Rachel has at least 15 years’ experience working in journalism and communication, and she counts receiving the International Women’s Media Foundation grant as one of the highlights of her storied career. She wrote and produced a multi-media article for Coconuts Manila about the exploitation of Filipino children by pedophiles based overseas, an issue that shocked many readers who were unaware that such a problem exists in the Philippines. An alumna of Nanyang Technological University, she started her career in magazines writing about lifestyle topics, such as food, travel, and entertainment. However, her exposure to social justice issues led to her decision to change course, and since then she has written about the impact of the pandemic on Filipino migrant workers, education, and women’s rights, among other topics. She is currently working on a project for a Philippine non-profit, where she will write about the country’s juvenile detention centers and how these were affected by COVID-19. She plans to teach mass communication at the University of the Philippines, and inspire the younger generation to tell stories that improve their communities.
