Pinoy Top Thinkers Today (2011)

Copyright © 2011 by Chester B Cabalza. All Rights Reserved.

For the past four years now of recognizing annually our contemporary and living public intellectuals in the country which I hopefully deem has redounded to our stock knowledge. This year, I wanted to pay respect to four important women in my life – my mom Lolita, my wife Peggy Ann, and my daughters Princess Chloe Bella and Aliethea Bali – as I also give honor and pay homage to top female Filipino intellectuals, scholars, movers and shakers in our society and culture.

Every March of the year, the world is celebrating the International Women’s Month. As we all know, mothers in our country have always played very special roles in nurturing and instilling Filipino values and intellect to Filipino offspring from womb to their age of majority. And as “light of the home,” they are also highly-endeared as deities and queens in every Filipino family.

Each year, I choose 20 top thinkers from the Philippines and abroad with Pinoy roots who add to the growing numbers of Filipinos in diasporic communities worldwide. These distinguished individuals will form part of my gallery of the best and brightest intellectuals our country can showcase on earth and whose ideas are strongly relevant today and beyond.

As a process, initially I would think of possible nominees after a thorough research and personal surveys from colleagues to submit to me their possible Pinoy thinkers whose tremendous thoughts and ideas to the world, our country, or even to their respective region and province, are truly appreciated. And perhaps their contributions to our collective knowledge as a nation leave great strides to our culture. Then I write something about them to complete my influential roster of achievers and lastly post it virtually in my blog as imperative add-on information to profile or document important contributors of knowledge in our society, whom I definitely believe so, must be known to netizens in the ever-expanding transborder world of blogosphere.

As a customary practice, the same measure is used on this year’s best thinkers, instrumental from my previous citations from 2008 to 2010 – i.e., based from a mixture of articles, books, blogs, columns, essays, interviews, lectures, overviews, poems, prose, publications, and research papers, they pen or written about them. A variety of comments and thoughts from popular mediums such as television, social networks, campaigns, conferences, forums, speeches, print media, internet sources, or the new media, and other significant academic distinctions. Lastly, I also based it from their professional achievements, public perceptions, civic contributions, and principles that made them who they are today as the leading Filipino thinkers!

So far, in my annual listing from 2008 to 2010, 23 percent composed of intelligent Pinay (female) thinkers while 77 percent belonged to the list of powerful Pinoy (male) achievers.

The complete rosters in the past three years of Pinoy Top Thinkers can still be viewed at http://cbclawmatters.blogspot.com. This localized yearly honor roll is certainly inspired by the annual top 100 public intellectuals of the powerful Foreign Policy (FP) Magazine.

Since its inception, from 60 distinct men and women sages and leaders in various fields, only three (3) Pinoy thinkers were cited twice in two consecutive years because the tsunami of their thoughts continuously influence our policies and probably cement their status as great thinkers in our contemporary period. They are Conrad De Quiros and Felipe Palafox for 2008 & 2009; and President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for 2009 & 2010, respectively.

Even if this year’s pool of think-tank reflects women empowerment composed of an ensemble of all-Filipina, only 43 percent of influential women intellectuals represent the total list of my personal annual Filipino top thinkers catalog compared to 57 percent showing of male Filipino visionaries in the span of four years.

Without any gender bias at all, could this mean that our society remains patriarchal in different playing fields or do we see now a leveling off as we march on to the road of Philippine matriarchal society that is not far-fetched to be seen in the near future? Whether or not this will be the scenario in the future, I believe that respecting each others’ roles and giving equal opportunities to meritorious individuals will ultimately lead us to a developed country. As long as we value the contributions of the many inspiring and thinking men and women of today in our society!

However, just to refresh the memory of my avid readers – women intellectuals who made it in the list of my ‘who’s who’ citations over the past three years include the following: political scientists Carolina Hernandez (2008) and Clarita Carlos (2010); retired career diplomat Rosario Manalo and professor emeritus economist Solita Monsod, both cited in (2008); former bureaucrat Leonor Briones (2008) and university president Emerlinda Roman (2010); journalist Maria Ressa (2008) and tv executive Charo Santos (2010); environmentalist Annabelle Plantilla (2008) and forensic expert Raquel Fortun (2009); senators Miriam Santiago (2008) and Loren Legarda (2009); and former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo (2010).

