On June 21, a Tuesday, the family and friends of journalist Chit Estella-Simbulan will mark the 40th day of her death in a car accident on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon city last month’s Friday, the 13th.
At 6:30 a.m, there will be a “Run for Road Safety” to be led by running priest Fr. Robert Reyes starting at the College of Mass Communication, where Chit was a member of the faculty. The run will take the route of University Avenue, then Commonwealth towards the site of the accident, in front of the Ayala Techno Hub, which Fr. Reyes will bless. The participants will be escorted by MMDA motorcycle units and traffic will be rerouted briefly for the activity.
(We will never be this complete anymore.Photo is the last of VERA Files trustees together. From left: Booma Cruz, Chit Estella, Ellen Tordesillas, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, Jenny Santillan-Santiago.
(This was taken during the award ceremonies of the 2010 Ninoy and Cory Aquino Fellowship Award for Journalism to Yvonne last Aug. 10,2010 at the Manila Peninsula.)
Everybody concerned of safety in our roads are invited to join.
At 3 p.m. there will be a mass at San Agustin church in Intramuros, Manila. After the mass, at 4 p.m., Chit’s ashes will be interred at the San Agustin columbarium crypt.
Reception will follow at the San Agustin church center gardens.
Why do we hold a memorial on the 40th day after one’s death? Religious articles said Jesus ascended to Heaven on the 40th day after his resurrection. It is believed that a soul’s arrival to God is celebrated on the 40th day after the person’s death.
Chit’s death was so sudden that it took quite a while for many of us, whose lives she touched, to accept the reality that she is gone. But it seems that Chit, unwittingly (this is Chit’s favorite word that earned her a libel suit from former President Joseph Estrada) had prepared for it.
Chit’s husband, Roland Simbulan, a professor at UP Manila, said the San Agustin columbarium was his wife’s choice. Last Christmas holidays, they decided to visit the former walled city of Intramuros where the centuries- old San Agustin church is. They went to the museum and there, they learned for the first time that there was a columbarium.
Roland said he and Chit had been talking about the inevitable matter of death and they had agreed that when their time comes, they would want to be cremated. Chit was not so keen on columbariums near their place in Quezon City.
Roland said, immediately, Chit liked the San Agustin church columbarium. She said, “Dito na tayo.”They even got an application form. Five months after, Roland filled up the application form for Chit’s use.
Roland issued again an appeal to those who have witnessed the vehicular crash that killed Chit to contact them. They may call the family’s lawyer Arno Sanidad (9200040, 4353181, 09189055992) or Jen Estella (09088631346, 2277035, 9325322).
Chit was riding an Abu Abbey taxi on her way to Ayala Techno Hub on Commonwealth Avenue from her Tandang Sora home for a reunion dinner with some high school friends. Initial accounts said the taxi was sideswept by Nova bus, then hit by the a Universal Guiding Star bus on the rear.
Chit was declared dead on arrival in a nearby hospital.
Chit’s death has compelled the Metro Manila Development Authority, the agency in charge of traffic management in the metropolis, to strictly enforce its 60-kilometer-per hour speed in the 18-lane Commonwealth Avenue, which has been dubbed as a “killer highway” because of the high number of vehicular accidents on that road.
Concerned citizens are also looking at the other causes of insanity on the road such as responsibility or the lack of it by bus operators, the lack of discipline of drivers, the unsafe road designs, and the lack of efficient road management.
Making those responsible for the death of Chit accountable is not just a quest for justice for her. It’s a crusade to make our roads safe so that no one’s life would be lost in such a senseless manner any more.
