One month before his wife was to give birth to their first-born, Christian Esguerra decided to resign from ANC, the ABS-CBN news channel. That’s a move that only a maverick would make, observed Hans Tan, who engaged him in a candid one-on-one conversation while riding a car around Metro Manila streets a few weeks ago. Hans is the host of the King Panda show, using the name Fat Panda.

Hans described Christian as “a journalist, father and amateur boxer who learned that discipline is not only built in the newsroom but also in the ring.”

Christian recalled that he took up boxing in his mid 20s because he wanted to know what it was like to fight another person one-on-one, even if he hardly fought with anyone as a child or a teenager. “Where would I get the strength para tapusin?” was the vital lesson he learned from boxing, a sport in which two fighters mix it up at close quarters and try to score on as many punches, which in effect means hurting the other person into submission.

Describing himself as being “very opinionated and very argumentative,” Christian has evidently mellowed as he has emerged as one of the leading lights of podcasting. His online show Facts First is the FAMAS awardee for the podcast genré, a truly well-deserved recognition for having reshaped online journalism.

His mother, a housewife, encouraged him to listen to news on the radio; his father brought home newspapers like Tempo and The Reporter from which he learned about the several coup attempts against the administration of President Corazon Aquino when he was in San Beda grade school.

His decided to take up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas, graduating cum laude. He further honed his skills as a member of The Varsitarian staff. Now an assistant professor at his alma mater’s College of Arts and Letters. He has also obtained a degree in Master of Arts in Theology, major in Social Pastoral Communication, also from UST.

Among the major accolades he has received are: Marshall McLuhan Fellow, 2020; Award of Distinction – Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), 2019; Titus Brandsma Awardee for Emergent Leadership in Journalism, 2019; and the Gawad Dr. Pio Valenzuela for Excellence in Journalism Recipient – City of Valenzuela, 2019.

Reflecting on his awards, he emphasized the importance of imbibing a sense of stewardship: “Lahat naman tayo binigyan ng talents and skills.” He has also realized the importance of dedicating such talents “for something bigger than myself.”

Recalling the valuable traits he learned from his parents, he cited character and integrity. He said that the concept of hard work was embedded in his consciousness by his parents. Integrity transcends honesty; it means being “poor in spirit.” As a boy, he became conscious that “things will get hard before they become better” and that “hard work shapes character.”

Hans asked Christian, “Where do you find peace?”

He replied”: “I learn to identify the cause of a particular irritant” that is causing unease. Then I reflect further by asking, “In my list of priorities, nasaan ito?” Anchoring him is a “personal relationship with God.” He reflects: “Even when you think you’re in control, the fear of uncertainty (would set in) and this generates a sense of humility.” Even as he realizes that he has become a self-made person, he constantly reminds himself that key people helped him along the way.

I remember Christian as the informal leader of the Malacañang Press Corps during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. His peers looked up to him as their go-to person during press conferences with heads of state.

When US President Barack Obama met with reporters during his visit in 2014, Christian asked him about the key aspects of American foreign policy toward the Philippines. President Obama’s answer touched on the then-nascent US policy on regional security. The following day, this reply was deftly modified; the US President reaffirmed his country’s “iron-clad commitment” to defend the Philippines. He emphasized that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty bound the two nations so that "no potential aggressor could be under the illusion that either of them stands alone.”

Asked by Hans about his self-improvement program, Christian said he wants to learn and improve on prudence. He confides that he still needs to become more patient in listening after he has asked a question, and not to second-guess what the interviewee might be inclined to say.

And what does Christian Esguerra want to be remembered by? “I would like them to say that I was a man of integrity,” says he. In my view, he is a role model that today’s crop of aspiring journalists would do well to emulate.

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