Based from my personal observations on the accomplishments of this year’s Pinoy Top Thinkers Today, aside from their motherly images and femininity, obviously most of them excelled in the arts and education such as in the academe, accounting, ballet, broadcasting, business, cinema, culinary arts, fashion, religious vocation, social sciences, theater arts, law, literature, and medicine. In other words, their assets have been their exceptional educational attainments, creativity, and numerous awards in their respective fields.

As a tradition in the past, surnames in my list are in alphabetical order. This is not a ranking from highest to lowest. But the names appear here are equally as meritorious as the one from top to bottom.

Marilou Diaz-Abaya (multi-awarded film director) – the founder of her own film institute and arts center that aims to mentor the next batch of film students to learn the science, art, and business of filmmaking as she consistently advocates quality film education from an Asian perspective, according to her online site. This multi-awarded film director is an Assumption College alumna who obtained a communication arts degree and graduated with an MA in Film and Television from the Loyola Marymount University in the US. She directed notable films such as Brutal, Baby Tsina, Karnal (of the Flesh), Muro Ami (Reef Hunters), Bagong Buwan (New Moon), Sa Pusod ng Dagat (In the Navel of the Sea), May Nagmamamhal Sa Iyo (Madonna and Child) and others. It is arguably said that her most famous work was the film Jose Rizal – dramatizing the life of the country’s national hero who was also a revolutionary, novelist, and a struggling doctor. Her film on Rizal can also be a retrospect of his global impact as we celebrate this year his 150th birth anniversary. Also in some online accounts, a Japanese award-giving body described her body of work to be "harmoniously blending entertainment, social consciousness, and ethnic awareness." The organization continued by saying: "(Her work) has won acclaim both in the Philippines and abroad for its high level of artistic achievement. It is an ideal manifestation of the artistic culture of Asia, and so is most deserving of the Arts and Culture Prize of the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes." She is the 2001 Laureate of the Fukuoka Prize for Culture and the Arts in Japan. Aside from numerous well-deserved accolades locally, she has also won prestigious international citations, such as the British Film Institute Award, the International Federation of Film Critics Award (FIPRESCI), and the Network of Pan Asian Cinema Award (NETPAC).

Aileen San Pedro-Baviera (dean, sinologist, political scientist) – she was the previous dean of the UP Asian Center and formerly headed the Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI); an erstwhile Executive Director of the Philippine-China Development Resource Center; and the current Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Politics and Policy (APP) Journal. A homegrown scholar from UP Diliman who obtained her PhD in Political Science, MA Asian Studies, and BS Foreign Service cum laude. Dr Baviera has unselfishly shared her knowledge by teaching contemporary China, international relations, Philippine foreign relations, Asia-Pacific security, and Asian Civil society in UPD, ADMU, NDCP, and FSI. Considered as one of the leading experts invited to various conferences on East Asia Summit. She has also lectured in various Asian universities from India, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and to mainland China. Her extensive research, publications, lectures, consultations, and flaming passion in teaching awarded her with the UPD Centennial Professorial Chair in 2008, U.P. President’s International Publication Award from 2002 to 2005 with two prestigious awards in 2007. She’s often been quoted in various prominent newspapers of national circulation on her cue and perspectives on the PH-China-HK-Taiwan and China-Taiwan issues and several other diplomatic and security conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region.

