Herstory in the Making: Benilde CLR Hosts “Writing as Witnessing”

In celebration of Women’s Month 2026 and in support of this year’s theme, “Breaking Bias, Building Balance,” the Center for Learning Resources (CLR) hosted an event dedicated to elevating women’s voices. This theme serves as a call to action to challenge stereotypes and create a more inclusive world where every narrative is valued.

Last Wednesday, March 18, we brought this vision to the Learning Commons by hosting an empowering dialogue. We were joined by our invited resource speaker, Prof. Irish Joy G. Deocampo from UP Diliman, for an insightful session titled “Writing as Witnessing.”

What Was Discussed

Prof. Deocampo shared her journey as a teacher, researcher, and feminist, explaining how writing is a radical tool for witnessing the lives of others. Here are the key points from the discussion:

• Documenting as “Pagpapatotoo”: The session explored how writing women’s narratives serves as a form of truth-telling. Prof. Irish shared her research on the care practices of international students during the pandemic, noting that history should record more than just statistics. It must record the lived experiences of those who survived it.
• Space-Making and “Pagpansin”: We discussed the responsibility of attending to the stories of others. By documenting the multifaceted lives of women, such as the struggles of eldest daughters or the labor of community pantry organizers, writers create a space for stories that are often ignored.
• The Weight of Advocacy: Prof. Deocampo emphasized that writing is not neutral. It is a form of “Pagkiling” or taking a side. She noted that politicized writing is also care work, requiring emotional labor to bear witness to the vicarious trauma and systemic struggles of marginalized groups.
• The Unfinished Nature of Witnessing: A major takeaway was that writing is often unfinished and witnessing is incomplete. While we strive to represent voices, there is a consciousness that we cannot fully capture every experience. However, the act of trying is what keeps the fight for equality alive.

The Impact

The session ended with a powerful reminder: narratives alone will not change the world. We must take the insights gained from these stories and use them to advocate for real change beyond the page.

A huge thank you to Prof. Irish for sharing her expertise and to all the Benildeans who joined us to help break bias and build a more balanced future for “herstory.”