Obit

Antonio Cabangon Chua, 81

MEDIA MAGNATE Antonio Cabangon Chua died Friday, March 11. He was 81.

Cabangon Chua was the head of several companies within the ALC  group, which include the Business Mirror, Pilipino Mirror, and Philippine Graphic Weekly; radio corporation Aliw Broadcasting Corporation; and TV station RPN9, now  CNN Philippines.

Cabangon Chua also founded the Citystate Savings Bank, Fortune Life Insurance Co., Incorporated, Eternal Plans, Inc., and Citystate Properties and Management Corp. (CPMC), among others. He also served as  former Philippine Ambassador to Laos.

Cabangon Chua worked at several jobs in his youth to make ends meet. He shined shoes, sold newspapers and pan de sal, and drove jeepneys around Manila until he was able to save to put up his first venture together with his friends, the Filipinas Pawnshop. (“Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon-Chua, 81, passes away,” GMANetwork.com, March 11, 2016)

In 2015, he received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) during the 23rd Golden Dove Awards.

Sen. Loren Legarda said that Cabangon Chua  “maintained his dignity even at the lowest times of his early life and he remained humble even with all his successes. He is a dear friend who will surely be missed,” she said. (“Nine Media Corporation chairman Cabangon-Chua passes away,” CNNPhilippines.com, March 12, 2016)

Philippine Graphic editor-in-chief Jose Pablo Salud remembered his former boss as an upright man.  “Unknown to many, Tony spent time mingling with journalists as a young man and wrote Filipino poetry on the side. He was the only publisher I know who never killed a story, even when it was critical of his friends in high places. His only rule of thumb in his newsroom: ‘Always be fair.’” (“Ex-ambassador Cabangon-Chua, 81,” PhilStar.com, March 12, 2016)

His remains will be buried Wednesday, March 16, at the San Felipe Neri cemetery, Mandaluyong city.

Arlene Samson-Espiritu

FREELANCE NEWS REPORTER AND PRODUCER Arlene Samson-Espiritu died March 13, Sunday.

Samson-Espiritu succumbed to lung cancer, which she had battled for almost seven years. In 2009, she became the subject of a controversial labor case when she was forced to resign by her former employer, Tokyo-based Fuji Television Network (Fuji TV), after they found out that she had been diagnosed with cancer. In 2013, the Court of Appeals  reversed the initial decision of The National Labor Commission, saying that her forced resignation because of her ailment was illegal. Fuji TV was ordered to pay Samson-Espiritu P 6.5 million in back wages, and in moral, and exemplary damages. (“Forced to resign after diagnosis, cancer survivor wins legal battle vs Japan’s biggest broadcaster,” Interaksyon.com, March 25, 2013)

Upon regaining her strength, Samson-Espiritu went back to the media and did freelance work for various international news organizations such as CNN, Al Jazeera English, Asahi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun.

However, after a few years, symptoms of her disease recurred.

Friends and family of Samson-Espiritu mourned her passing. In a Facebook post, broadcaster Charie Villa recalled that “She’d always call to ask how I am, and if I wanted to eat breakfast lunch or dinner with her and our ‘boks’ Mogs Dario and Carlo. Missing you na Arlene Samson Espiritu! But I am glad the pain is gone and as we always say ‘bye for now’.”

Another colleague, Manny Mogato, noted how Samson-Espirtu’s disease did not hinder her dedication to her job. “Last week, when [Arlene was] at Makati Med, humihingi ka pa detalye about Balikatan sa akin. ‘Sige, padala ko’ pero sa isip ko ano ba naman itong si Arlene, nasa ospital na trabaho pa rin iniisip.”

Her remains were cremated and laid to rest Friday, March 18 at Heritage Memorial Park, Taguig. She is survived by her husband and children.