Some opportunities teach you. Some change you. And a few bring you back to where it all began. For me, the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA) was one of those places. After graduating from NetMission as an Ambassador, APIGA became one of my first onsite spaces to explore Internet governance more deeply. In 2024, […]
Reflections from NetMission Ambassador’s APIGA 2026 Journey: The Room That Gave Me the Mic
Turns out “youth leader” is just code for endless Google Docs and hoping nobody notices how new you actually are to all of this. What people don’t know is that a couple of years ago, the mention of the word “presentation” was enough to make my legs shake under the table. Somewhere between moderating my […]
Brokering Trust in Tumultuous Tech Tides
Insularity. The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer has, for the first time in over a quarter of a century, coined trust worldwide has retreated to this psychological state that is shaped by fears and crises. 70% of 33,938 individuals across 28 countries expressed hesitancy and unwillingness to trust persons with a different way of life at […]
Building Inclusive Digital Futures: Reflections from My DRAPAC26 Fellowship Journey
When I first started working in technology as a developer, I was mostly focused on building things. Writing code. Solving problems. Launching features. I spent most of my time thinking about functionality, performance, and solving technical problems. Like many developers early in their careers, I was focused on building things. That perspective started to change […]
Building a Safer Internet for the Philippines: Lessons in Cyber Ethics
Last March 28, 2026, I had the privilege of representing NetMission.Asia as a speaker at the 5th Philippines’ Youth Internet Governance Forum (YIGF) IN2ITION 2026. This year’s theme, “Empowering Filipino Youth in Shaping a Trusted Digital Future,” highlighted the role the youths play in building a safer and more inclusive online environment. As I delivered […]