By Elaiza O. Martinez

Klarissa May Salenga, The Vallenian Gazette’s (TVG) managing editor, got her article published on Manila Bulletin’s Voices, which used her personal experiences to advocate for retaining ethics as a subject in all academic levels.

Salenga, a student journalist with a distinguished record who earned numerous recognitions for her writing, one of which is having her article featured last August 11, 2025 on Manila Bulletin—the Philippines' largest English language broadsheet newspaper by circulation—marking a significant milestone in her writing career.

Voices is under Manila Bulletin’s Lifestyle section, which is a “dedicated space for young writers and future journalists as they talk about the topics that matter to their generation,” the website explains.

In her article titled “DepEd, here’s why the Ethics subject is needed at all levels,” she opposed a Department of Education (DepEd) proposal to remove Ethics as a required college course and instead including it in the Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum, using examples of ethical issues in medicine and social media to make her case. 

She argued that integrating the subject into high school classes and in the Strengthened SHS Curriculum is insufficient for developing strong morals, which is why she advocated for its application at all academic levels.

To support her claim, she cited the concerns of top universities like Ateneo de Manila and University of the Philippines Diliman, which warned of "weak critical thinking" if the plan pushes through. 

Salenga was driven to write the article by real-world events and her personal observations of unethical behavior, leading her to look beyond the education department’s proposal. 

For instance, Salenga pointed to a viral incident where a nursing student unethically shared a patient's medical data, an incident for which she believes the school should have implemented stricter policies and disciplinary actions rather than accepting a simple, easily-deleted apology. 

Aside from that, her motivation also stemmed from a personal experience where her former publication was accused of bias and verbally attacked for an article that contained only factual information.

In a similar display of lack of accountability, the student involved in that incident only posted a brief apology that was also later deleted.

These incidents led her to believe that ethics requires dedicated, continuous instruction. As she wrote, "[a] school is a sharpener of character and a molder of morals," and her article's central purpose was to emphasize that conviction.

Regarding the writing process, Salenga stated she did not face any major challenges while writing or editing the piece, crediting her success to her journalism coach, June Ace Esteban, who saw her potential in news writing early on, even when she first applied as a copyreader of The Licerians.

It was also Esteban who suggested she send the article to the Manila Bulletin, a coach with an extensive background: he  produced 12 RSPC placers, 8 NSPC qualifiers, 6 NSPC winners, and he also served as the Sports Editor of Advocate, FEU Manila's university-wide publication.

On June 12, Salenga submitted the piece to both the Manila Bulletin and Rappler. 

She then received a reply from Rappler first, but was told that they were no longer “accept[ing] unsolicited opinion articles.” 

However, on June 23, the Manila Bulletin replied to her through their Instagram account, helping her get her article published and marking a major step in her carreer.

Furthermore, as a student at Gen. Licerio Geronimo Memorial National High School (GLGMNHS), she graduated with honors and received the Communication Arts and Leadership Awards. 

Her journalism career began as a representative for Pagsulat ng Balita of Ang Bantayog—GLGMNHS’ Filipino publication—during the 2022-2023 school year where she failed to secure a spot in the Top 7.

Despite an initial loss, she quickly earned first place in News Writing at the 2023 Montalban Sub-Office (MonSO) Schools Press Conference and the Rizal Division Schools Press Conference after switching to the school’s English publication, The Licerians (TL).

After her first division win, she used the prize money from the school’s former English department head to purchase the second edition of Vergel Santos' "The News Writing Formula," fulfilling a promise to use the reward for a meaningful purpose. 

Salenga was Montalban's best high-school news writer for two consecutive years and became a two-time regional qualifier for the CALABARZON Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC). 

Her journey includes serving as the editor-in-chief and news editor of TL and she now holds the positions of managing editor and news editor for TVG at Valley High Academy.

It is through this journey, marked by both accomplishments and the lessons learned along the way, that Salenga’s message to her peers carries more significance, ultimately hoping that her article encourages young people to face ethical challenges with responsibility and humility.

As a final message, she reminds her peers: 

"We are young and will inevitably make mistakes. What's important is that we take accountability for our actions. We should also not hesitate to seek help from those older and more experienced than us."