By Princess Haynee B. Pangcatan
MSU Intern
I wanted to cry on my first day as a Gold Star Daily intern.
That day, I was assigned to cover an issue involving a specific government office in the city. I spent the entire day under the scorching heat, knocking on doors, asking questions — and getting nothing in return.
These offices aren’t exactly known for being welcoming to the press, are they?
I felt helpless and frustrated. I’ve always believed that “firsts” are defining moments, so I pressured myself to make a strong start. I thought that if Day One went well, the rest of my internship would follow suit.
But Day One? It sucked. I felt like vomiting from disappointment. I wanted to pack my things, go home, and never set foot in the “real world” again. But this is reality. You can try to run from it, but it always catches up with you when you least expect it.
So why am I writing about my first day? Because it mattered. That was the day I saw, for the first time, what kind of world awaits me beyond the walls of a classroom. That was the day I realized just how much effort journalists put in —just to tell stories that often go unnoticed.
That was the day I began to truly understand how difficult it is to be a journalist in the Philippines.
Since I was a child, I loved writing stories — stories about imaginary worlds and fictional characters. I never once thought in my childhood that writing would still be part of my career in the future.
But here I am, writing about real people living real lives. And not just any people, but those who are unheard, unseen, and often unappreciated in society. It’s a huge responsibility — but also an incredible honor.
There’s something powerful about speaking directly with your community, learning their struggles and celebrating their victories.
Journalism is public service. That’s the truth. But it’s also a profession that allows you to humanize strangers — and in doing so, stay grounded. You start to see drivers, vendors, security guards — people you normally pass by — as individuals with stories worth telling. You realize that their voices matter just as much as yours.
And in this line of work, you carry the duty of amplifying those voices with the tools you have — your words, your pen.
Of course, it’s not easy. As I said, it’s far from a walk in the park. Especially not here in the Philippines, where journalism is often discredited or dismissed.
We now live in a post-truth society where facts are questioned and everyone seems to have their own version of the truth. In such a climate, journalists must work three times harder — not only to report the facts, but to combat disinformation and online trolls determined to distort them.
Still, despite all the challenges, I love journalism. It’s real work. It’s real service.
It’s an expression of love — for the community, and for the country. And through my time at Gold Star Daily, I’ve learned not just to pursue this path — but to pursue it with heart.
I’ve learned to stay rooted in purpose, to keep listening, and to keep telling stories that matter.