In every tragic accident like this, some measure (legislative or road design defects major repairs) is done…
One very quite early morning, two teenagers, decided to go out and “dragged” race in their parents Mercedes in a deserted street and going full speed, suddenly a Taxi driven by a Pakistani on a green light passed by…he was T-boned by one of the driver..dead on the scene leaving a wife and children in Pakistan…the Chief of Police, lobbied the Provincial Government at the time seem to be a very controversial proposal…the Stuntman Law…(many expert believe it will not pass the constitutional challenge)
The Law stipulates that anyone caught going 50 kms over the posted speed limit will automaticall get suspended for 7 days, car towed and impounded for a week and if found guilty will be fined for a minimum of $5000 for the first offense and a suspension of License for one year…second offense for $10000 ansd 3rd the lose of privilege…the law has been challenged and it passed the constitutional challenge…so anyone driving in the roadways of Ontario…check the posted limit…or ready to pay the fine…
The family of the Taxi Driver was granted the immigrant Visa and get a very Generous and substantial out of Court settlement from the Kids Insurance…the drivers, both were found guilty of Criminal Negligence causing death and was sentenced as minors…
For Chit, something substantial in terms of Legislation in traffic enforcement and drivers’ education must be done, including correct road designs and vehicle safety enforcements…
Now, I mentioned that the Teenagers were sentenced as minors…as incentive for Kids to stay in school, Driver’s License is allowed two years earlier for those enrolled before the legal age of 18…for those who dropped out by 16, have to wait until 18 to get the driver license. just to clarify the issue before the quetion…
On May 25, Ms. Karen Davila had as guest on her TV program “Headstart” DepEd Asec. Toni Umali to discuss the government’s K-12 program. A viewer of the program posted a question on Twitter on the possibility of including Road Users Education in the K-12 curriculum, something similar to the one instituted in the high school curriculum in the United States.
The question was motivated by the tragic accidents that we have witnessed on Commonwealth Ave. that claimed the lives of not a few of our fellow Filipinos.
Mr. Umali said that it is a subject matter that is not a priority at the moment, a response that disappointed me. Road Users Education is not just about learning how to drive. It is about learning traffic rules and regulations on the road. It is about the driver AND the pedestrian learning their rights and more importantly, their responsibilities when they cross the street, flag a cab, drive their cars, or unload a passenger. It is about learning how to respect each other on the road so that accidents that may claim innocent lives can be avoided.
In the US, every high school student is expected to memorize the meaning of all road signs, and all traffic rules and regulations. I will admit that it was a matter I trivialized when I first set foot on US soil several years ago. But through the years I realized that thorough knowledge of these traffic signs and rules is what keeps traffic in most of the US quite manageable. Pedestrians know their responsibilities, and they also know what are the drivers’ responsibilities, what they can and cannot do. In the same manner, drivers are fully aware of proper road decorum and they respect the rights of pedestrians.
There was one time when we had a storm and there was a power outage and all traffic lights were not working. I was amazed that drivers in the city where I live knew exactly what to do — the first car to stop at the intersection was the first car to go. It was a magnificent sight to behold, specially since there was no traffic enforcer in sight. This will never happen in the Philippines!
Maybe “Driver’s Education” is not the proper name to call it. Nevertheless, I believe that Ms. Davila’s viewer on her TV program proposed one of the most sensible ideas in solving our traffic woes, a proposal that offers a long term solution. I support him/her 100%. I propose to our DepEd officials to institute a Road Education program which I believe will offer a long lasting solution to our decades old traffic problem.
The reaction of Umali is common (I don’t want to use ‘typical’) among government officials. That partly explains why we have anarchy in our roads.
From JB Baylon posted in my FB:
It is too late to advocate for road safety once unqualified drivers already have their licenses. the root of this evil is in the way we evaluate applicants for the driver’s license. It is so flawed and so corrupt. Test questions are pre-marked with answers. There is no test drive with an evaluator. Then again, it is just one big opportunity for corruption, year in and year out.
Nakakalungkot naman yung picture.
I think most drivers here do not even know the rudiments of driving––for example, the concept of “right of way.”
Many drivers think that as long as there’s enough space that can fit their vehicle, they can go ahead and occupy that space.
Even pedestrians crossing at streets where there are traffic lights, do not even bother looking up at the lights to see whether it’s green or red. They just boldly hold up their arms to stop speeding motorists so they can cross.
Hangga’t walang disiplina ang maraming motorista, kahit na ang mga tumatawid na hindi marunong gumamit ng overpass o tamad gumamit nun, marami pang susunod sa aksidente.
Halos lahat siguro ng mga Pilipino ngayon, walang paki-alam sa paligid niya kahit na ano pang mangyari sa kapwa niya basta siya makausad lang.
Ellen, in spirit I’m joining you and family and friends in ““Run for Road Safety” in memory of your friend Chit. (Will offer prayers instead of the actual run.)
