Farewell to a Fearless Voice: Max Limpag Passes Away at 49

New York - Investigative journalist Max Limpag of Cebu has passed away.

It is difficult to write about the loss of a friend and colleague I deeply respected for his integrity, for his courage, and for the way he carried his craft with clarity and purpose.

Like all who knew him, I was stunned by the news. Max was in the middle of it all our chaos, I mean digging, checking, writing, and publishing without fear or apology.

But journalism work is never really finished. Max wrote “30” too early, two days ago, after a massive stroke. He was 49. He will be sorely, painfully missed.

Max entered investigative journalism at a time when AI was reshaping the industry and fake news saturated the public sphere. He confronted disinformation not with noise, but with precision. He remained a luminary in a profession increasingly under siege — and his passing is a profound loss to the media community.

I worked with Max at The Freeman Newspaper, where he began as a young reporter. His copies were compact and clean never once giving me, or any editor, a headache. Even then, he carried the qualities of an exceptional journalist: enthusiastic, meticulous, sharp, always on point, always on time. Brilliant, yet humble. Satirical, yet respectful.

In those Freeman days, Max was quietly smitten with our colleague Marlen del Mar though never enough to miss a newsroom deadline. A few years later, they married, built a family, and continued navigating the relentless demands of our profession. That was Max committed not just to his work, but to the people he loved.

Thanks to digital technology, we kept in touch when difficult issues erupted in Cebu. Journalists have a quiet way of supporting each other sometimes with exchanges of ideas, sometimes with a simple hello.

A few years ago, while doing research at the Cebuano Studies Center, Max sent me a JPG file of my 1996 article on Cebu’s economy. He didn’t have to but he did. That was Max: thoughtful in ways that mattered.

One regret I will carry is not interviewing him for my podcast. We agreed swiftly back in 2024; I simply didn’t do it soon enough. For that, I am deeply sorry.

Max’s body of work investigative, unflinching, deeply rooted in truth — will remain an inspiration. His bravery, sharpness, and generosity of spirit will always be something to emulate.

Thank you, Max. Rest in peace.