About Us
About us
CoverStory is a social enterprise owned and operated by the IndieMedia Professionals Cooperative, which is composed of veteran journalists, mostly former editors, reporters, photographers and staff members of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
We are driven by a passion to empower Filipinos through this digital space for deep reading, to engage, share ideas, and spark meaningful conversations and perspectives on national news and political issues that impact our daily life, and on other concerns—education, physical and mental health, the arts, sports, entertainment—that make wellbeing possible.
Since it was launched in May 2022, CoverStory has rapidly gained online traction.
Our email address: coverstory.ph2022@gmail.com
Mission
To deliver insightful and relevant articles that address the needs of our audiences and meet the expectations of our advertisers.
Meet our team
Editorial
Rosario A. Garcellano
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Rosario A. Garcellano started out as a reporter of the weekly political magazine Graphic shortly before it was closed down at the imposition of martial law. She worked in various magazines and newspapers before joining the pioneering staff of the Inquirer, and was its opinion editor when she retired. She was a fellow of the John S. Knight Program for Professional Journalists at Stanford University. She is the author of “Mean Streets: Essays on the Knife Edge” (a recipient of the National Book Award) and "Necessary Contexts: Essays for our Times." She attended the College of the Holy Spirit Manila and the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Jun B. Bandayrel
MANAGING EDITOR
Jun B. Bandayrel has been in the media for more than 40 years as editor, reporter and mentor. He was associate editor in charge of newsroom operations of the Inquirer, particularly handling its front page, when he retired after 29 years in 2020. As National Editor, he supervised the newspaper’s four regional bureaus and correspondents in northern and southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. He conceptualized the establishment of Cebu Daily News and was the prime mover in the formation of the Inquirer Training Center, now the Inquirer Academy. He has edited two books, “Labor and Mass Media in the Philippines” and “Labor and the Transport Industry in the Philippines.” He studied Mathematics at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
TJ Burgonio
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TJ Burgonio is a journalism graduate of the University of Santo Tomas. He started as a proofreader at the Inquirer in 1993; became a reporter in 1996, covering the police, defense, education, civil society, human rights, environment, agrarian reform, aviation, foreign affairs, tourism, Congress and Malacañang; and was among its editors in 2015–2022. He co-authored a book, "Nandy Pacheco: The Man behind Gunless Society," in between writing for CoverStory.ph and editing for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Inquirer on a contractual basis. He and his wife are members of the Catholic family renewal group Couples for Christ, where they promote care for the environment and food self-sufficiency at home.
Oliver Teves
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Oliver Teves was a reporter for the Manila bureau of The Associated Press for 26 years after becoming a senior reporter for the Manila bureau of Kyodo News Service. He served briefly as an editor at CNN Philippines before joining the Inquirer as a desk editor. A Philippine Studies graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman, he was employed as a researcher for the Manila bureau of Far Eastern Economic Review during the final years of the Marcos Sr. regime.
Juan V. Sarmiento Jr.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Juan V. Sarmiento Jr. is an award-winning writer and worked as reporter and editor at the Inquirer for 30 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics and a master’s degree in land valuation and management from the University of the Philippines. He has a background in sustainable development, economics, finance, real estate, and data privacy. He won the Grand Prize in the Pan Asia Journalism Award for Excellence in Business Reporting sponsored by Citibank and a citation for editorial excellence by the Society of Publishers of Asia.
Minerva G. Generalao
CHIEF CONTENT RESEARCHER
Minerva G. Generalao is an experienced news and data researcher for media companies. She headed the Inquirer’s Research Department for 22 years and was the lead coordinator of the newspaper’s multiawarded Inquirer Read-Along Program. She is also a certified public accountant, a financial analyst, a real estate broker and appraiser, a Bible study facilitator, and a writer of teaching commentaries on Hebrew and Christian scriptures.
LEGAL
Evalyn G. Ursua
LEGAL COUNSEL
Evalyn G. Ursua is an academic, a practicing lawyer, a researcher, a human rights activist, and a farmer. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of the Philippines College of Law, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Oxford. She specializes in civil law, criminal law, human rights, and gender studies. She worked in an NGO for ten years and served on the board of several NGOs. She has taught law, human rights, and gender studies in various universities and colleges in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. She has served as consultant for Philippine government agencies and international development organizations in Southeast Asia. She received The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Award for women and children’s rights advocacy in 1998.
WRITERS
Armin Adina
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Armin Adina has been a journalist for more than two decades, spanning print, television, radio and digital, and has worked for some of the established news and media organizations in the Philippines and overseas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication research from the University of the Philippines and a master's degree in journalism from the Ateneo de Manila University's School of Social Sciences under a fellowship grant from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung of Germany. He specializes in entertainment and lifestyle coverage, chronicling the biggest national beauty pageants in the country and abroad.
