Julie Alipala: A pillar of Philippine journalism

“She’s a difficult enemy, but a very good friend. She will fight for you and stand for you and your rights.”

CAGAYAN DE ORO — The media community is mourning the passing of Mindanao-based journalist Julie Alipala who passed away in the early morning of April 3. She was 58.

Based in Asia’s Latin city of Zamboanga, Alipala, a longtime correspondent and reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, is known for her courageous reportage on conflicts, wars, human rights, and peace-building efforts in Mindanao, especially in the regions of Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, including Sulu province.

Her colleagues in the industry considered her a pillar of Philippine journalism, citing her contributions in ensuring the safety of journalists and the freedom of the press even after her stint as a member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines’ (NUJP) national directorate.

“She did not shy away from covering difficult stories, sometimes at the risk of her own safety both online and offline,” NUJP said, recounting the harassment  encountered by Alipala in 2018 after covering the deaths of seven farmers in Sulu who were accused of being members of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The veteran journalist was also part of a group of peer supporters who traveled across the Visayas to help journalists when Super Typhoon Yolanda struck the country, according to Rowena Paraan, former NUJP chairperson and now the training director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Alipala was diagnosed with endometrial cancer with serous carcinoma in late 2024. According to an article published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a few days prior to her passing, she was hospitalized due to difficulties in breathing. Her sister, Erma, informed NUJP members in a group chat about her death.

Former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate shared that she worked with Alipala in the now-defunct Media Mindanao News Service in the late 1980s.

He said Alipala was more than a journalist. “She was a force of nature, a woman who charted the often-stormy political and economic seas of our region with unwavering integrity and a heart anchored in truth.“

A reliable person

Queenie Casimiro, a Zamboanga City-based journalist of ABS-CBN News and one of Julie’s closest colleagues, said that Alipala was very vocal about her criticisms, calling out others for their wrongdoings.

“She’s a difficult enemy, but a very good friend. She will fight for you and stand for you and your rights,” Casimiro, who also serves as chairperson of NUJP Zamboanga City Chapter, told Bulatlat. 

The ABS-CBN journalist recounted how Alipala stood by her during the challenges she faced, particularly the moment when Alipala accompanied her and provided evidence and statements to the authorities when she was threatened and bashed by a fraternity.

Alipala also initiated a fundraising for the hospitalization of Casimiro’s son after he was attacked and mugged in 2016. Julie was also with them calling for press freedom when the government ordered the shutting down and eventual non-renewal of ABS-CBN franchise during former president Rodirgo Duterte’s administration.

“She was not just a colleague. She was a reliable friend, a sister, and a family,” Casimiro added.

Multi-awarded

Alipala was a multi-awarded journalist. In 2013, her story about the Muslim women’s role in spearheading negotiations to resolve clan feuds won second place in the International Committee of the Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting. 

She was also a finalist in Best Investigative Report for the Mamasapano Series during the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 2016. Her feature story of Father Rhoel Gallardo, a Claretian missionary priest who was killed after the abduction by the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan, was also recognized by the same award-giving body in 2022.

In 2007, she was one of the Mindanawon journalists who attended the Conflict-Resolving Media course at the University of Sydney in Australia. She was also selected as a fellow of Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders) for Digital Journalism Safety in Berlin, Germany.

Many journalists in the country as well as local government officials recalled their memories with Alipala. On April 5, the Zamboanga City Press Club and NUJP Zamboanga City Chapter held a tribute at a funeral home in Zamboanga City.

“Amen.” This was Alipala’s last word on Facebook, sharing a post which read, “God, I have no idea where you are taking me, but I trust you.” (AMU, RVO)

The post Julie Alipala: A pillar of Philippine journalism appeared first on Bulatlat.