MANILA, Philippines – At Rappler, we continue to believe journalism can make a difference. We tell our stories not for awards, fame, or controversy, but in the hope that they help lives. And so it is with great pride and heartfelt enthusiasm that I, along with Rappler editors, present our newsroom’s most impactful stories of 2024.
You will see, reflected in these headlines, the issues that matter most to our readers and our newsroom. These stories can also be viewed as a wrap of the year that was — the year of the Uniteam rift, of the consecutive typhoons and disruptive heatwaves, of a religious cult leader fallen from grace, of deepfakes, scams victimizing millionaires and migrant workers, of Olympic glory, and much more.
As with the 2023 list, we defined impact based on how the story catalyzed real-world change or amplified communities and voices long marginalized and ignored. We hope these stories resonate with you too.
We want to do even better in 2025. You can help us by supporting our programs that sustain our operations and coverage budget: the Rappler+ membership program and our crowdfunding initiative.
Thank you, our readers, Rappler+ members, and partners for believing, like we do, that independent journalism matters.
Without further ado, here are the best stories our newsroom has to offer in 2024:
OFWs victimized by a Korea worker program
After this investigative series by reporter Michelle Abad, the government suspended the abusive South Korea Seasonal Worker Program in at least seven localities, and finally acted on the case of scammed migrant workers spotlighted by the story. The story also prompted the migrant workers department to change a policy that had delayed the grant of financial aid to victimized Filipinos.
The most powerful political dynasty
In this report, researcher James Patrick Cruz finds that at least 16 elected officials are related to the family of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He then examines the implications of such concentrated power in a country with a Constitution that says political dynasties should be prohibited.
The House of Hypocrisy
The change in how the House of Representatives received former senator Leila de Lima this year, from the vicious attacks of many of its members during the Duterte presidency, is enough to give anyone whiplash. Political reporter Dwight de Leon lays out all the hypocrisy and fickleness of Philippine politics in this story.
The difficulty of covering Marcos
Restricted media access and carefully managed public appearances defined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first years in power, according to researcher Gaby Baizas. Such inaccessibility raises concerns about the erosion of transparency and accountability, key pillars of democratic governance.
Sara’s optics
The year 2024 was a year of upheaval for Vice President Sara Duterte. Bonz Magsambol tracks her evolution since she parted ways with the Marcos administration, becoming more like her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, in dealing with her critics in public.
LTO’s fraud-prone systems
In a series of stories, we dig into the Land Transportation Office’s two IT systems, which cost motorists more fees and have opened loopholes for fraud. Reporting was based on the Department of Transportation’s investigations, documents, and interviews with whistleblowers.
Quiboloy’s guns
Investigative reporter Lian Buan reveals doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy’s collection of 19 firearms, worth over P2 million. The story not only exposed Quiboloy’s resources but also highlighted systemic vulnerabilities in firearm regulation, questioning whether legal mechanisms inadvertently enabled impunity.
‘Fake surrenders’ of young activists
Did the government orchestrate the “surrender” of activists to win a propaganda war? After this two-part investigative story by Rappler, the Supreme Court did a rare move of granting, on their level, the privileges of the writs of amparo and habeas data. It issued a temporary protection order for the Bataan activists in the story, Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro.
TikTok, the new marketplace for sketchy health products
This deep dive into the murky depths of TikTok showed how this top Gen Z information source has become a marketplace for shady health products. The author, Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow Jerry Yubal Jr., also identifies gaps in TikTok’s guidelines that allow this dangerous abuse of the platform to happen.
A call to action for Bicol flood victims
A harrowing portrait of Bicol communities in the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, this story by Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow Reinnard Balonzo immediately mobilized donations of drinking water to storm victims.
Philippine eagles fly to freedom
This documentary allows you to witness the hours before a pair of Philippine eagles, Uswag and Carlito, soar to freedom after confinement in wire cages in Leyte.
The tea about Pharmally wealth and bigger POGO fish
Rappler’s new vertical video series, Inside Track, got our community talking about how Pharmally Pharmaceutical executives were able to buy luxurious real estate in Dubai. In another episode, reporter Lian Buan explains how illegal POGOs in Tarlac lead back to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s ex-economic adviser Michael Yang.
POGO abuse knows no borders
This story fleshed out not only the human rights abuses in Philippine offshore gaming operations but their crossborder nature. Indonesian journalist Artika Farmita, a 2024 #FactsMatter Journalism Fellow, spotlighted the experience of an Indonesian former POGO worker to illustrate the fraud and abuse.