Joanna Rose Aglibot
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Joanna Rose Aglibot is based in Zambales and has nearly a decade of experience reporting on the local communities, particularly those from the underprivileged sectors, and on conservation and the environment. She chairs the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chapter in Olongapo City and Zambales and is a director of the Filipino Freelance Journalists Guild.
Christine Ang-Buban
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Christine Ang-Buban was a long-time editorial assistant at the Inquirer’s Opinion Section where she worked with some of the country’s esteemed columnists and editors. She is a passionate advocate for animal welfare and is active in rescue efforts for distressed dogs and cats. She is also an avid cyclist and takes to the road with her husband Charles when they are not caring for their many pets.
Mario Aurelio
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mario Aurelio, a topnotcher in the geology board exams, teaches at the University of the Philippines Diliman from which he graduated, and once headed the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences. He holds masteral and doctoral degrees at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie and is a member of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority. When not doing science, he makes music with The Unconformity Band.
Christine O. Avendaño
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Christine O. Avendaño covered the fields of defense, Malacañang, foreign affairs, health and politics for the Inquirer as a reporter and served as desk editor for over 30 years until her retirement in 2022. She is now a freelance journalist and teaches writing and online journalism at the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication.
Jose Mari Cuartero
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jose Mari Cuartero is an assistant professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines Diliman. His research work focuses on the folklore archive of Isabelo de los Reyes, and he engages in an interdisciplinary conversation by theorizing the archive’s contemporary cultural translation and permutation in the fields of comparative literature, anthropology, visual culture, and curatorial practice.
Jocelyn de Jesus
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jocelyn de Jesus is an editorial and communications specialist and has worked across diverse platforms for the last 20 years. She sings occasionally as well, and finds editing, writing and singing to be close cousins insofar as the iterative process is concerned—refining, polishing, and shaping raw material all require attention to detail, creative expression, and a focus on communication.
Liana Garcellano
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Liana Garcellano has been crisscrossing the writing and teaching fields in her professional career. After graduation from the University of the Philippines Diliman, she taught English language and literature at JASMS, her old high school. She began writing as a youth columnist for The Manila Times and then as a lifestyle writer for various local newspapers. She lived abroad for many years and was editor of a business travel magazine in Singapore, where she also taught English, as she eventually did in Indonesia. She returned permanently to Manila during the pandemic.
Lyra Garcellano
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Lyra Garcellano is a visual artist whose output is presented as paintings, installations, moving images, comics, and writing, with particular interest in how prevailing models in the artworld impact artistic practice. She is an interdisciplinary studies graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, and also holds a bachelor’s degree in studio arts and a master’s degree in art theory and criticism from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She is a recipient of the 13 Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Her first book, “Elsewhere: Writings on Art,” was published by Grana Books in 2024.
Angelina G. Goloy
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Angelina G. Goloy was a staff writer and editor at the Times Journal, Inquirer, Star, and Daily Globe. While freelancing, she shifted to public relations at Buensalido & Associates and, later, Smart Communications Inc. as consultant for two decades. She has written for and edited books, notably the “Great Men and Women of Asia” series of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. She travels regularly to Australia where her daughter lives.
Elizabeth Lolarga
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Elizabeth Lolarga holds degrees in journalism and fine arts from the University of the Philippines in Diliman and Baguio, respectively. She is the author of “Moon Hanging Low Over My Window and Other Poems” (University of Santo Tomas Publishing House). She makes her home in Baguio with her husband Rolly B. Fernandez, a newsman, and their golden retriever, Satchi.
Ted Aldwin E. Ong
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Ted Aldwin E. Ong is a freelance journalist, writer, and blogger. He reports on arts and culture events in Iloilo, his base, and has covered the local art scene for over a decade. His collection of feature stories, essays, and reviews can also be found at www.iloiloartlife.com.
Rey Anthony Ostria
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Rey Anthony Ostria is a freelance journalist who covers the environment and climate, history, and culture in the Bicol region. He teaches journalism at Bicol University in Albay. He collects travel and history books and is an ardent film watcher. He professes love for sharks, ducks, Hokusai, Snoopy, and everything the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain said and wrote.
Dino Pineda (DLS Pineda)
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Dino Pineda (DLS Pineda) is an assistant professor at the Department of English and Comparative Literature in the University of the Philippines Diliman. He taught English and Creative Writing at Father Saturnino Urios University and St. Peter's College Seminary in Butuan City. His research interests are sociopolitical topics, history, and the strange lives of powerful people. He is a member of the UP Mountaineers, bikes to work, and plays bass in several rock bands.