Victoria “Vicky” Belo (popular dermatologist, medical doctor, host) – never mind her whirlwind love affair with a young ex-doctor that makes her life colorful as a celebrity-doctor. Despite of that, she has been staying on top of her career as the Medical Director of the burgeoning Belo Medical Group which now owns and operates clinics in Metro Manila and Cebu. Her growing group boasts to have the first accredited ambulatory cosmetic surgi-center in the country certified by the DOH and endorsed by the DOT to strengthen medical tourism in the Philippines. A divorced wife to a businessman and a mother of a fledgling director and an heiress of her business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at UP Diliman and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine in UST. Her passport to success as a credible dermatologist started when she obtained a diploma in dermatology from the Institute of Dermatology in Thailand and was further honed in dermatologic and laser surgery at Harvard Medical School and University of California at San Francisco. She has published articles internationally in the field of her expertise and has been a speaker and guest lecturer to several organizations in the Philippines and foreign countries such as the USA and Germany. She is also a member of the American Academy of Dermatology (ADD), American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, International Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ISDS), to name a few. And as add-on to her achievements and titles, she also hosts a cable show which features some of her patients who have successfully undergone her services.

Lolita Bancud-Cabalza (dean, philanthropist, my mom) – she obtained her law and doctorate degrees while at the same time performing her endearing job in rearing us her four sons and a wife to my father, Cesar Danao Cabalza, a chief of police/station commander in one of the towns in our province. A consistent honor student who graduated as class salutatorian in elementary and high school and cum laude in college. Dr Cabalza indeed loved the academe and instilled in her family the value of education. Her influence on education to us encouraged my dad, me, and my brothers to finish our post-graduate degrees in various disciplines such as medicine, criminology, public administration, Asian/international studies and anthropology. As dean of several colleges that recently became university in Cagayan Valley or Region II, she helped founded colleges of criminology and marine engineering and mentored numerous students who are now circumnavigating the world as captains of luxury ships, marine engineers, and seafarers while others became successful law enforcers and teachers. As philanthropist, she adopted some indigent students and let them stay in our house at the province to help them finish college while we her sons studied and finished our baccalaureate and masteral degrees in either Manila or Baguio City. Luckily, all of her sons are now professionals and her ‘scholars’ are all board passers. In fact, one of her scholars she supported has even a doctorate degree who is now teaching in a prestigious university abroad. As a retired dean, she sees that the next generation should be molded well; hence, she built her small preparatory school to help other mothers instill the value of education to their very young kids and to her grandchildren, as well.

Lea Salonga-Chien (world-class thespian and singer) – in one of the online forums I have browsed recently, the site solicited comments from netizens who they think of epitomizes the best Filipina today, and certainly Lea Salonga emerged as the most liked or beloved Filipina, with one commentator named Candice who proudly wrote of her, “she showed to the world how beautiful and talented Filipinas are. With her awesome talent, she paved the way for Filipino talents to be recognized worldwide. She is an epitome of beauty and brains and talent; definitely your kind of Filipina.” Before Charice Pempengco successfully reached her Hollywood dreams, there was Lea Salonga who brought honor to our country, as she won left and right best actor plums for her genuine talent in the performing arts as Miss Saigon in Broadway and the West End. She voiced over two iconic female animated characters, namely, Jasmine and Mulan. She filled in the shoes several beloved characters in Les Miserables, Flower Drum Song, and Cats for international musicals and became local leads to important roles that cement her status as an international celebrity in the world of theater. Now a doting mother and wife, she remains relevant today in our society as she transcribes her thoughts via her column in PDI touted as “Backstory” to tell us the behind-the-scenes stories in some productions and her experiences in the world of theater. Break a leg!

