Mariejo Ramos

Award-winning journalist who specializes in reporting on social justice, climate change, and human rights

Investigations and Key Reporting

About Mariejo Ramos

““To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.””

― Arundhati Roy, The Cost of Living

I am a journalist focused on reporting stories at the intersection of climate change, social inequality, and human rights, with an emphasis on how global and national policies shape everyday realities for marginalized communities in the Philippines and the rest of Asia.

My work combines on-the-ground reporting, investigative research, and contextual analysis to unpack complex issues in accessible, accountable ways.

From 2023 to June 2026, I was the Manila-based correspondent for Context News, the news platform of Thomson Reuters Foundation, where I reported on how climate, labor, health, tech, and economic policies affect vulnerable and marginalized communities.

I spent over eight years at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, reporting on national and local issues ranging from public health and governance to environmental and social justice concerns.

I was also a freelance correspondent for Channel News Asia (CNA), a Singapore-based multinational news network and served as Advocacy and Communications Consultant for UN Women – Asia and the Pacific’s Access to Justice Program.

I’m currently producing news podcasts for PumaPodcast’s daily news show Teka Teka.

My work has received multiple recognitions, including awards for investigative and equity-focused reporting. Drawing from my background in journalism and anthropology, I prioritize people-centered storytelling that amplifies underreported voices while interrogating the systems that produce vulnerability and exclusion. I aim to produce journalism that not only informs but also contributes to public understanding, policy dialogue, and social accountability, particularly in the Global South.

As an independent journalist currently based in Toronto, I wanted to continue reporting on stories connecting Southeast Asia and the wider world, with a particular interest in climate justice, migration, labor, technology, and accountability reporting across multiple platforms, including television, podcasts, and long-form journalism.

Awards & Recognition

Awardee, 2025 Finnish Climate Honours Diploma given by the government of Finland to an outstanding climate and environmental journalist in the Philippines
Winner, 2021 Journalism for an Equitable Asia Awards hosted by The Asia Centre and Oxfam International (chosen from among 112 entries from 12 countries in South and Southeast Asia)
Winner, 2019 Catholic Mass Media Awards Best Investigative Report for drug war series, November 2019
Finalist, 2017 Catholic Mass Media Awards Best Investigative Report, October 2017
Recipient, Philippine Daily Inquirer Award of Excellence in Journalism, April 2014

Education

MA Anthropology | University of the Philippines Diliman - 2023
BA Journalism | University of the Philippines Diliman - 2014

Grants and Fellowships

Media Fellow - International Conference on Family Planning | Johns Hopkins William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health | Colombia, November 2025
Fellow - United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights | December 2020–October 2021 |Completed a special course on enhancing the protection of women journalists and women’s rights in Asia 2020-2021
Fellow - 13th Asia-Europe Foundation Journalists Seminar | Singapore, 2022
Fellow - Asian Center for Journalism and Earth Journalism Network’s 2021 Collab on Climate Change Program March to September 2021 | Completed an eight-week course aimed at producing deeper, well-researched stories on climate change
Fellow - Southeast Asian Press Alliance Regional Reporting Program | (Manila and Bangkok), 2018
Fellow - Third Asian Investigative Journalism Conference (Seoul, South Korea) - Global Investigative Journalism Network | October 2018
Researcher, Amnesty International London's report on the Philippine Drug War, “If You Are Poor, You Are Killed” | 2016-2017