#8 Meron sigurado pero mangilan-ngilan na lang. Ewan ko kung ang problemang ito ay dahil sa kawalang disiplina, dala ng kahirapan, nagmamadali para kumita ng malaki o naiinitan. Ang tingin ko ay naging kultura na rin ito ng pinoy, tulad ng korapsyon na nakatimo na sa katauhan ng marami.
Vic, ( #1 & 2) if I may, puedeng mangyari yang kalakaran ngayon na yan sa Canada sa mga apo ng mga apo sa tuhod natin kung ang Pilipinas ay magiging probinsiya ng Canada. Yayanig ang mundo pag nangyari yan. Malayo yata ang Greece at Turkey parang maging miembro ng EC. Pero tila malapit na mabuo ang Republic of North America (US, Canada at Mexico). Uutot ng husto ang US at China pag meron nakaisip niyan. Maraming maibibigay ang Pilipinas sa Canada bukod sa natural resources at intellectual manpower tulad ng power in geopolitics or the economics and political power of location . Dalawang century segurong advance ang idea na ito para mangyari. Kaya nakakatawa at puedeng kutyain.
Sori, out of topic kasi dami ko nang nasabi sa malakrimen kapabayaan ng gobierno sa paggalaw ng tao at kalakal sa Pilipinas, na kung saan puedeng gamitin ng husto ang lupa, himpapawid, dagat, ilog at mga lawa. Sa 401 freeway sa Ontario, maduduling ang mata, matotorete ang utak sa pagbibilang kotse (hakot tao) at mga mahabang trailers (hakot kalakal) 24/7 na dumadaan dito. PERO 100 repeat 100 kilometers per hour ang speed limit sa maraming bahagi ng kahabaan nito. Maliban kung may aksidente, ganda ng daloy ng dugo ng trafiko.
Kaya ayun sabi daw ni Mar Roxas (nasulat sa isang editorial) ang tungkulin daw niya ay pangalagaan ang artery ng dugo na kung saan dumadaan ang mga tao at mga kalakal na ikinabubuhay ng mga tao. Lahat ng kalsada (artery) sa Metro Manila, Cebu at iba pang siyudad meron ng matinding atherosclerosis, sobrang barado na, hindi na kayang lunasan ng angioplasty. Octo by-pass na ang kailangan.Kaya si Mar kung siya ay maalam, dapat palaging kakausapin niya yung kapwa niya doctor ng mga artery sa DPWH na siya nakakaalam ng Angioplasty at Octo By-pass para maiwasan ang transplant.
Dahil si Mar gumamit ng metaphor, seguro MAALAM siya na sabi ko nga dito ay talo ang matalino at marunong.
Ang problema ng Commonwealth Avenue ay bunga ng katangahan kaya mahirap lunasan; sabi ko nga dito, magtayo ng lang ng mahabang Mall sa gitna, marami pang magkakaroon ng trabaho.
Ang problema ng Commonwealth Avenue ay bunga ng katangahan kaya mahirap lunasan; sabi ko nga dito, magtayo ng lang ng mahabang Mall sa gitna, marami pang magkakaroon ng trabaho.-humus
Hindi naman puro katangahan kundi implementasyon ng traffic rules at korapsyon sa LTO na basta bayad ka ng license at may add pa aty heto na ang papeles, kahit walang evaluation ang driver applicants.
Pero nakakatawa man na magtayo ng Mall sa gitna ng Commonwealth Avenue, ay may sense din dahil hihinto pati mga sasakyan kundi mababangga sila.
Kung hindi priority ang road safety projects sa ngayon ay di hala, maghintay kayo na pati kaanak o kayo mismo ay masagasaan!
Further to JB Baylon’s comment:
The computerization of LTO and its controversial IT contractor Stradmore is one of the culprits. After 25 years of driving, I applied for a license and took the written driving test after I decided to retire my driver. The aide who helped me through the windows asked me before the test, “Di ba kayo magpapatulong?” hinting of a “fix”. I replied, “Hindi na, five years expired yung lisensiya ko. Bago yun, 20 years na akong nagda-drive. Ilalaban ko na sa legal ito.”
The 40-question multiple choice is so generated such that each questionnaire is different from all the others.
From the batch of about 30 examinees, only I chose the English exam which was more convenient to me. But what do you know, when it was time for the road signs (some 8-9 items), it was impossible to choose correctly because the exam was printed in black and white. The color codes cannot be deciphered but still I was confident I will pass (30 out of 40 is passing).