Cristeta Pasia-Comerford (white house executive chef) - the current white house executive chef who served consecutively families of the two most powerful leaders in the world, namely, the Bush’ and the Obamas. As MaSci (Manila Science High) and Peyups (UPD) alumna who completed a degree in food technology, she successfully became an immigrant in the US with her biggest break as chef at Sheraton Hotel and Hyatt Regency before she moved to Washington D.C. and worked as a chef at two restaurants. But she wowed the American viewers and made her Pinoy families proud of her when she showcased her masterpieces and instantly won in the hit reality cooking show, Iron Chef America. In an online account, it narrated that after the former white house executive chef resigned in 2005, Pasia-Commerford was appointed in the vacant position endorsed by former First Lady Laura Bush. She became the first female and first “Philippine-American” white house executive chef to hold the position. More so, she reportedly was appointed to the prestigious position due to her handling of a large dinner that was held in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Teresita Sy-Coson (one of the world’s most powerful women in business) – according to BizNews Asia, as an alumna of Assumption College, who obtained a business administration degree, she has over the years quietly built a reputation as a visionary who, like her father tycoon Henry Sy, she dreams big and works hard to make her dreams a reality. She’s the Vice Chairman of the SMIC that is today the largest conglomerate in the capital market and probably the most highly diversified with the right mix and diversity of business portfolio. Through SMIC’s subsidiaries and as vice chairman of SMIC, she controls the largest mall chain of 40 malls in the Philippines plus four in China and counting. In China, their group is allotting billion of pesos of investments to continue building new malls and acquisition of land for future expansion. She is the Chairman of the largest bank (BDO with 1 trillion in resources), and oversees the conglomerate’s increasing presence in the real estate, tourism, entertainment, and convention business.

Leila Magistrado-De Lima (secretary of justice, former human rights chair) - the only female heavy weight bureaucrat in the current Aquino administration in terms of credentials and credibility. This feisty top human rights attorney, who formerly headed the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), is now the country’s credible secretary of justice, who became a household name when she seriously bashed the Ampatuan massacre in Mindanao and handled the highly-watched investigation of recent hostage crisis in Quirino grandstand that created rift in our relations with Hongkong. Her strong recommendations further cemented her legendary integrity as a strong-willed and determined leader. But to the masa she has always been portrayed as the ‘Leila Chikadora” who expressly voices out her ideas to pertinent matters related to law and good governance. A daughter of a former COMELEC Commissioner. She graduated from DLSU and completed her law degree in San Beda. Early this year, the Philippines Graphic could not have picked a better man for its Man of the Year issue than this Odin of a woman. In the online citation of her as one Graphic editor wrote, “appointed on May 7, 2008 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to head the CHR, she managed to keep her reputation and the integrity of her office above reproach, even as the Arroyo administration scrapped the bottom of the barrel of disrepute for having one of the worst human rights record in recent history.” The article continues to praise her that in minute slice of the year, Secretary de Lima was able to set her sights on her goals despite flak from her critics, notwithstanding the spat and row between the President’s men. Even while the males of this administration busy themselves with moves to get out of the honky-tonk dilemma they are in, de Lima tacitly walks where none of Aquino’s men dare tread. That, by any standard, is balls.

Lilia De Lima (peza director-general, lawyer) – she obtained a law degree from MLQU and an MNSA degree from NDCP as both scholars who later was a party in a case whether an MNSA degree holder would qualify her for a CESO rank. But in her entire government service, she has been named as the Management Man of the year 2010; the first woman to receive so this coveted award in honor of her achievements as director general or chief executive officer of PEZA. Under her tenureship as lady boss of the economic zone areas in the country, she projected that from 2010-2014, PEZA will likely to collect a whopping 1.241 trillion pesos in total investments. BizNews Asia reveals that for 2011, undersecretary De Lima has a fighting target of 224 billion pesos in investments inside the country’s 23 operating economic zones. During her 16-year watch at PEZA, she has been able to attract 1.7 trillion pesos that accorded her the tag of miracle woman of the economy. She is the president of the Philippine Alumni Association of the Academy of American and International Law in Dallas, Texas. As a lawyer, De Lima gained national recognition in 1981 when she volunteered to serve as prosecuting lawyer in a controversial case in Australia where she was instrumental in giving justice to a Filipina maid who was murdered by the son of a retired Australian Trade Commissioner. Only this year, Director General Lilia de Lima received her "Exemplar" award from Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel Philippine Plaza, for her unflinching leadership.

