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Chit Estella

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In thisPhilippine nameformarried women,the birthmiddle nameor maternalfamily nameisPanganiban,the birth surname or paternal family name isEstella,and themarital nameisSimbulan.
Chit Estella-Simbulan
Detail of the Wall of Remembrance at theBantayog ng mga Bayani,showing names from the 2016 batch of Bantayog Honorees, including that of Chit Estella.
Born
Lourdes Panganiban Estella

(1957-08-19)August 19, 1957
Quezon City,Philippines
DiedMay 13, 2011(2011-05-13)(aged 53)
Quezon City, Philippines
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Diliman(BA)
OccupationJournalist
SpouseRonald Simbulan
AwardsHonored at theBantayog ng mga BayaniWall of Remembrance

Lourdes "Chit" Panganiban Estella-Simbulan(August 19, 1957 – May 13, 2011) was a Filipino journalist[1]and professor,[2]known for her critical writings on government repression, abuse, corruption and human rights violations.[3]

Estella-Simbulan is particularly known for having been instrumental in the founding of thePhilippine Center for Investigative Journalismand ofVera Files,two of the Philippines' most prominent independent investigative journalism organizations;[4]and for being editor in chief of the Pinoy Times, a tabloid whose exposés played a role in the ouster of Philippine President Joseph Estrada.[5]

In recognition of her early work, as a journalist during the Philippines' Martial Law period underFerdinand Marcos,Estella-Simbulan's name was one of 19 added in November 2016 to the inscriptions on theBantayog ng mga Bayani(Monument of the Heroes) Memorial Wall, which is dedicated to individuals who "defied risks and dedicated their life for the cause of truth, justice, peace and freedom for the Filipino people"during the Marcos regime.[6]

Education and personal life

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Estella-Simbulan was born inQuezon Cityto Elijio Edarad Estella and Antonia Mapala Panganiban. She finished her primary and secondary schooling at St. Joseph's College, and studied AB Journalism at theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman.She pursued graduate studies at theOpen University of the University of the Philippines,with a Master in Public Management.[3]

She was married to Roland Simbulan, an author, professor and long-time advocate against nuclear power.[7]

Journalism career

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Estella was studying journalism at the University of the Philippines during the beginnings of theMartial Lawera. In her sophomore year she began writing for the school newspaper, thePhilippine Collegian.[8]The paper was previously ordered to be discontinued upon the declaration of martial law, but the university population persisted to have it revived. In 1974, thePhilippine Collegianwas re-established. It covered social happenings in the repressive government under Martial Law, and had a staff with strong editorial stances. Estella wrote for the newspaper's current events section, and investigated events that exposed government suppression of truth, corruption, and human rights abuses. In 1975 she also worked at Liwayway Press in Santa Cruz, Manila, where she covered news events.[3]In her senior year, Estella was elected president of the UP Journalism Club.

She wrote for severalunderground resistance press,such as theBalita ng Malayang Pilipinas (BMP),Taliba ng Bayan,and theLiberation,disguised under the nom de guerre "Ka Sandy". Along with other college writers, she would skip classes to pursue assignments for these publications. Her work in the press became significant channels of information to the Filipino public, who were hungry for independent opinion and real, objective news.

After she graduated in 1979, it became difficult to find employment in Marcos crony-controlled publications. With her background of press coverage concerning human rights, protests and social action, she was continually rejected. She later wrote articles for anti-dictatorship groups, such as the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) of theCatholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines(CBCP). She was almost arrested on one occasion in 1982.[3]Estella became a reporter for theManila Evening PostandTempo,before she joinedAng Pahayagang Malaya,an independent newspaper where she covered news at the Malacañan.

She became managing editor of theManila Timesin the mid-1990s, and became editor-in-chief ofPinoy Timesin 1999, a tabloid in Filipino notable for its criticisms of then PresidentJoseph Estrada.[9]Alibel suitfiled by Estrada against theManila Timesforced the paper to issue a front-page apology, which led Estella and fellow editors Booma Cruz, Joel Gaborni, andEd Lingaoto resign in protest.[10]

She also wrote forMr. & Ms.and thePhilippine Daily Inquirer,and helped establish the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and Vera Files. She also edited thePhilippine Journalism Review,a publication for theCenter for Media Freedom and Responsibility.[11]In 2001, she returned to her alma mater UP Diliman to teach at the College of Mass Communication.