Hard-won victory for a new island region
The creation of the Negros Island Region affects people and governance in Western and Central Visayas, from where the new region was carved out. Its rebirth or revival was a vision championed by local leaders, and something that promised streamlined governance and economic progress. This story by Negros Occidental stringer Erwin Delilan shows how regional aspirations overcame decades of challenges and bureaucratic resistance to achieve tangible reforms.
The ‘son of god’ surrenders
The capture of Apollo Quiboloy was a milestone in holding a very influential figure accountable for alleged abuses. Rappler Regions’ Mindanao coordinator Herbie Gomez shows in this report how the “surrender” was both a legal victory and a statement on the importance of pursuing justice even when faced with formidable opponents.
The Sulu question
The Supreme Court’s decision to exclude Sulu from Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao impacts the predominantly Muslim region’s governance and political landscape, alters the region’s power dynamics, and could affect the Mindanao peace process. This story by Rappler Regions editor Herbie Gomez and justice reporter Jairo Bolledo goes beyond the breaking news story to explain the implications.
Duterte drug war’s other sin
The bloody war on drugs of former president Rodrigo Duterte did not only leave a massive death toll, but exacerbated jail congestion and the dire conditions of inmates. Rappler’s Lian Buan and James Patrick Cruz visit the drug suspects waiting for months for their day in court, and other detainees caught in the limbo of clogged court dockets at the Manila City Jail male dormitory.
Social media sentiment around 2025 senatorial bets
This story from data forensics firm The Nerve, a Rappler sister company, tracks the trends and public sentiment surrounding the top senatorial candidates for the midterm elections to show how social media is affecting political discourse.
Lifestyle choices of Millennial and Gen Z Filipinos
The Nerve unpacks an underreported trend we nevertheless see everywhere: how Millennials and Gen Zs are choosing the Dual Income, No Kids (DINK) lifestyle due to financial pressures and shifting priorities. This story is also unique in that it made use of AI-powered focus groups to generate meaningful societal insights.
The state of Metro Manila’s bike infrastructure
This documentary and data story shows the state of Metro Manila’s bike lanes through the lens of cycling enthusiast and environment reporter Iya Gozum. She spent almost 12 hours on the road, biking and shooting across 120 kilometers with Rappler’s Production team tailing her, to produce a conversation-driving narrative reflecting the daily struggles of bike commuters.
How small fisherfolk suffer from power-tripping
This two-part collaboration by investigative reporter Lian Buan and environment reporter Iya Gozum looked into how commercial fishing companies pushed back against policies meant to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The losers are the small fisherfolk, already among the poorest workers in the country.
Carlos Yulo deals with an unflattering spotlight
In this exclusive interview by sports editor Jasmine Payo and reporter Delfin Dioquino, Olympic gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo opens up on his frayed family relationships and other personal ordeals, prompting conversations on the gloom that comes with the glitter of a superstar athlete.
The Philippine Olympic team’s highs and lows in Paris
The Philippines showed it’s here to fight the world’s best with full confidence after a historic Paris Olympics romp. But this feature by sports reporter JR Isaga also touches on the heartbreaks and struggles – from “wardrobe malfunctions” to a “toxic environment” – our elite athletes had to go through on the biggest sporting stage.
The grit and grace of Filipino Paralympians
Six Filipino para athletes competed in the Paris Olympics: swimmer Angel Otom, javelin thrower Cendy Asusano, wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan, swimmer Ernie Gawilan, para archer Agustina Bantiloc, and taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin. Anchor Pató Gregorio speaks to the Paralympians about their struggles and their journey to the 2024 Paralympics.
A nun’s gripping account of the People Power Revolution
Senior reporter Paterno Esmaquel II’s video interview with Sister Cho Borromeo, a Franciscan nun who joined the 1986 People Power Revolution, was one of our most viral faith-related videos in 2024. It’s a powerful antidote to historical revisionism and, in a patriarchal church, a testament to the faith and courage of women.
The danger of deepfakes
Journalists Gemma Mendoza and Gelo Gonzales find that a Russian scam network was behind the spread of a deepfake falsely depicting Rappler CEO Maria Ressa endorsing Bitcoin investments. It underscores the urgent need for stronger safeguards against AI video manipulation and collaborative efforts to maintain media credibility and public trust.
How to spot a deepfake video
This news-you-can-use story by tech editor Gelo Gonzales teaches readers how to identify deepfakes, a kind of AI-manipulation in video that is now being used for political propaganda, scams, and scares.
