Esther A. Vibal

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Esther A. Vibal

Esther Asuncion Vibal is a writer, publisher, businesswoman, socio-civic worker, and philanthropist. At present she is the president of Vibal Publishing House Inc. (VPHI). She is known internationally as the first Asian and Filipino president of International Inner Wheel, a socio-civic organization formed by wives of Rotary Club International.

1 Early Years
2 Vibal Publishing House
3 Socio-Civic Work
4 Awards
5 External Links
6 Citation

[edit] Early Years

Esther Asuncion was born in Camiling, Tarlac. She was educated at Colegio de Santa Rosa high school, which was then located in front of the old Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros, Manila, where she was a scholar. In 1940 she became the editor of the high school organ. Her contemporaries then were Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, Virginia Moreno and the Macasaet girls. A promising young student, she received a full scholarship to University of the Philippines, then in Padre Faura, Manila.

Ms. Asuncion was active in extracurricular activities. She was a member of the UP Women's Club, together with Charo Roxas-Moran, Prof. Ursula Uichangco (dean of women), and Fely Bengzon Gonzales (future ambassador). One of the club's highlights was its annual Rigodon de Honor, where club members were presented to the deans of the university, among them Dr. Valenzuela, Dr. Salcedo, Dean Abad Santos of the College of Law, Dr. Teofilo Sison, Dr. Espiritu and President Bienvenido Gonzales and Mrs. Concepcion Rafols-Gonzales.

She was a writer for the Philippine Collegian, the UP student organ, where her contemporaries were future ambassador Armando Manalo, Armando Ampil, Leonardo Perez, later of the COMELEC, Tagalog writer Dionisio Salazar and poet Fred Bunao. She became the secretary of the UP Student Council under its president Troadio Quiason; they were presented to Philippine president Manuel Roxas at Malacañang in 1946.

After the war years, the UP campus was moved to Diliman, Quezon City, and she was among the first batch to graduate from the campus, together with Gerardo Roxas, Jr. Roxas, Jr. was with Upsilon Sigma Phi of the UP College of Law and was considered the kingmaker in campus politics that day, his father being the current Philippine president.

Ms. Asuncion began her literary career at UP Collegian, then considered the most prestigious university student organ. Her newspaper career began rather serendipitously in 1946 when she was sent by the Manila Post to borrow a "cliche" from the Manila Times. There she met the young publisher Joaquin "Chino" Roces, who interviewed and offered her a job in the Manila Times women's section. At first hesistant because she was a full-time UP scholar, she eventually joined literary great Estrella Alfon and Cita Trinidad. They focused on servicing women's needs in home, garden, and cuisine. She wrote a column entitled "A Little of Everything" and was responsible for reviving the bridal issue.

Among the big names in the chain of the Roces Publications were: American newspaper pioneer David T. Boguslav, Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, Amadeo Dacanay, Emilio Aguilar Cruz, Jose Luna Castro, and D.H. Soriano. While having her articles composed on the second floor of the neighboring Pacifican building, she met Hilarion P. Vibal, the business editor of the Roces' sister newspaper Evening News. They were wed on April 30, 1950.

Mr. Vibal's exposure to the business reporting and central banking through Miguel Cuaderno, Sr. and Alfonso Calalang inspired him to go on his own and establish the Insurance and Finance Publishing Co. in 1953, the progenitor of today's Vibal Publishing House, Inc.. Its maiden publication was Insurance and Finance Magazine. Mr. Vibal had been the special consultant of the newly organized Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) and he had assisted Cuaderno in writing a book on its early formation.

[edit] Vibal Publishing House

Mrs. Vibal would join her husband in 1957 as a part-time publisher with the launch of the supplementary school magazine Science and School Publication. It would be one of the pioneer science magazines of the country, science being introduced as a core curricular subject of that day. In 1961, she launched Vibal's textbook publishing division, when she left the Manila Times. In 1963 she published Vibal's first texbooks in science called Science and Health for Everyone, Grade IV and Science and Health for Better Living, Grade V, both authored by Trinidad Mariño. In 1964 she established the mathematics and social studies departments with the publication of New Adventures in Arithmetic and School Time, a supplementary school magazine.

In 1977 Mrs. Vibal published English Reader, the initial textbook in its first English series which as early as then integrated math, science and values content in one book. On the occasion of its 25th year, she inaugurated VPHI's brand new four-storey complex at the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue. In 1979 she launched the private school division and by 1980 the first branch office in Cebu. In the same year she started publishing Student's Digest,a supplementary social studies periodical.

To further address its expansion requirements, VPHI moved in 2002 to its new Rogelio Villarosa -designed headquarters--a two-storey complex at the corner of Gregorio Araneta Ave. and Maria Clara St. in Quezon City. The building did not suit its rapidly-growing requirements, so it was torn down in 2004 to make way for a much bigger and better designed 4-story complex.

Mrs. Vibal established other VPHI branches in Davao (1992), Cagayan de Oro (2005), and Iloilo (2006).

In 2007, she launched the Vibal Foundation focused on giving in the fields of education, women and community outreach. To date the foundation has established two giant knowledge-sharing initiatives, Filipiniana.net, the digital library, and Wikipilipinas.org, the Philippines' biggest online encyclopedia, as part of the foundation's advocacy of democratic and free access to learning.

[edit] Socio-Civic Work

Mrs. Vibal is active in many socio-civic organizations. In the 1960s she belonged to a core group Rotary Club wives, who helped bring about the rapid growth of Inner Wheel Clubs of the Philippines, Inc. She was one of the founders of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City, Inc. She became its president from 1970-71. She founded the Inner Wheel Clubs of the Philippines, Inc., which became the umbrella organization of Rotary Anns. Later she became its national president in 1980.

She worked for seven years as the editor-in-chief of International Inner Wheel Newsletter. From 1978 to 1982 she was named the international representative of Inner Wheel Philippines to its world body. In 1982, she was voted to become the vice-president of the world organization. Subsequently she was proclaimed at the Palais de Congress in Paris as International Inner Wheel's first Asian world president. Mrs Vibal succeeded Brit J. Fjellander of Malmo, Sweden. As part of her world tour from 1983-84, she undertook a hectic tour of many countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, United States, Norway, Sweden, France, Philippines and India, where she was presented to its president Giani Zail Singh. After her term she was succeeded by Ragnhild Oglaend, of Sandnes, Norway.

From 1994 to 1997 she served as national treasurer of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. She was appointed a commissioner of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women. She also represented Filipino women at the United Nations conference of women in New York and Beijing. In 1990 she became the president of the National Council of Women of the Philippines. She was named a Paul Harris fellow by Rotary Club of Quezon City, Inc.. Sponsored by Justice Leonor Luciano, she took her perpetual vow as a tertiary of the Order of Preachers in 1980.

Presently, Mrs. Vibal is a member of the Board of Trustees of the UP Center for Women's Studies Foundation.

[edit] Awards

Inspiring Women of the Year, Go-Negosyo and Philippine Commission on Women, March 8, 2010

BPI Family Savings Bank Business Excellence Awardee, March 8, 2010

Outstanding Women Achievement Award in Entrepreneurship, Filipino-Chinese Federation of Business and Professional Women, March 29, 2007

Presidential Award, Zonta Club of Manila Foundation, July 2006

National President's Award for Loyalty and Recognition, Inner Wheel Clubs of the Philippines, Inc., 2006

Book Development Leadership Award from the National Book Development Board, 2001

Golden Scroll Award for Business and Industry, awarded during the Parangal ng Bayan 1999, 14th Annual People's Choice, presented by Pres. Joseph Estrada