Students from the Bicol University College of Arts and Letters (BUCAL) in Legazpi City have commemorated the Maguindanao massacre, considered the deadliest attack on media in the Philippines that took place 14 years ago. 

The commemoration began with a Mass followed by a program where several media practitioners spoke, sharing insights into the challenges faced by journalists today.

In the evening, a candle-lighting ceremony symbolized the students' remembrance of the lives lost and their commitment to uphold the values of hope, resilience, and determination in the face of adversity.

"Lagi din natin sinasabi na ang pinaka-greatest na trahedya ay hindi naman talaga yung mamatay pero yung makalimutan so this is our way of remembering with a sense of outrage so this will not happen again," says Prof. Gladys Serafica from BUCAL.

"Now more than ever, we need the numbers, we need more journalists to fight for our advocacies, defending press freedom, protecting the lives of the press, and stopping the killings," says Geromae Hope Dela Fuente, president of the Bicol Organization of Neo-Journalists (BonJour).