Julie Alipala 鈥擩ULIE ALIPALA FB PHOTO
Julie Alipala, a veteran journalist based in Zamboanga City and longtime correspondent and reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), died on Thursday from complications of endometrial cancer, her family said. She was 58.
Alipala was known for her fearless reporting on conflicts, human rights, and peace efforts in Mindanao, having covered the region for over two decades.
Alipala finished a degree in nutrition and dietetics in 1989 and pursued liberal arts studies for two years to prepare for law school, but she abandoned it for journalism, the profession where she stayed until her last breath.
READ: Julie Alipala, an 鈥榦utspoken鈥� defender of press freedom 鈥� NUJP
She was diagnosed with cancer in September last year and had been undergoing postsurgery treatment. Five days ago, she was hospitalized due to breathing difficulties.
Alipala began her journalism career in 1992 as a reporter for the now-defunct Media Mindanao 黑料社 Service (MMNS), an outlet for alternative journalism which carried the mission of helping the public 鈥渒now and understand the news that is Mindanao.鈥�
鈥淭here, she honed her craft, weaving the stories of Zamboanga, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi with a depth and sensitivity that resonated deeply,鈥� recalled lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate, a former colleague at MMNS.
Integrity, commitment
Whether reporting for the Union of Catholic Asia 黑料社, Zamboanga Today, University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp., or the Inquirer, Alipala always upheld professional integrity and a commitment to the truth, which often brought her into difficult situations with politicians and officials of the security forces.
Even then, she persevered in chronicling the crisis and conflicts that defined the life and times of the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu archipelago, such as the wars against the communist and Moro rebels, as well as that against the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
Apart from bringing in accounts of the blood and gore from the front lines, Alipala also documented the dire impact of war on soldiers, rebel combatants, and the hapless civilians caught in the crossfire.
From sports to conflicts
鈥淔or decades, Julie was the Inquirer Mindanao Bureau鈥檚 ever-reliable reporter,鈥� said Nico Alconaba, former chief of the Inquirer Mindanao bureau.
He recalled that Alipala鈥檚 stories varied 鈥渇rom sports to conflicts.鈥�
鈥淪he had this love-hate relationship with military officers. These same military officers secretly gave her details for her stories. They may hate her guts but still respect her as a journalist,鈥� Alconaba said.
Colleague, friend
Zarate recalled Alipala being 鈥渁 vital voice in the early days of the Union of Journalists in the Philippines, the precursor to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).鈥�
In a statement, NUJP referred to her as 鈥渁 colleague, friend, and an outspoken defender of press freedom.鈥�
鈥淪he did not shy away from covering difficult stories, sometimes at the risk of her own safety both online and offline,鈥� it said.
It added that Alipala made 鈥渟ignificant contributions to promoting journalists鈥� welfare and safety,鈥� serving as an instructor during numerous training sessions and workshops across the country.
鈥淎lipala was among the leading women journalists covering conflict zones in Mindanao,鈥� noted journalist and former NUJP chair Inday Espina-Varona in her Facebook post on Thursday.
With her passing, NUJP vowed to 鈥渃arry on the work in her honor.鈥�
Lawyer and former journalist Romel Bagares said that with Alipala鈥檚 passing, 鈥淢indanao lost an institution of courageous, resourceful, compassionate, and solid journalism.鈥�
In a statement, the provincial government of Basilan mourned her passing. 鈥淢s. Alipala had been a prolific journalist, extensively covering conflict areas in Mindanao, including Basilan 鈥� Her dedication to journalism and her contribution to the province will always be remembered,鈥� it said.
Int鈥檒 engagements
Alipala鈥檚 commitment to journalism earned her multiple accolades, including the 2013 International Committee of the Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting. In 2022, she also won the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) Best Feature award for her story 鈥淔r. Rhoel Gallardo: Martyr for Peace.鈥�
She was also part of the i-Team that received a special citation in the CMMA investigative report category in 2008.
She also participated in various international programs. In 2007, she was a fellow in a course on the conflict-resolving role of war and peace journalism at the University of Sydney, Australia. She was also a member of a Filipino journalist delegation to Oslo, Norway, in 2012 and attended the Asia Media Conference in South Korea in 2017.
鈥楲ight has gone out鈥�
In 2019, she took part in the World Press Freedom Day conference in Ethiopia. Recently, she was awarded a scholarship under the Berlin Scholarship Programme in Germany.
Alipala鈥檚 work not only shed light on critical issues but also inspired and trained future generations of journalists.
鈥淎 light has gone out in Mindanao. May your memory be a guiding star!鈥� Zarate said. 鈥擶ITH REPORTS FROM GILLIAN VILLANUEVA AND INQUIRER RESEARCH