LEGAZPI CITY — Sixteen community journalists from Albay and Sorsogon took part in a four-day training on constructive climate reporting held here on September 8–11.
The training was organized by Vera Files and BicoldotPH with support from the International Media Support (IMS), the European Union (EU), and Danida (Danish International Development Agency).
Constructive climate reporting emphasizes the user-needs approach, which seeks to restore public trust in media by providing accurate, solutions-oriented coverage. The approach is seen as vital in Bicol, one of the country’s most disaster-prone regions, regularly hit by typhoons from the Pacific Ocean and home to two active volcanoes, Mayon in Albay and Bulusan in Sorsogon.
As part of the training, participants visited two local initiatives that demonstrate climate adaptation and solutions at the community level. The first was Mirisbiris Garden and Nature Center in Sto. Domingo, Albay, an eco-park that integrates reforestation, organic farming, and environmental education. The second was Tabi Farm in Barangay Imalnod, Legazpi City. Tabi stands for “Tarabang sa Bicol” or “helping one another in Bicol,” reflecting the spirit of cooperation in responding to climate challenges. The farm promotes sustainable agriculture, watershed protection, and resilience for upland farmers.
The trainees included local reporters and provincial correspondents of national media, representing PBN-DZGB, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine News Agency, Abante Radyo, Radyo Veritas, BicoldotPH, BicolTV Sorsogon, Media Association of Sorsogon Service Cooperative, Rappler, and Altermidya.
Organizers said the training not only strengthened the participants’ commitment to climate reporting but also opened opportunities for future collaborations among journalists and newsrooms—from joint investigations to shared storytelling—especially in covering climate-related issues that demand collective reporting and wider public engagement.
