Inquirer reporter Julie Alipala, 58

JULIE ALIPALA, who reported on Mindanao for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, passed away on April 3, 2025, after a brave battle with endometrial cancer. She was 58. 

Her sister, Emma Alipala, confirmed her death to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an organization where Julie had served as director.

Her 25 years in journalism earned her the esteem of her colleagues. She confronted the political and physical challenges of reporting on the conflicts and battles in Mindanao, including the dangers posed by the Abu Sayaf and high-profile incidents like the Burnham kidnappings.

Throughout her career, Alipala’s work took her everywhere in Mindanao, reporting on natural disasters, armed battles, and the less-reported indigenous peoples in Mindanao. Her work illuminated the complexities of life in a region that gained only scant attention from Manila media unless the news was about disaster, war, and other tragedies. Her accounts showed more of the rich experience of the people of Mindanao. (See: “Heroic effort to draw marginalized Indigenous communities into the mainstream“)

In 2002, she exposed links between extremist groups and elements of the military, for which she suffered attacks and harassment, including being blacklisted by the army. 

In 2012, she reported a suspicious visit from men on a motorcycle who approached her and her son in her own house. In 2018, she was labeled a terrorist by a Facebook page after she reported the killing of seven men by the Philippine Army which claimed the persons were members of the Abu Sayyaf group. By 2019 with the election season gaining in intensity, she faced online attacks from suspected supporters of powerful politicians. 

In 2013, she won the International Committee of the Red Cross Award for Humanitarian Reporting for her coverage of war-affected communities. She was also a finalist in the 2016 Catholic Mass Media Awards. In 2012, she won the Chit Estella Journalism Awards for excellence in human rights reporting. 

Beyond her reporting, Alipala was a staunch advocate for media safety and press freedom as she remained an active member of NUJP. She often stood at the forefront of discussions regarding media safety, reflecting her unyielding commitment to press freedom. 

Colleagues and fellow journalists remember her as a steadfast and compassionate reporter. Froilan Gallardo described her as a “trailblazer” who showed how women journalists kept up professional standards, their courage holding them through danger zones. Jonathan de Santos, Chair of the NUJP, fondly recalled their first meeting, describing Alipala as a woman of confidence, generosity, and a fierce advocate for her colleagues.

Her passing is felt deeply as a significant loss to the community of journalists. Her work and her advocacy will be remembered to inspire future generations of journalists.