To begin with, it is truly an honor for me to become part of this programme, as I am the only Filipino in our batch this 2025-2026. Being a student of the Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Asia-Pacific (APMA), for me, as a Filipino, feels like carrying home with me wherever I go. For nearly six years, I have been a human rights defender and have been fighting for human rights issues in the Philippines, such as SOGIE Rights, press freedom and environmental rights. As a gay person in my country, I have been collecting experiences in a heavy, tattered backpack for 23 years now. It was tough for me at a very young age, because I come from a country where conversations about human rights, justice, and democracy are sensitive. However, I still choose to stand for what is right as I believe that being a human rights defender is not only a title you claim, but a commitment you live with everyday life.
I did not choose the APMA programme simply to earn a master’s degree. I chose this path because it is truly aligned with my passion and closest to my heart. Moreover, I wanted to understand the concept of human rights and my own country’s experiences in a wider picture, especially within the Asia-Pacific and international frameworks. As a Filipino, I have seen how human rights can be debated, defended, and denied in very real ways. Taking this program in an international classroom, together with my classmates from different countries around the globe, made me realize that my questions are not isolated. They echoed in other countries as well, especially the struggles and the endless fight for human rights. That is, I would say that the program allowed me to speak from where I stand, while learning how others navigate similar struggles in their own contexts.
On the other hand, the Programme has challenged me intellectually, culturally, and emotionally in a positive way. Through rigorous readings, discussions, and reflections, I have learned about human rights with the help of my professors, and most of all, my classmates from different countries, cultures, and expertise. As time goes by, by hearing their inspiring stories as human rights advocates and scholars, I could say that human rights work demands both clarity and compassion. APMA helped me to confront uncomfortable truths, to question assumptions, and to listen carefully to narratives that are not my own. Besides, it taught me that advocating for human rights is not only about speaking out, but also about understanding complexity, culture, history, and the consequences of action and silence.
What makes the Programme exceptional is its truly diverse, international, and especially, human rights-centered approach. It brings together students not only from the Asia-Pacific region but across the world by creating a safe learning space rooted in a healthy discourse, respect, and shared responsibility. As an APMA student, I learned to value difference not as division, but as a source of strength for everyday life struggles. This notable experience, as a Filipino, affirmed that local struggles are connected to global movements for dignity and justice.
Further, looking toward the future, I carry hope, strength, and responsibility. I truly hope to apply what I have learned in the APMA programme to contribute to broader work that protects human rights, strengthens democratic spaces, and centers the voices of marginalized groups and communities in society. My journey in the program has reminded me that human rights cannot be set aside, no matter what happens. They are lived, defended, and sometimes lost in everyday life, which is why we should always choose to speak up for the truth. As I move forward, I do so with a deeper and meaningful sense of purpose, shaped by where I come from and strengthened by what APMA has helped me become.