Death

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On May 13, 2011, two passenger buses crashed into a taxi she was riding alongCommonwealth AvenueinQuezon City,which caused her sudden death.[1][12]Her remains were subsequently cremated[13]and interred at theSan Agustin ChurchinManila.[14]

In 2024, the drivers of the two buses that collided with Estella's taxi were convicted of homicide over her death and sentenced to two years' imprisonment.[15]

Legacy

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University of the PhilippinesProfessor Roland Simbulan, speaking to students about his wife Chit Estella Simbulan, who is honored on the wall of remembrance at theBantayog ng mga Bayani,just before the Annual Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes on 30 November 2018.

In 2012, the first Chit Estella Journalism Awards and Memorial Lectures was established, which aims to honor significant journalism on human rights, both in print and online publications.[16]The first lecture was about the human rights situation in the Philippines, delivered bySatur Ocampo,who is a veteran journalist, former political prisoner and representative in Congress.[17]

In 2015, Vera Files launched the Chit Estella Road Safety Journalism Award,[18]as a special category in the Philippine Journalism Research Conference (PJRC). It expands her current Memorial Awards for Journalism, this time to be awarded to Journalism or Communication students with outstanding research papers or reports on road safety.

In recognition of her early work, as a journalist during the Philippines' Martial Law period underFerdinand Marcos,Estella-Simbulan's name was one of 19 added in November 2016 to the inscriptions on theBantayog ng mga Bayani(Monument of the Heroes) Memorial Wall, which is dedicated to individuals who "defied risks and dedicated their life for the cause of truth, justice, peace and freedom for the Filipino people"during the Marcos regime.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"Journalist Chit Estella killed in crash".ABS-CBN News.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-04-20.Retrieved2018-04-19.
  2. ^Flores, Mikhail Franz (2011-05-14)."Simbulan writes 30".Tinig ng Plaridel (Official Student Publication of the UP College of Mass Communication).Archivedfrom the original on 2018-04-20.Retrieved2018-04-20.
  3. ^abcd"ESTELLA-SIMBULAN, Lourdes P. – Bantayog ng mga Bayani".Bantayog ng mga Bayani.2016-11-29.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-10-18.Retrieved2018-04-19.
  4. ^Pimentel, Benjamin (2011-05-15)."Chit Estella: Journalism with Integrity".Philippine Daily Inquirer.Archivedfrom the original on 2011-08-13.Retrieved2018-04-20.
  5. ^Coronel, Sheila S. (2002-06-15)."New Media Played a Role in the People's Uprising".Nieman Reports.Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-04-26.Retrieved2018-04-20.
  6. ^abTorralba, Alanah (2016-12-08)."VERA Files trustee one of 19 freedom fighters honored by Bantayog ng mga Bayani - Vera Files".Vera Files.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-04-20.Retrieved2018-04-20.
  7. ^"Chit Estella's widower still grieves for his 'soulmate'".GMA News Online.2011-05-31.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-04-20.Retrieved2018-04-20.
  8. ^Sta. Ana, Filomeno S. III (2011-05-16)."In memory of Chit Estella".Business World.
  9. ^Bacungan, VJ (May 13, 2021)."Still no justice for journalist Chit Estella 10 years after fatal road crash".ABS-CBN News.RetrievedDecember 22,2022.
  10. ^Santos, Jose Bimbo; Pinlac, Melanie (2007-09-01)."Back to the Past: A timeline of press freedom".CMFR.Retrieved2022-12-17.
  11. ^Olea, Ronalyn V. (2011-05-20)."Lourdes 'Chit' Estella-Simbulan, a principled journalist, a compassionate person".Bulatlat.Retrieved2022-12-22.
  12. ^"'Killer' bus driver of Chit Estella still hiding ".ABS-CBN News.May 16, 2011.
  13. ^"Remains of Simbulan cremated".The Philippine Star.May 18, 2011.
  14. ^"Chit Estella Awards for Journalism launched".GMA News.June 24, 2011.
  15. ^"QC court convicts 2 bus drivers in death of journalist Chit Estella".GMA News.May 11, 2024.
  16. ^"1st Chit Estella Journalism Awards 2012".The Diliman UPDate Online.Diliman,Quezon City:University of the Philippines Diliman.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-01-17.Retrieved2018-04-20.
  17. ^"PDI, Bulatlat reporters win 1st Chit Estella Journalism Awards".Philippine Daily Inquirer.2013-01-15.Retrieved2022-12-20.
  18. ^"Road safety journalism award launched - Vera Files".Vera Files.Retrieved2018-04-19.
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