FACES OF CEBU: Niña Estenzo, environmental justice advocate

Niña Estenzo is a fellow Filipino and an advocate for environmental justice. | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Some people stumble upon their life’s mission. Others are born into it.

For Niña Marie Gonzaga Estenzo, justice wasn’t just a concept, it was a family tradition.

Raised among lawyers who championed the underserved, she inherited not only their conviction but a deep understanding that privilege comes with responsibility.

Yet for her, the call to justice doesn’t end in courtrooms.

It echoes through coastlines, forest trails, and communities fighting for their right to a livable planet.

Who is Niña

In Mandaue City, where the clamor of industry meets memories of provincial stillness, Estenzo stands as a bridge between generations, causes, and communities.

“I enjoyed a happy childhood in a close-knit family. Mandaue and Catmon are my anchor points,” she said.

Her roots are both urban and rural. Weekends with her grandfather in Catmon. Afternoons in Mandaue, where pastures still greeted their backyard.

“Always, we were brought to nature,” she said.

And justice, to her, was not abstract; it was lived.

“We were always told that those who have less should have more in the law or to whom much is given, much is required,” Niña shared.

From her father’s side, she inherited a passion for defending the marginalized. From her Negrense mother, a grounded sense of empathy and belonging.

“[I] am a child of the province. We were outdoors every day,” she proudly says.

PEJC’s campaign director

Today, Estenzo serves as the campaign director of the Philippine Earth Justice Center (PEJC).

It is a Cebu-based legal and advocacy organization dedicated to defending environmental rights and upholding the law for the protection of both people and the planet.

READ: World Water Day: How we can conserve our most precious resource

When asked what first ignited her passion for advocacy and environmental justice, she offered a quiet but powerful reflection: “Just that I know I had the luxury of enjoying a better environment growing up, and to rob the younger generation of that luxury is a great injustice to them. It’s very sad.”

Her work places her at the intersection of legal battles, grassroots organizing, and policy engagement.

Estenzo leads PEJC’s campaigns with grit, empathy, and a strong belief in environmental justice.

PEJC, founded in 2010 by a group of environmental lawyers, including her aunt and uncle, Lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos and Lawyer Dante Ramos, rose to prominence with their landmark victory in the Tañon Strait case, which recognized the legal rights of marine mammals and set a precedent for environmental protection through legal channels.

PEJC continues to grow its reach through education, legal assistance, and community partnerships.

“Our mission is to ensure the full implementation of environmental laws in the Philippines. We work for the protection of both Planet and People,” she said.

But leading these efforts isn’t without its challenges.

“There are many [environment] issues with few [environment] lawyers to go around. There is also the case of abusive officials who use power and agency to silence dissent,” Estenzo explained.

Despite the obstacles, she sees signs of a turning tide.

“Times are changing, and the Environmental Defenders Network is snowballing in expansion. More are aware, more are vocal, more are joining the frontline fight. This informs the violators to BEWARE,” she said.

As campaign director, Estenzo isn’t just coordinating legal strategies—she’s helping lead a movement.

They do this not just for themselves, but for every Filipino who deserves clean air, safe water, and the right to a healthy environment.

Shifting paths

Long before environmental law became her life’s calling, Estenzo held a microphone.

Laughing, she recalled her unexpected start in sports broadcasting. “Haha! Yes! ALL surprising!”

After a short broadcast course with ABS-CBN, she joined her father, then CESAFI commissioner, at a Champions League game.

On a whim, a Manila-based crew handed her the mic. “We rolled.”

She had no background in basketball—“still barely know any now,” she joked—but the experience took her across the country, interviewing players, covering games, and working side-by-side with her dad.

“All good, looking back,” she smiled.

But the spotlight never quite fit. “On-cam work is stressful for someone who barely combs her hair. LOL.”

She soon pivoted to workforce development, choosing purpose over polish.

When she moved back to Cebu after more than a decade in Manila, transitioning to full-time community work felt like a homecoming.

“I enjoy it more,” she said.

Faith, family, and the fight forward

In such heavy work, Estenzo doesn’t pretend to be invincible.

“I cry it out. Talk to God. I aspire to have the courage to be vulnerable. I think vulnerability is a courageous global need. Sometimes a good cry is all it takes. When I am at the brink of giving up, the Universe ALWAYS throws a Lifeline. Just enough to keep going,” she shared.

To her, advocacy is like driving down a dark road with only your headlights to guide you.

Her daughter, Xandrine, is her light.

“My daughter keeps me hopeful.”

Estenzo openly talks about anxiety, self-doubt, and the slow pace of change.

“Honestly, I don’t always stay patient and hopeful, and that’s ok. I allow myself the space to honor how I feel,” she says.

“We just trudge along and get things done, struggles and all. Give ourselves a pat on the back on the good days and cheer ourselves on for the blah days.”

Vision

Estenzo dreams big, not for herself, but for Cebu.

“I hold the vision that the Cebuano Youth Voice be the single most powerfully commanding Voice for the Cebu Environment,” she said.

“So powerful that a Young Cebuano Environmentalist bloc endorsement for Green Leadership is enough to drive a candidate’s election win. May you all weed out the ‘Environmental Aggressors’ from the ‘Environmental Protectors’. If a Politician has a blemish of Environmental harm on his career, CANCEL that one. Expunge from the system immediately,” she added.

She imagines youth endorsements swaying elections. Environmental violators are being booted from office. Power, truly, returning to the people.

“HARI ANG KATAWHAN,” Niña said.

(The People are King)

“The youth must live in that power. Government exists to serve. Authority emanates from the people,” she added.

When asked for her advice to young changemakers, she said,  “Start. Don’t let anything stop you. Not fear, nor the lack of resources. Not judgement from others nor yourself. No limits.”

She reminds others that even if they ever have to face challenges alone, they already carry everything they need within themselves, and that they are more than enough.

“However, just know in case you have to go at it alone- you have all you need within yourself and YOU are more than enough.”

And most importantly?

“Have fun. Always, always have fun.”

/clorenciana