Liza Majuca-Elizalde (prima ballerina, radio host) – the country’s first prima ballerina. She returned to the Philippines as a top scholar of the former USSR’s Ministry of Culture in the Vaganova Choreographic Institute which was now renamed as the Academy of Russian Ballet. Based from online research, in 1984, on a television interview during the 245th graduation program of the Leningrad Choreographic School at St. Petersburg, Russia, Konstantin Sergeyev, spoke this words in Russian language (translated to English) about Lisa Macuja: "Especially remarkable is Lisa Macuja, who is exceptionally gifted. She is striking. She is like a spark, a spark full of life. She is graceful and virtuosic in her technique. She excites the audience. This is a great art; and it is her art and her natural talent." She received an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies in 2004 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management (with honors) in 2007, from the University of Phoenix, U.S.A., which is an online correspondence school. She also leads Ballet Manila as the Artistic Director and Vice-Chairman of the Philippine UNESCO National Commission. She was also the Commissioner of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women. Macuja-Elizalde is also Directress and faculty member of the Ballet Manila School – a training center for ballet professionals who are steeped in the Russian Vaganova method. As multi-awarded ballerina, she has received countless awards from different countries in Russia, Japan, the USA, and the Philippines, Her honorable distinctions include the Pearl of the Orient Award (2008), The Order of International Friendship awarded by Russian President Vladimir Putin (2001), Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP U.S.A, 1997), Ten Outstanding Young Filipinos (TOYF, 1995), The Outstanding Women in Nation's Service (TOWNS, 1989), Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a dance production (Gawad Buhay Awards for the Performing Arts, (2008), and the Catholic Mass Media Awards (2008) for her radio show aptly billed as “Art 2 Art”. As for her contribution to the society, she tried to level off the playing field even to the less fortunate young swans who wanted to become the next prima ballerina in the country.

Monique Lhuillier-Bugbee (world class fashion designer, leading bridal couturier) – a proud Filipina from Cebu born from a mix-marriage with French and Spanish descent. Her dream to become a successful fashion designer started when she was an outstanding teenager student in Switzerland who later moved to Los Angeles to study design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). As a mother of two kids and wife to Mr. Tom Bugbee, she’s also touted as one of Hollywood’s favorites in houte couture for red carpet gowns. Her list of clientele has included Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Stewart, Drew Barrymore, Hilary Swank, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. According to online sites, her break began when she launched her first bridal collection in 1996 and as they say, the rest is history. Her collections usually receive great acclaim from both editors and buyers alike. Her husband joined their company as CEO to turn Monique’s vision to establish a couture design house into reality. In 2003, she was invited to be a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and three years after she received the Medal of Honor from then Philippine president Gloria Arroyo.

Margarita Go-Singco Holmes (psychologist, sex-therapist, mental health expert) - with over 15 years of authoring books and writing columns, you can’t be wrong with Dr. Holmes as the pen ultimate sex-therapist in the country. Dr. Holmes has a PhD in clinical psychology from ADMU, an M.P.H. from the University of Hawaii, major in International Family Planning with special studies in Sex Therapy and Marriage Counseling, and was a magna cum with BA Psychology from UP Diliman. As a popular psychologist, she used to be a columnist of Bodymind for The Manila Times and also had a TV show aptly called No Nonsense! with Dr. Holmes which ran for six seasons - the first TV show in the Philippines that dealt with psychological issues. She is a professor in the Psychology Department of UPD and is a frequent lecturer and resource speaker to various academic, corporate, and socio-civic groups throughout the country. She served as consultant in both government and non-government organizations, notably the Population Center Foundation and the Department of Health. Her passion for teaching has brought her to august academic institutions like the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, San Carlos Seminary, ADMU, and DLSU. Holmes is a regular columnist at Abante/Abante Tonite, a popular tabloid, Business Mirror and Opinyon, all in Metro Manila. She has published 16 books which have reached "bestseller" status such as Life, Love, Lust with 21 thousand copies sold in its first year alone. According to online accounts, her books and columns have been reviewed in international periodicals, such as the Newsweek, Time, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Associated Press, Agence France Press, Asiaweek, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Cheche Lim-Lazaro (acclaimed broadcast journalist, founder of probe productions) – admired for her vision in founding The Probe Team which is the first investigative newsmagazine in Philippine television. Her vision has also been translated into producing sensible and award-winning documentary programs such as 5 and Up, the Probe Team, I-Witness, Cheche Lazaro Presents, and Probe Profiles. She’s a mother of two successful professionals, a grandmother, and a wife to a businessman. Cheche Lazaro is an acclaimed broadcast journalist whose fluency in communications has been effectively verbalized in either English or Filipino mediums. A graduate of speech and drama at UP Diliman after which she obtained an MA in Radio-Television at the University of Michigan. Between 1992 to 1995 Lazaro was also the chairman of the broadcast department in the College of Mass Communications at UPD. Currently, she is a member and board adviser for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. In her entire career as top broadcast-journalist, she was able to produce important documentaries, particularly the one involving the tragic Dona Paz. Her relationship with GMA-7, the longest business partner of her tv productions, was put to a test in 2003 after the said tv station refused to air a Probe segment about a lifestyle check of then PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino. The network saw the story as a half-baked job that would unjustly ruin the subject's reputation. However, Lazaro saw it as censorship. But with her undisputed achievements and credibility, she is seen as a role model in broadcast journalism and local television industry, receiving some hall of fame awards from KBP Golden Dove Awards, Star Awards, Catholic Mass Media Awards, Philippine Movie Press Club, and the New York Festivals.

