Bulatlat

Last updated

Bulatlat
Format Online newspaper
PublisherAlipato Media Center Inc.
Editor-in-chiefRonalyn V. Olea
Associate editorDanilo A. Arao
Managing editorAnne Marxze D. Umil
FoundedFebruary 7, 2001 (2001-02-07)
Political alignment Left-wing
Language Filipino, English
Headquarters Quezon City, Philippines
Country Philippines
Website www.bulatlat.com

Bulatlat ("to open up, expose") [1] is a Philippine independent online alternative news outlet based in Quezon City, Philippines. [2] It was established in 2001 [3] in the days leading up to the Second EDSA Revolution and is published by Alipato Media Center, Inc. [4] Bulatlat is currently the oldest online news outlet in the Philippines. [5]

Contents

Bulatlat was the recipient of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility Award of Distinction in 2022. [6] [7] It is also the first newsroom in the Philippines to receive accreditation from the Journalism Trust Initiative. [8]

History

Bulatlat was founded in 2001 by journalists and human rights defenders in response to "blatant corruption by those who claimed to work for the interests of the Filipino people." [9] [10] Bulatlat was founded as a response to the Joseph Estrada administration's threats to press freedom, particularly after Estrada called for an advertiser boycott of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the takeover of Manila Times following a libel suit. [11] The name Bulatlat means "to open up" or "to expose" in Filipino. [1]

First envisioned as a newsletter, Bulatlat became a weekly online news magazine before settling on daily news releases. [12] The idea of using the Internet as a medium for news was floated as early as 1999, but the events leading up to President Estrada's ouster led to its creation taking a backseat until 2001. [1]

Website blocking

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued an order in June 2022 for internet service providers to block access to 26 websites, including that of Bulatlat alleging the sites to be "affiliated to and are supporting” the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army and the National Democratic Front (CPP–NPA–NDF). [13] [14] [15] A Quezon City regional trial court issued an injunction in August 2022 ordering the NTC to unblock Bulatlat's website, citing the news website's rights to be protected by the Constitutional provision on freedom of speech and of the press. [16] The court later rejected the NTC's plea for reconsideration, reiterating that Bulatlat’s constitutional rights were violated when its website was blocked. [17]

On May 3, 2023, Meta's Facebook restricted over allegation violation community standard. [18] Two days later, Meta removed suggestion on restriction. [19] On August 7, 2025, Meta's Instagram suspended in Bulatlat's page due to fraud and deception. [20] On the next day, Bulatlat appealed to reinstate page then rejects indefinite suspended. [20] [21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Remollino, Alexander Martin (February 5, 2006). "Going Strong After Five Years". www.bulatlat.com. Vol. VI, no. 1. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Philippines: Court orders NTC to unblock Bulatlat website". International Federation of Journalists. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  3. ↑ Staff, CMFR (July 7, 2022). "Understanding alternative media and their purpose". Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  4. ↑ Tupas, Emmanuel (August 12, 2022). "Court orders NTC: Stop blocking Bulatlat website". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ Espina-Varona, Inday. "Big, rich tech teams attack PH alternative media websites | ABS-CBN News". ABS-CBN. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  6. ↑ Clarin, Alyssa Mae (October 27, 2022). "Bulatlat receives 'Award of Distinction' for championing voices of the marginalized". AlterMidya. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ "JVOJS 2022: Bulatlat receives 2022 CMFR Award of Distinction; ABS-CBN's Karmina Constantino named Marshall McLuhan Fellow". CMFR. October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Staff, Bulatlat. "Bulatlat, first PH newsroom to be certified by Journalism Trust Initiative". www.bulatlat.org. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  9. ↑ Kumar, Raksha (August 11, 2023). "The year-long fight of a Filipino news site against red-tagging and state censorship". Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism . Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  10. ↑ Navallo, Mike (July 8, 2022). "Bulatlat asks court to nullify NTC order blocking its website". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  11. ↑ Carranza-Paraan, Rowena (February 6, 2005). "Using the Virtual to Discuss Real-World Issues". www.bulatlat.com. Vol. V, no. 1. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ Ellao, Janess Ann. "#15YearsofBulatlat: 'Kulang sa libog' and other facts you need to know about the early days of Bulatlat". www.bulatlat.com. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Bulatlat says NTC order blocking website is illegal". BusinessWorld. July 18, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  14. ↑ Walker, Tommy (July 26, 2022). "Investigative News Site in Philippines Fights 'Red-Tag' Accusations". VOA News. Voice of America. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  15. ↑ Sadongdong, Martin (June 22, 2022). "Esperon says shutdown of CPP triad-linked websites 'a win' for PH". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  16. ↑ Bolledo, Jairo (August 17, 2022). "Bulatlat's site now accessible after it asked court to hold NTC in contempt". Rappler. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  17. ↑ Bolledo, Jairo (October 12, 2022). "QC court denies NTC's appeal to set aside order to unblock Bulatlat's website". Rappler. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  18. ↑ Gregorio, Xave (May 3, 2023). "Bulatlat says Facebook page restricted over community standards 'violations'". The Philippine Star . Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  19. ↑ Gregorio, Xave (May 5, 2023). "Meta 'no longer suggesting' Bulatlat's Facebook page to users over 'violations'". The Philippine Star . Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  20. 1 2 Cahatol, Marilyn (August 10, 2025). "Meta disables alternative media outlet Bulatlat's Instagram page". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Reinstate Bulatlat's account, Altermidya urges Meta". Altermidya. August 9, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
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