The mountains hold many stories, but one gave rise to a voice that would one day lead their own.

Maria Gerald L. Besto (BS Dev Com ‘22), known to their students as Mx. Gee, didn’t come from a place of privilege or paved paths. Growing up in the peaceful highlands of Miarayon, Talakag, among the Talaandig tribe, Besto always had their eyes to the sky and dreams that seemed farther than the city skyline. But when Besto first saw DevCom practitioners in their barangay, DSLRs swinging from their necks, something seemed to brew within them.

What started as awe became ambition. What began with heartbreak became purpose, which would later open potentials in unimaginable ways. Now, years later, Maria stands not only as an alumna of Xavier University’s Development Communication (DevCom) program, but as the Program Head of DevCom in Tangub.

Sometimes in Life, it takes us to choices we haven’t imagined. However, those choices wind up becoming the best decisions we have made in life,” Maria shared, further embracing the person they have become—a trailblazer, a dreamer, a mentor, and a quiet revolution.

From Bukid to Beyond

Besto’s first encounter with the program was at the age of fourteen. Living in a small mountain community in Talakag, Bukidnon, Maria was intrigued by the fancy cameras hanging from the necks of the DevCom students visiting for their immersion. Back then, the closest thing to luxury cameras were camera phones, so looking into the DSLRs sparked a curiosity in Maria that inadvertently solidified the path that they would take later on.

As a teenager, Maria had a lot of dreams, most notably, becoming an architect. “My boyfriend at that time wanted to become an engineer, and I thought, why not be an architect? Mala Popoy at Basha ang peg,” they joked, referencing the iconic Filipino love team. But those dreams never panned out, due to a multitude of reasons, unexpected turns, and the eventual end of their relationship. Still, as the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens—and Maria stepped through the new beginning without hesitation.

Living as an indigenous person shaped Maria deeply. From instilling a strong sense of community building to seeing people with empathy and understanding, key elements for becoming a development communication practitioner were already innate in them. At that time, though, Maria had no idea what the program entailed, and opted to become a journalist through another program.“I wanted to take up BS journalism in MSU Marawi,” Besto recalls, “But Marawi had faced unrest then, so I had no choice but to reconsider,” they noted with a hint of sadness. But as it turns out, life had better plans for Maria.

The Lens of Passion

Stepping into Xavier University as a scholar from the highlands was a culture shock for Besto. “I looked like a blooming tree,” they jested, recalling their bright green outfit during orientation week—complete with embroidered floral pants and wide, curious eyes. For someone whose early learning tools included Encarta Kids and sunset bedtimes, the city felt like a foreign country. Yet, in those unfamiliar corridors, Maria began to bloom.

Besto’s introduction to XU DevCom came with pressure. Classmates asked questions Maria didn’t yet know how to answer. “I hadn’t even figured out what DevCom really was,” they admitted. But instead
of shrinking, Maria learned and let the uncertainty fuel them. Soon, Maria found rhythm, wherein public speaking became their ally, immersions became revelations, and suddenly, DevCom was no longer a mystery but a place to belong.

One pivotal moment was the first community immersion. While the setting was familiar—mountains, neighbors, home—it was the perspective that changed. “Seeing my community through the eyes of DevCom made me realize how much I hadn’t noticed before,” they shared.

Then came the pandemic. Just as Maria had found their footing, everything shifted online. The digital gap widened once again. But unlike the person who once doubted their place in the university, Maria now had a steady network, brilliant mentors, and a drive for something more. Through disrupted semesters and digital disconnects, Maria clung to what DevCom taught best, which was to adapt, to empathize, and to communicate with a heart.

Latin Honors to Laden Positions

Today, Besto is no longer the wide-eyed freshman in floral pants, as they’ve transformed into something they look up to. Now a figurehead and formator, Mx. Gee is now the Program Head and Department Chairperson of the Development Communication program at Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology (NMSCST) in Tangub, with over a hundred students under their guidance. In a short span of time, Maria has gone from navigating syllabi to designing them, from asking questions in class to shaping an entire academic community.

Their work is deeply rooted in structure—course development, faculty management, student mentoring—but the heart of it remains the same, which is connection. “I always remember how DevCom in XU didn’t just teach theory, it taught us how to see people,” Mx. Gee reflects, always putting to heart the lessons taught in the program.

From integrating fieldwork-based approaches to initiating storytelling projects in local communities, Mx. Gee carries the principles and empathy honed at XU DevCom. They credit their time at Xavier for equipping them with not just communication skills, but compassionate communication, which includes how to speak, how to listen, and how to bridge worlds.

But, their story doesn’t end here. Mx. Gee, who is also taking their Masters at the University of the Philippines Open University, dreams of expanding not only a career, but also access to DevCom education in rural areas, especially among Indigenous youth. “Someday, someone else will be interviewed like this, and I hope I helped clear the path for them,” the program head shared.

“It’s not how long your life is, it’s how you live your life to the fullest. Turn your heartbreaks into social good,” they strongly expressed, further citing how heartbreak emanates throughout the inequalities of our country. In the end, Mx. Gee doesn’t just want to be remembered as a leader, but as a living embodiment of what DevCom stands for: community, courage, and change.

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From the highlands of Miarayon to the halls of leadership in Tangub, Maria Gerald L. Besto is a testament to how nurtured stories can shape futures. Beginning as a spark of hope through a camera came a longer mission to give voice and share value with those who need it.

They carry DevCom not just as a diploma but as a philosophy, a continuous practice of listening with empathy, leading with purpose, and always returning to the community around. “You don’t have to fake it, you just have to make it,” they shared, exuding confidence in the constant effort of pursuing the passions that lead to success. And Maria made it—not by conforming to norms, but by becoming.

Mx. Gee still has a long way to go in life, but as time continues to pass, there still lives the testament of the legacy left behind. This XU DevCom graduate wishes to be remembered not just for the positions
they’ve held or the milestones they’ve reached, but for the hearts they’ve moved and the paths they’ve paved, and blatantly, the person they’ve become because of the program that shaped them. For Indigenous youth who dream beyond the mountains, for students still unsure of their footing, and for the country still finding its voice.

In every heartbeat of Maria’s story is the pulse of Development Communication—lived, loved, and led.