Veteran journalist and author Joel Pablo Salud passes away

Veteran journalist and author Joel Pablo Salud has passed away.

Salud's wife, Cherilyn Sarigumba, mourned his passing in a Facebook post on Friday. 

“Natupad na ang pangarap mo mahal, kasama mo na si Lord.  Lagi mo sinasabi sa akin na gusto mo na makasama si Jesus. Ito na yon. Alam kong matagal mo na akong sinusubukang ihanda sa ganitong bagay pero ang sakit-sakit pa din,” she wrote.

Her post also came with a photo of Salud holding a Bible.

“Ito na pala ang magiging huling selfie mo sa fone mo. Sana may iniwan kang sulat para sa akin Chief Joel Pablo Salud. Sana kapag nabuksan ko ang laptop mo, may sulat ka para sa akin.  Tutuparin ko ang pangako ko sa iyo.  Hanggang sa muli, mahal ko. Magpapakatatag ako para kay Likha,” she said.

On Thursday morning, Sarigumba shared a Facebook post from fellow journalist and editor Alma Anonas-Carpio that said Salud suffered a mild heart attack and was scheduled for angioplasty at Perpetual Help Medical Center in Las Piñas City.

The post appealed for financial help to cover his treatment.

Salud served as editor-in-chief of Philippines Graphic for 11 years, the country’s oldest and longest-running newsweekly and literary magazine. He was also a former senior editor of Rappler's Central Desk.

He has authored several books of political nonfiction as well as a collection of short fiction.

His books “View from the Foxhole: Shaping the Political into the Personal" (2023), "Specimen Zero: A Science Fiction Novel" (2023), “I, Journalist and Other Newsroom Introspections" (2020), and “In the Line of Fire: Lectures" (2022) have been named finalists at the National Book Awards.

At the 2024 National Book Awards, "View from the Foxhole" went on to win the Hilarion and Esther Vibal Prize for Best Book in Journalism. 

Salud was also chair of the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN Philippines and a member of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL).

In addition, he wrote a weekly column on writing for San Anselmo Press and contributed pop culture pieces to PhilSTAR Life.

In his last years, Salud rediscovered Christianity and openly wrote about faith and religion on social media, as well as his Medium blog and Substack. 

Our deepest condolences to Joel Pablo Salud's loved ones. 

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News