A Ponzi scheme preying on the rich
The fall of millennial CEO Mica Tan has shaken elite circles. This story by business reporter Ralf Rivas details Tan’s humble beginnings, her journey in private equity investing, up to her tussles with regulators and investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Tan of engaging in a Ponzi scheme, which she has denied. While this scheme is nothing new, Tan’s case is unique since it involved millionaires. The story also sheds light on the importance of auditors in detecting financial fraud.
Violence vs. women accusations shake up a business org
A day after Rappler published this report on a controversy involving incoming Management Association of the Philippines president Noel Bonoan, the former finance undersecretary decided to withdraw from assuming the top post of the prestigious business organization.
A 97-year-old Philippine company closes down
The closure of sugar refiner Central Azucarera Don Pedro in Nasugbu, Batangas, affected thousands of sugarcane planters and field workers, and triggered netizens’ reactions to the government’s sugar regulatory policies. This report by editor Isagani de Castro Jr. was one of this year’s most-read business stories.
The Philippines’ learning crisis
This story from education reporter Bonz Magsambol examines the troubling issue of Filipino students’ poor performance in global education assessments. Education experts highlight the factors contributing to the dismal academic results and offer recommendations on how the government can address these challenges to improve how young Filipinos learn.
Climate and classrooms
In a country where classes are often canceled due to typhoons, climate change has thrown in heat waves that have added to learning disruptions in different parts of the country. While the government has since ordered a return to the old academic calendar to address this, reporter Bonz Magsambol asks an important question: why aren’t our classrooms climate-resilient?
Making streets more ‘people-friendly’
Rappler’s civic engagement arm, MovePH, was behind the first Philippine use of generative artificial intelligence to consult ordinary citizens for the purpose of both journalism and public policy. With the help of the office of Quezon City councilor Irene Belmonte, the exercise contributed to the crafting of an ordinance to pedestrianize the busy thoroughfare on Sundays.
Abuses of persons with disability discount perks
A well-intentioned policy aimed at easing financial strain among persons with disabilities is being exploited by scammers, to the detriment of businesses and disabled citizens themselves. Editor Acor Arceo deftly lays out the perspectives of various groups in this piece.
Sine, malaya?
Film critic Lé Baltar shed light on various attempts to censor two films released this year, Lost Sabungeros and Alipato at Muog. Together, the two stories show the state of freedom of expression in cinema and the challenges storytellers deal with when telling uncomfortable truths.
The death of a news channel
As reliable sources started to float the imminent shutdown of CNN Philippines, business reporter Ralf Rivas immediately dug into the company’s financial statements, finding cash flow issues and revenue unable to keep up with mounting losses. The data-driven story revealed Philippine media’s dire financial struggles, amid news avoidance and generative AI.
Representation in gaming
There are so many young people who play games, yet the majority of games are developed by the West and Japan, who are able to tell their culture through the medium. That’s why when a game like Until Then comes along, it’s important to highlight the significance of the representation of Filipino culture in a video game.
Pinoy Schengen visa problems
Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug gives context and depth to a common problem experienced by Filipinos: the difficulty of obtaining a visa to the European Union. Many people could relate to the issue, judging by the 127 comments on this video’s YouTube page alone.
A Chinese spy in Manila
In this exclusive, senior reporter Bea Cupin tells the story of Steve Zhang, allegedly a Chinese agent from China’s Ministry of State Security, posing as a foreign correspondent. The piece sparked discussions among defense and diplomacy circles, and has helped catalyze actions to protect the Philippines from malign influence and espionage operations. In 2025, the government is expected to push for legislation to update the country’s outdated espionage and foreign agents laws.
Giving flesh and blood to military strategy
Even as the Philippines tries to manage tensions in its western waters, it’s also looking up north, where China’s tensions with Taiwan spell trouble. Reporter Bea Cupin brings us to the new camp of the Philippine Marines’ 4th Brigade to give a human face to the highly technical and complex issue of a shift in military strategy under the Marcos administration.
A peek into Islamic moonsighting
Did you know that Muslims determine the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month, by looking at the moon? In this video, Rappler’s team, led by Paterno Esmaquel II, joins an Islamic moonsighting activity for the first time, going deeper into the lives of one of our country’s small yet significant minorities.
An interfaith Christmas tradition
Rappler visits the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, formerly known as the Mormon Church, and witnesses one of their efforts to forge interfaith harmony as a celebration of Christmas.
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