations. We want to produce journalism that doesn’t just inform but also empowers.

These goals are urgent and attainable. But we can’t do it alone.

If you’ve been reading our stories, watching our videos, attending our community events, or even quietly supporting us from a distance, I want you to know that you are already part of Rappler’s story. You’ve helped us survive tough times. 

With your support, we can continue to do journalism that serves the public good and stands strong no matter the pressure.

As someone who has spent the last 12 years learning, growing, and fighting alongside this newsroom, I’m asking you to join us in shaping the years to come. Your support today ensures that more courageous stories will be told tomorrow.

– Rappler.com