We’re proud to partner with Earth Journalism Network for this masterclass to equip 14 journalists from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines with the knowledge, networks, and resources needed to understand and report on water access and equity, through a regional and country-specific lens.
The fellowship will aim to develop the skills of selected applicants and prepare them for the local dialogues and the in-depth story fellowship so they can produce quality content and utilise the skills learned. The following fellows will mainly be covering issues around water, the stories will focus on water and climate change, water access and equity, the role of water in energy and water and indigenous people.
Meet our fellows
Annie Fe Perez-Gallardo, Philippines 
Annie graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines Cebu with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts, Mass Communication. Right after college, she pursued a career as a TV reporter for ABS-CBN Cebu for 6 years.
She is now a full-time faculty member at the College of Communication, Art and Design for UP Cebu. She also writes an opinion column and remains an ABS-CBN’s correspondent. As a journalist, she’s trained with the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Thomson Reuters Foundation. She has 3 cats and a dog who all keep her sane.
Check out some of Annie’s previous work:
As a journalist, it is imperative that we create stories that create a call to action. This, for me, is the key role that I play as the numbers that concern our climate goes out of bounds. I believe that it is never too late to start creating that mindset for the audience to also look into climate issues.
Annie Fe Perez-Gallardo
Michael Beltran, Philippines 
Michael has been working as a freelance journalist for five years, with bylines in Al Jazeera, Nikkei, and various other publications across the Asia-Pacific.
His more recent work includes coverage on human rights, the shrinking democratic space under President Duterte ,and forced migration, eviction and displacement.
Check out some of Michael’s previous work:
Despite environmental stories making waves among younger generations, there is still a dearth in reportage on communities affected and the resistance that inevitably follows. The Philippines is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of raw and natural resources. However that inevitably makes the country, and its most vulnerable groups a target of multinationals and the like.
Michael Beltran
Ushar Daniele, Malaysia
Ushar is an independent broadcast journalist with 10 years of experience telling in-depth stories focusing on current affairs, politics, crime, and the environment.
She writes, produces and hosts various news outlets including Al Jazeera English, SCMP, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and VICE News Tonight. Besides news, she produces feature documentaries and some say she is a pretty great fixer too.
When she is not reporting, you’ll find her exploring the outdoors, camping, skate surfing or back in her hometown in Kota Belud, Sabah.
Check out some of Ushar’s previous work:
My position as a senior and independent journalist in Malaysia will be important to not only raise awareness but also to instill the political will needed in the Malaysian government to take necessary steps to manage impacts of climate change that we are already facing.
Ushar Daniele
Gaea Katreena Cabico, Philippines
Gaea is a journalist with Philstar.com, and has been writing stories about climate and environment since 2019, with a particularly strong lens on human rights and community empowerment.
She was a fellow of Earth Journalism Network, Stanley Center for Peace and Security, Climate Tracker, and Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Journalism Fund.
In 2021, got an amazing opportunity to cover COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. She likes listening to Phoebe Bridgers and EXO.
Check out some of Gaea’s previous work:
Climate change is the story of our lives, the story of our generation. It is a complex and important story that affects all aspects of our lives from the environment, economy, our human rights, and our security. Climate change is a story that cannot be ignored especially as the science says things are bad. So it is our mission to tell that story, be it with the goal of documenting these changes and their impacts or making people take action.
Gaea Katreena Cabico
Janine Peralta, Philippines
Janine is a freelance journalist from the Philippines who loves writing about climate change and solutions, with recent bylines in CNN.
She is also part of the inaugural cohort of the Oxford Journalism Network. You’ll find her either watching anime or Korean variety shows, hiking, aerial hoop dancing, pole dancing or listening to BTS during her free time.
Check out some of Janine’s previous work:
Climate journalism in the Philippines needs more reporters who are trained and specialized in the beat. There are a few journalists who publish groundbreaking investigative work on climate justice and policy but these are not often on the banner of the newspaper or at the top segment of a broadcast show. Climate change continues to trail behind other beats in terms of relevance in newsrooms so there is a need for a bigger push for visibility.
Janine Peralta
Ashley Yeong, Malaysia
Ashley is an up-and-coming journalists from Malaysia who began her career with the Southeast Asia globe, and now at the Malay Mail.
