Philippine Women’s College was founded way back in 1919 during the American regime and even before it attained its university status in 1932, it was already known for its excellent swimming program conducted in its own huge “Belen Perez Swimming Pool”—the country’s 1st indoor competition pool. From the start, the women’s swimming program, had the full support of the college. After all, one of the founders, Francisca Tirona was married to the outstanding U.S.-trained swimmer Conrado Benitez, and that the school’s chairman of the board of trustees was an avid swimming enthusiast himself, Jose Abad Santos.
It was no wonder then that PWU bred some of the most talented women’s swmmers of the country, making a name for themselves first in interscholastic tournaments, and later, at the national championships and international meets. PWU’s champions included such nationally-ranked swimmers as the Abad Santos mermaids (Amanda, Victoria. Luz), Emma Benitez, and the Gonzaga sisters. But the most accomplished of them all was ESTELA LOZADA, Cebuana lass broke records, and who got to represent the country in meets of international level.
Estela Lozada must have inherited her competitive genes from her father, Jose Lozada, who was a Division Engineer for Mindanao and District Engineer for Lanao. In his prime, Jose was a U.P. athlete who won Golds in the 220 yard hurdles at both 1913 and 1915 Far Eastern Games. He also won Silver for the 100 yard sprint in 1913, and a Bronze for the 120 m. hurdles at the 1917 Far Eastern Games.
Lozada first barged into the national scene during the U.P-PWU Dual Swimming Meet held on 7 Dec. 1934. Before a banner crows at the Rizal Memorial natatorium, the seemingly undefeatable state scholars were shocked when they were routed by the strong PWU swimmers with the score of 35-15.
The PWU swimmers made a clean sweep of all the first places, led by Estela Lozada, who set a new Philippine record for the 100 m. backstroke event, with a time of 1 min, 34.4 secs. On top of that, Lozada won the premiere 100 m. freestyle event in 1 min. 29.8 secs., trailed by 2 PWU team mates. She was also part of the gold-winning 400 m. freestyle relay team.
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For this feat, Lozada was chosen to represent the
Philippines in the 1934 Far Eastern Games in Manila, on which the
first official women's events—that included 4 swimming events-- were held for
the first time, at parity with the men’s events. That meant that medals won by
women were counted and added to the official medal tally. Lozada,
however, came home unplaced, with the Chinese swimmers dominating the pool
events. Still, her debut participation in an international event spurred her
even more to exceed her best.
Lozada was part of the national team that went to the 1935 Formosa-Philippines Swimming Championship. There, she copped a precious Silver in her pet event—100 m. backstroke, with team mate Natalia Gonzaga in 3rd place. But bigger things were in store for the swimming star at the 1936 National Swimming Championship, when the powerhouse PWU Women’s Swimming Team emerged as the National Champion, with Lozada winning Gold in the 100 m. free, 100 m. backstroke, and 400 m. relay races.
At the 16th Annual Athletic Commencement of the PWU on 19 March 1936, Lozada was one of the 25 athletes who received their letters and prizes from Mrs. Sergio Osmeña. Lozada was cited for her individual and team achievements at the 1936 National Championships.
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She was back in Formosa for the 1937 5th Philippine-Formosa Dual Swimming Meet held from May 15-17, but this time, the Philippine delegation lost. The team, headed by Judge Mariano Nable, president of the Philippine Islands Swimming Association, returned home on May 30.
As a consolation, Estela Lozada, upon her homecoming was shortlisted as a candidate for the T-V-T Women’s Popularity Contest, mounted by the publisher of Tribune, La Vanguardia and Taliba. She also lost the contest, decided by balloting; Mrs. Pacita Villareal won as most popular.
Lozada made up for it 2 years later at the 6th Philippine-Formosa Dual Swimming Meet at the Jose Rizal Natatorium, Manila, when she bagged another Silver in the 100 m. backstroke, clocking in at 1:32.9, edged by Formosa’s T. Yahisa who won Gold with 1:32.3 mins. Filipina Perla Tagle settled for the Bronze at 1:33.3 mins. This was the last known competition of Estela Lozada. She pretty much disappeared from the limelight and not much was known about the rest of her life.
In the 1950s, the surname Lozada surfaced again when a new generation of Lozadas swam their way to national and international prominence—Remberto, Gertrudes, Corazon, and Tessie—who were, however, unrelated at all with 30s swim star.
SOURCES:
Various Tribune issues, 1933-1939, accessed through Trove.
Graphic Magazine, 1933, Recalling the Far East Championship Games
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