(love letters to ourselves)

By Jodesz Gavilan

Dear Jodesz,

For almost 11 years, you have dedicated your life not just to telling stories but to bearing witness to the truths that many would rather turn away from. You have done this as a journalist for Rappler. You carry not just a notebook and a recorder but the weight of the stories entrusted to you. You have sat with various women all these years: Mothers who find ways to stretch every peso so their children do not go to bed hungry; wives who have lost the loves of their lives in the senseless and violent war on drugs under Rodrigo Duterte; daughters who suddenly become breadwinners for their siblings.

You have held their words close to your chest all these years, not just as reports to file but as pieces of their lives, of their struggles, and of survival. You want to keep their words on record for future generations to look back to and remember.

You may not notice it, but women have been the core of your work. Perhaps it was meant to be. Growing up, you have always been drawn to listening to them. You admire their quiet strength, their loud unwavering resistance, and their ability to endure and still love so deeply. You are grateful that they have let you in, allowed you to ask questions, to listen, to be present in the moments they chose to share. You must never take for granted the space they have provided for you in their communities.

You have learned this over the years: Journalism is not just about writing what you see. It is about feeling the pulse of the story, about understanding the weight of what is left unsaid just as much as the words spoken aloud. You have learned to listen. It has become your greatest tool, your most valuable skill, the bridge between what is and what must be told.

But before you could become this woman, before you could hold these stories and do justice to them, there were other women who shaped you. Your mother, your grandmothers, women who, in their own ways, showed you what it meant to be strong, to be kind, and to be firm in your convictions. The women in your family allowed you to be you, to find your voice, and to grow into the person you were meant to be.

And then there were your teachers, the women who saw something in you before you even understood it yourself. They nurtured your curiosity, fed your hunger for knowledge, and set you on this path long before you realized it was the one you would walk for the rest of your life. Your journalism mentors followed, guiding you with both tenderness and discipline, pushing you to be better, to dig deeper, to always remember that at the heart of every story are people who deserve the truth. They taught you that journalism is more than a profession. It is a responsibility, one that demands both courage and compassion.

You stand where you are today because of these women. Because at every turn, you were uplifted, believed in, and guided. They paved the way so you could walk it with your head high and without feeling weak. And now, you must do the same for others. Women supporting women should not just be a feel-good sentiment or a lip service. It is an act of survival, of resistance, and of love. You have been given the gift of mentorship, of care, and of community that you must pass on to those who need it, whether or not they realize it. You must hold the door open for those who come after you, just as it was held open for you.

So as you celebrate Women’s Month, don’t forget to celebrate the women who have shaped your journey. But as you do this, don’t forget to also take time to celebrate yourself, too. You have given yourself fully to this work. You have carried stories that have changed lives, and in turn, those stories have changed you.

You are more than a journalist. You are a witness, a keeper of truths, a storyteller with a heart big enough to hold the pain and triumphs of the women you write about. Keep writing. Keep listening. Keep lifting others as you rise. That is your purpose, that is your power. That is the legacy you will leave behind.

Love,
Jodesz

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jodesz Gavilan is a journalist and lead editorial researcher for Rappler. She reports on the lasting impact of Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs with a special focus on affected families and the children left behind. As the eldest of five, she carries a deep sense of responsibility both in her work and in life.