She believes journalists are messengers, and while climate journalism is still a developing field in Malaysia, hopes to share her platform with underrepresented communities affected by the climate crisis across the country.
Check out some of Ashley’s previous work:
We’ve been seeing more erratic weather patterns affecting the agriculture sector and even an increase in dengue outbreaks. Climate journalism isn’t big at all in Malaysia and in the region as a whole – but the climate crisis message in the media is slowly picking up, yay!
Ashley Yeong
Climate change has many ways of affecting archipelagic country like Indonesia, as our coastal areas are under threat of rising sea level and many cities are located on the shore, being historical ports. This information tends to be buried in academic language, and journalists should be able to unpack them to better inform the public.
Andi Aqil
Dean Carlo Valmeo, Philippines
Dean Valmeo is a journalist, writer, and producer from the Philippines. He has a background in documentary storytelling, investigative journalism, and digital & TV production.
As a Gen Z journalist with a development-oriented lens, he has covered politics, the environment, social movements, and human rights. Through these stories, he hopes to inspire and engage the Filipino youth.
Check out some of Dean’s previous work:
Climate journalism is important because it ensures that the issue of climate change remains accessible to the common people. Journalists have the ability to translate scientific articles and technical terms into digestible but informative pieces.
Dean Valmeo
Low Choon Chyuan, Malaysia
Low is a fourth-generation Chinese-Malaysian who grew up in the harbour city of Melaka. He started his journalism career as a crime reporter in Singapore but has honed his craft over the last 4 years with Malaysiakini, focusing on feature news and investigative stories.
Check out some of Low’s previous work:
My main role as a journalist, in the climate movement, is to tell the stories of how different communities such as fisherfolk and farmers being affected by development projects and to make the public informed.
Low Chuyuan
Glenys Octania, Indonesia
Glenys is from Jakarta, Indonesia. She tries to help people interested with climate change and the environment.
She has produced-depth climate reporting and can’t get enough of one topic or one project. She wants to know more and make it great.
Check out some of Glenys’ previous work:
Climate journalism is not only about events but also about the continuation of people’s lives. It’s about the social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Glenys Octania
Ann Gabrielle Domingo, Philippines
Ann is a freelance journalist studying AB Communication in Ateneo de Manila University. Her works span from hard-hitting investigative pieces about campus politics to engaging feature articles on notable personalities and even reviews on culture & the arts. She hopes this fellowship will allow her to expand her reporting experience and dive into the social impacts that climate change is having across the Philippines.
Check out some of Ann’s previous work:
Climate journalism is slowly gaining traction due to the Philippines’ susceptibility to its effects. However, there is still a need for more nuanced reports that shed light into the social and political intricacies of climate change. My hope is that climate change reporting not only instigates a sense of urgency among decision-makers but also becomes a source of empowerment for grassroots communities.
Ann Gabrielle Domingo
Yvonne Tan, Malaysia
Yvonne is a writer and researcher from Malaysia.
She hopes to platform the hard work that people are putting into ensuring systemic change to prevent climate change and bring visibility to the problems of climate change in this region.
And she believes that climate journalism is important to carry out checks and balances on how the issue of the global climate emergency is being carried out.
Check out some of Yvonne’s previous work:
I hope to platform the hard work that people are putting into ensuring systemic change to prevent climate change and bring visibility to the problems of climate change in this region.
Yvonne Tan
Siegfred Aldous D. Lacerna, Philippines
Siegfred Aldous D. Lacerna is a 22-year-old Filipino who recently finished his Journalism degree in the University of Santo Tomas, where he was the Editor of The Flame. He has already begun his freelancing journey, contributing as a freelancer with Philstar on public health issues.
He is also a junior contributor in Philstar.com and he writes about COVID-19 and vaccines.
Check out some of Siegfred’s previous work:
As someone who wants to work in the media industry in the future, the key role that I would play in the climate movement would probably be bigger considering that it’s the real world we’re talking about. There is a big responsibility to always be a truth-teller and to always stand beside voices who need to be amplified.
Siegfred Lacerna
Everyone in Indonesia needs access to information about the climate crisis. It affects our country especially through flooding, heatwaves, and haze.
Zulfa Amira
Now that you’ve familiarised yourself with our fellows, we hope you’re excited as we are to read the awesome stories they’ll be sharing!
And before you go, we’d love for you to join our communities!