ALPAS Group has donated nearly P100,000 to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) to strengthen mental health support for media workers facing the psychological toll of covering violence, disasters, threats and harassment.
The contribution, turned over on October 23 in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, will help expand NUJP’s peer assistance programs, particularly for journalists in communities and alternative media organizations with limited access to professional psychological services.
The funding will support the union’s media safety office and Peer Support for Journalists Program, which trains media practitioners to recognize signs of psychological distress and provide initial assistance to colleagues.
Journalists routinely confront traumatic events and potentially life-threatening situations, with the emotional burden often compounded by demanding deadlines and difficult working conditions, NUJP said.
“This donation will help enable our media safety office to respond to such needs and strengthen the implementation of our peer support network,” the organization said.
ALPAS Group co-founder and chief executive officer Marzie Marzan said the initiative acknowledges the occupational hazards of journalism, including risks that extend beyond physical safety and can have lasting effects on workers’ emotional well-being.
The donation also builds on the company’s ALPASasandalan Program, launched in December 2025 to provide financial assistance for the mental health needs of its media partners.
ALPAS co-founder and chief strategy officer Carlo Escalada said protecting journalists should include addressing the psychological pressures associated with their work.
The initiative comes as media organizations face growing calls to treat mental health as an integral part of newsroom safety, rather than a concern to be addressed only after journalists experience distress.
NUJP has urged newsrooms to incorporate psychological well-being into broader journalist protection measures, alongside physical security and workplace safeguards.
The partnership underscores the need for more sustained institutional support for media workers, particularly those operating outside major news organizations, where access to mental health resources can be limited.
