A journalist by profession, Tessa was a field reporter and TV anchor in Baguio City in the mid-90s. She became a youth leader in 1999, serving as chairperson of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement's (PRRM) Youth Association that espoused reproductive health, climate change issues, and environmental protection. A mother of three, she works for programs on maternal and child health, community-driven development, local economic development, bridging leadership and governance.