Madalas ay kinakamusta ko na lang sa pinsan ko tuwing tumatawag ako sa kanila kung ano na ang kalagayan ng bukid doon. Pero sabi niya, “Wala nang bukid. Dagat na.”

People still ask me, sometimes with curiosity and sometimes with judgment, why I left the armed movement. The truth is more complicated than a single word.

The Filipino youth have always stood at the forefront of social change. Their passion for justice, equality, and national dignity is a strength that should be nurtured and protected. But passion alone is not enough, it must be guided by wisdom and a careful understanding of history.

For years, I believed that genuine change in the Philippines could only come through armed revolution. Like many idealistic young people, I was drawn to the promise of a nation free from injustice, inequality, and corruption. I sincerely believed that taking up arms was not merely an option; it was the only path. I was wrong.

But his is not only a story about gender. His is also a story about poverty, recruitment, ideology, fear, and the long road home.