Julie Alipala
—JULIE ALIPALA FB PHOTO
Julie Alipala, a veteran journalist primarily based in Zamboanga Metropolis and longtime correspondent and reporter for the Philippine Every day Inquirer (PDI), died on Thursday from problems of endometrial most cancers, her household mentioned. She was 58.
Alipala was recognized for her fearless reporting on conflicts, human rights, and peace efforts in Mindanao, having coated the area for over twenty years.
Alipala completed a level in diet and dietetics in 1989, and pursued liberal arts research for 2 years to organize for legislation college however she deserted it for journalism, the career the place she stayed till her final breath.
READ: Julie Alipala, an ‘outspoken’ defender of press freedom — NUJP
She was identified with most cancers in September final 12 months and had been present process postsurgery remedy. 5 days in the past, she was hospitalized as a result of respiratory difficulties.
Alipala started her journalism profession in 1992 as reporter of the now-defunct Media Mindanao Information Service (MMNS), an outlet for various journalism which carried the mission of serving to the general public “know and perceive the information that’s Mindanao.”
“There, she honed her craft, weaving the tales of Zamboanga, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi with a depth and sensitivity that resonated deeply,” recalled lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate, a former colleague at MMNS.
Integrity, dedication
Whether or not reporting for the Union of Catholic Asia Information, Zamboanga Immediately, College of Mindanao Broadcasting Community, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. or the Inquirer, Alipala all the time upheld skilled integrity and a dedication to the reality, which regularly introduced her into troublesome conditions with politicians and officers of the safety forces.
Even then, she persevered in chronicling the disaster and conflicts that outlined the life and occasions of the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu archipelago, such because the wars in opposition to the communist and Moro rebels, in addition to that in opposition to the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
Other than bringing in accounts of the blood and gore from the entrance traces, Alipala additionally documented the dire affect of struggle on troopers, insurgent combatants and the hapless civilians caught within the crossfire.
From sports activities to conflicts
“For many years, Julie was Inquirer Mindanao Bureau’s ever-reliable reporter,” mentioned Nico Alconaba, former chief of the Inquirer Mindanao bureau.
He recalled that Alipala’s tales diverse, “from sports activities to conflicts.”
“She had this love-hate relationship with army officers. These similar army officers secretly gave her particulars for her tales. They might hate her guts, however nonetheless respect her as a journalist,” Alconaba mentioned.
Colleague, good friend
Zarate recalled Alipala being “a significant voice within the early days of the Union of Journalists within the Philippines, the precursor to the Nationwide Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).”
In a press release, NUJP referred to her as “a colleague, good friend, and an outspoken defender of press freedom.”
“She didn’t draw back from masking troublesome tales, generally on the danger of her personal security each on-line and offline,” it mentioned.
It added that Alipala made “vital contributions to selling journalists’ welfare and security,” serving as an teacher throughout quite a few coaching classes and workshops throughout the nation.
“Alipala was among the many main ladies journalists masking battle zones in Mindanao,” famous journalist and former NUJP chair Inday Espina-Varona in her Fb submit on Thursday.
Along with her passing, NUJP vowed to “keep on the work in her honor.”
Lawyer and former journalist Romel Bagares mentioned that with Alipala’s passing, “Mindanao misplaced an establishment of brave, resourceful, compassionate, and stable journalism.”
In a press release, the provincial authorities of Basilan mourned her passing. “Ms. Alipala had been a prolific journalist, extensively masking battle areas in Mindanao, together with Basilan … Her dedication to journalism and her contribution to the province will all the time be remembered,” it mentioned.
Int’l engagements
Alipala’s dedication to journalism earned her a number of accolades, together with the 2013 Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting. In 2022, she additionally received the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) Finest Characteristic award for her story “Fr. Rhoel Gallardo: Martyr for Peace.”
She was additionally a part of the i-Staff that obtained a particular quotation within the CMMA investigative report class in 2008.
She additionally participated in numerous worldwide packages. In 2007, she was a fellow in a course on conflict-resolving function of struggle and peace journalism on the College of Sydney, Australia. She was additionally a member of a Filipino journalist delegation to Oslo, Norway, in 2012 and attended the Asia Media Convention in South Korea in 2017.
‘Mild has gone out’
In 2019, she took half within the World Press Freedom Day convention in Ethiopia. Not too long ago, she was awarded a scholarship below the Berlin Scholarship Programme in Germany.
Alipala’s work not solely make clear essential points but in addition impressed and skilled future generations of journalists.
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“A light-weight has gone out in Mindanao. Could your reminiscence be a guiding star!” Zarate mentioned. —WITH REPORTS FROM GILLIAN VILLANUEVA AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