But I was wrong, the test was loaded with trick questions I’m sure if everyone in that room took the same test as mine, they will be lucky to score 5 points. I got 28 and failed.
For example, the question was asking for the safe distance between your car and that in front of you but the choices didn’t have measurements of length but answers like “3 seconds apart” or “as long as you can see the rear wheels”, etc. Another one asked what the actual speed limit is when it is raining and there are visible speed signs.
The rest of the test was a test of spotting the magician’s trick rather than driving skills.
In other words, my test paper was designed for me to narrowly fail so I can use their fixers to correct my score in their computers. Everyone in the class passed except me, including those who have never even touched a steering wheel all their life. One whose fixer was not around at the time ditched the owner-type test jeep into the corn vendor’s cart but still got his license afterwards.
Computerization may be impressive, but it is still susceptible to manipulation, as they say, Garbage In, Garbage Out. I’m not sourgraping but I think there is reason to audit Stradmore’s system.
Shooting buddy Asec. Virginia Torres’ interest ends in the takeover of Stradmore, not cleaning up the mess.
Onli (and as always) in the Pilipins.
There were 5 or six people who acted as “stand-ins” for some examinees. They answered for their customers right in the proctor’s desk in front of the testing room. They charged P300 per head. Money was exchanging hands right in front of the LTO proctors.
Sarap i-video.
I’m almost sure the driver who killed Chit Estella (and a majority of public utility drivers) got their license this way.
I advocate a re-testing of all public utility drivers monitored and scrutinized by NGOs.
Journalists can begin from there.
Chi #12
Tungkol sa sinabi kong katangahan , medio maingat ako baka padalosdalos ang salita. Pero minsan aminado ako. Nagkakamali ako big time. Sa paggawa ng kalsada o highway alam ng marami na may tintatawag na engineering feasibility; meron cut and fill pag kailangan ang cut and fill pero hindi ginawa sa halip you go up instead of cut, you go down instead of fill tulad noong bago yung bahagi ng Ortigas Ave buhat Meralco bldg puntang Rosario Pasig na ilan sa mga jeepney tumitihaya, gumugulong-gulong daming pasaherong namatay dahil wala pang traffic noon. Pa ulit ulit hindi sinusunod ang nararapat kahit ano pang dahilan. Di ba katangahan na yan? Iba ang dahilan, pero bakit marami ang nahuhulog na sasakyan sa Kennon at sa iba pang lugar? Overloading, careless driving? Seguro nga.
Naisulat ko na dito pinakamaluwang na kalye sa siyudad sa buong mundo ay 9 lanes lang, ang Commonwealth Ave 18 lanes daw. Doble. Saan engineering technology nila kinuha yung plano niyan? Dami ng namatay or na aksidente diyan. If it is broke and you don’t fix it because you don’t see it, diba patuloy na katangahan yan? Pababayaan ba nating magwagi, mamayani ang takaw (TonGue-t #14-15?) over science and technology? Baka nandiyan ang kasagutan hindi katangahan. Humihingi ako ng paumanhin.
Madami talagang mga money-making schemes sa LTO (drug test, medical exam) na wala namang silbi.
Pati yung RFID na nabayaran na pero illegal pala at dapat ay i-refund, hanggang ngayon, wala pang refund.
Also, there are many so-called traffic enforcers who are also inept. Example, allowing buses/jeepneys to stop for passengers and block traffic. Parang wala tayong common sense, when it comes to traffic management.
Totoo talaga na “common sense is not so common”!
Dagdag ko for archive purposes (sorry Ellen, ginawa kong personal diary tong blog mo) May isang unipormadong pulis ng Traffic Management Office ang kasunod kong nag-test. Sabit din siya kasi lumaban ng legal.
Nagyoyosi kami sa labas ng kwarto ng examiner dahil di kami makapaniwala sa resulta nung tumawag sa opisyal niya at nagreklamong ibinagsak siya. Ang pagkakaintindi ko, nakauniporme na nga siya, bakit pa siya ibinagsak sa test. Dumating yung opisyal at maya-maya “inayos” na ang problema.
Grabeng swapang ang LTO (Parañaque), hagad ng TMO, kinotongan pa.
Okay lang Tongue. The sharing here is informative and helpful to the crusade that friends and family of Chit Estela have decided to pursue so that her death would not be ‘senseless’ as what it has been described.