Gender representation in media has historically been biased against women, reflecting broader societal perceptions that marginalize their visibility and authority. Despite ongoing efforts to resist these biases, women remain under- and misrepresented across media spaces. This study examines how a female media personality performs and negotiates gender identity in non-fiction formats, using Gretchen Ho, host of Woman In Action (WIA), as a case study. Anchored in Goffman’s framework of self-presentation and impression management and informed by Hall’s theory of representation, the study employs a qualitative approach combining content analysis of selected WIA episodes with a semi-structured interview with Ho. The content analysis identifies observable strategies of self-presentation, while the interview provides contextual insight into Ho’s reflections on authenticity, credibility, and empowerment. Findings indicate that Ho negotiates her gender identity through a selective approach to self-presentation. Professional credibility, authenticity, and inclusive engagement guide her on-screen performance, while gender is foregrounded only when socially or narratively relevant; otherwise, it functions as a contextual rather than defining element of her hosting practice. The impression management strategies identified on-screen are reinforced through patterns emerging from the interview. By performing gender on her own terms and often non-foregrounding it, Ho contributes to the normalization of women’s presence and authority in male-dominated media spaces. The study demonstrates how gendered identity in media performance can operate subtly through professional practice, producing representational effects without constant or explicit justification.

AlaalA is a 20-minute fantasy-drama film that follows Roman, a young campus journalist who returns to his childhood home in search of a scoop for his feature article on heroism, believing his grandfather was a decorated soldier. But upon returning, he finds that his grandmother, Lola Mina, is dementia-stricken. As he stays to care for her, Roman begins to uncover memories of a time where Martial Law was marked by violence, fear, and the disappearance of her journalist husband, an unsettling contrast to the “golden age” version he was taught. Through research, old photographs, and tape recordings that conflict with the official narratives, Roman comes to suspect that Lola may have crossed over from a parallel universe where the Marcos dictatorship was toppled and the truth remained intact.
The film explores the tension between personal and collective memory, historical revisionism, and the fractured truths handed down across generations. Blending science fiction elements like parallel universes with memory studies, the film metaphorizes historical revisionism through the personal memories of Martial Law survivors. Anchored by theories of postmemory and collective memory, AlaalA is a meditation on remembrance as a political act. The film asks what it means to inherit stories from survivors and what responsibilities lie in choosing to carry those memories forward.

AlaalA is a 20-minute fantasy-drama film that follows Roman, a young campus journalist who returns to his childhood home in search of a scoop for his feature article on heroism, believing his grandfather was a decorated soldier. But upon returning, he finds that his grandmother, Lola Mina, is dementia-stricken. As he stays to care for her, Roman begins to uncover memories of a time where Martial Law was marked by violence, fear, and the disappearance of her journalist husband, an unsettling contrast to the “golden age” version he was taught. Through research, old photographs, and tape recordings that conflict with the official narratives, Roman comes to suspect that Lola may have crossed over from a parallel universe where the Marcos dictatorship was toppled and the truth remained intact.

The film explores the tension between personal and collective memory, historical revisionism, and the fractured truths handed down across generations. Blending science fiction elements like parallel universes with memory studies, the film metaphorizes historical revisionism through the personal memories of Martial Law survivors. Anchored by theories of postmemory and collective memory, AlaalA is a meditation on remembrance as a political act. The film asks what it means to inherit stories from survivors and what responsibilities lie in choosing to carry those memories forward.

Langgam, Langgam follows Niño, a high-school graduate from Northern Mindanao who dreams of leaving his small farming town after receiving a scholarship, inspired by the freedom of birds, or “langgam” in Tandaganon. Despite his mother’s refusal, he leaves for Metro Manila, stays with his uncle, and takes on part-time lineman work to support his studies. With time, Niño learns that the city is not what he expected. When his uncle reveals his plans to leave Manila, Niño is once again left uncertain and without direction. He comes to realize that “langgam” carries a different meaning in Manila. Niño finds himself wishing to return to his hometown, while stuck in a city that holds an uncertain future for him.
This film aims to explore urban migration through Haas’ Migration Theory, framing migration as both aspiration and perceived freedom, while revealing the emotional and material struggles that accompany movement and displacement with a character that is also in the process of finding himself. The shifting meaning of “langgam” (Tandaganon: bird; Tagalog: ant) serves as a metaphor for Niño’s journey, and reflects the reality of many Filipinos who migrate in search of a better future, but struggle with immobility.

Kolektibisyon is a visual autoethnography that charts the filmmaker’s childhood love for animation and growing passion for collaboration, which developed into a personal philosophy of “collectivist animation,” proposing a creative practice that is collaborative, transformative, and intimate through a three-part process-based experiment.