Mari-An C. Santos
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mari-An C. Santos holds a bachelor’s degree in film from the University of the Philippines Diliman and master’s degrees in advertising and brand from the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu (Romania) and in women’s and gender studies from the University of Lodz (Poland) and the Universidad de Granada (Spain). She is a three-time Catholic Mass Media Award nominee. In 2023, she received second prize at the UNRISD Crises of Inequality Media Contest and was part of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship. Her first book, “Star of Samar: Bancas to Rebuild Lives,” was published in 2024.
Joel Saracho
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Joel Saracho is a multimedia journalist, starting out as a reporter for Ang Pahayagang Malaya and eventually becoming one of its junior editors before moving to ABS-CBN where he ventured into broadcasting. In between media work, he was involved with NGOs pushing various advocacies. Currently, he sits as a member of the board of trustees of the Human Rights and People Empowerment Center and engages in acting stints in both TV and film projects, both studio- and independently produced. He is the executive director of AKTOR, League of Filipino Actors.
Eduardo C. Tadem
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Eduardo C. Tadem is a professor emeritus of Asian Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman and program convenor at the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies. He holds a doctorate in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore. Until 2015, he was professor of Asian Studies at UP Diliman, editor in chief of Asian Studies, and a president of the Freedom from Debt Coalition. He is the current co-chair of the Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives. He has researched and published extensively on, among others, inequality and tax justice, political economy of foreign aid, peasant society, and agrarian reform and rural development, and contemporary politics.
Annelle Tayao-Juego
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Annelle Tayao-Juego was a reporter and editorial production assistant for the Inquirer. She now writes mostly on business and lifestyle, particularly focusing on how these impact everyday Filipino lives. When not writing, she is exploring hidden culinary gems or new adventure spots south of Metro Manila, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Roderick Toledo
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Roderick Toledo is a graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman. He has extensive experience managing and implementing communication and advocacy projects for local and international development agencies and private companies. He now runs his own family trading business. He takes pictures and writes on matters of personal interest and inquiry.
Boy Villasanta
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Boy Villasanta is an award-winning entertainment writer and broadcaster, documentary filmmaker, events organizer, director, producer, poet, and short story writer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Santo Tomas and a master’s degree in theater from the Philippine Normal University, and studied Philippine literature at the University of the Philippines.
photojournalists
Edwin Bacasmas
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOJOURNALIST
Edwin Bacasmas is an award-winning photojournalist known for his impactful images. His presence in the media industry, including working as photographer for the Inquirer, continues over 30 years. He won the Excellence in News Photography Award from the Society of Publishers in Asia and has been inducted into the Catholic Mass Media Awards Hall of Fame—the first to be thus elevated in the Best News Photo category.
Bullit Marquez
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOJOURNALIST
Bullit Marquez is an award-winning photojournalist who has covered major events in the Philippines and other Asian countries, including the Edsa Revolution, the Pinatubo eruptions, the Tiananmen student protests, and the London Olympics. He has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize and was involved in numerous book projects. He retired as chief photographer for The Associated Press in 2019 and is now freelancing and farming.
TECH AND business operations
Gary Libby
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Gary Libby is an IT expert who was behind the digital transformation and satellite printing of the Inquirer and its development into a multimedia organization and content provider to its sister company, Inquirer.net. His IT skills were instrumental in dramatically expanding the viewership base of Inquirer.net. He was the chief operations officer of Inquirer Publications Inc. and a top executive of the Inquirer Group for 26 years before he left the media conglomerate.
Andrea H. Trinidad
BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER
Andrea H. Trinidad is a communication expert with over 25 years of experience in journalism, international development, public relations and lobby work, stakeholder relations, and issue advocacy. She was involved in media campaigns for multinational clients, some of which won international awards and best practice recognition. She has been a media consultant for international development agencies and government units and leaders. She founded the Hemophilia Advocates-Philippines in 2016.
CREATIVES
Christele Jao Amoyan
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT SPECIALIST
Christele Jao Amoyan holds a bachelor’s degree in development communication with a major in development journalism from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She worked as an editorial production assistant for the Inquirer and was involved in various research and development institutions. When she’s not writing, she enjoys getting her hands dirty in the family garden.
Steph Bravo-Semilla
ILLUSTRATOR/GRAPHIC ARTIST
Steph Bravo-Semilla was an Illustrator and graphics page designer for the Inquirer’s Art Department for more than two decades. She worked closely with editors and writers in interpreting complex stories through clear, impactful artwork that contributed to the reports’ visual appeal. She also has over ten years of experience in creating political cartoons to accompany the newspaper’s editorials.
Jen Velarmino-van der Heijde
SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT
Jen Velarmino-van der Heijde is a communications professional advocating for community wellbeing and the preservation of Subic Bay's ecosystems. As president of the Subic Bay Chamber for Health and Environment Conservation, she works with stakeholders to promote environmental care and enhance the quality of life. She also consults for a child rights organization, designing impactful social media campaigns to raise awareness and drive positive change.