Heidi Lloce-Mendoza (former state auditor, whistleblower) – a crying lady during senate hearings who turned to be an accidental heroine against malfeasant acts of retired comptrollers and top generals in a whirlwind scenario of deficient systems as she whistle blows her knowledge of the hunky-panky pocket money and corrupted funds inside the militias. But her weeps flowed to waterloo that turned as prelude to a harakiri death of a bemedaled and popular retired general. She is a reserved lieutenant colonel of the Philippine army, having been successfully obtained an MNSA degree from NDCP and worked as a former state auditor. She made headlines as she showcased an extraordinary strength in exposing dishonesty of past top-brass generals of the AFP. Her defining moment certainly caught the attention of the country’s president who wanted her to become one of the commissioners of the Commission of Audit (COA) in line of the government’s determination to cleanse the system from the prey of corrupt leaders.

Mary John Mananzan (executive director, one of the inspiring people in the world) – a top newspaper publication recently heralded her feminist’s activism as she has been named as one of the top 100 inspiring people in the world by the Women Deliver 100 list that included US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As executive director of the Institute of Women’s Studies of the exclusive all-female school of St. Scholastica’s College, Mananzan was cited for being instrumental in developing a feminist Third World theology within the Catholic Church and introducing feminist activism into the country’s Catholic faith. In a write-up from Inquirer, it was penned that she holds the distinction of being the first woman to graduate summa cum laude from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a doctorate in Philosophy, majoring in Linguistics Analysis. Upon her return to the country in 1973, she was entrusted with a number of positions, including the deanship and subsequently the presidency of St. Scholastica’s College, and the leadership of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines. She also held positions in the Ecumenical Association of Third-World Theologians and in Gabriela, an organization promoting women’s rights which she cofounded.

Rosa Rosal (actress, philanthropist, Philippine red cross head) – the most trusted Filipino in 2010 according to the Reader’s Digest Asia and the 1999 Ramon Magsaysay awardee for public service. In 2006, she was bestowed with the Order of the Golden Heart with the rank of Grand Cross for a lifetime in public service and for her work with the Red Cross – an organization which receives no financial assistance from the Philippine government. As for her contribution to arts and culture, she has been awarded the Ading Fernando Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd PMPC Star Awards for television. Christened as Florence Lansang Danon, but when she entered the world of movies, she altered her screen name to Rosa Rosal. A beauty and brains woman mixed with French, Egyptian, and Jewish descent has certainly awestruck her fans, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful goddesses of Philippine cinema. One of the most talented actresses in her generation who used her endearing influence to help people from different walks of life. A kind-hearted philanthropist who despite of her age, her efforts for the Red Cross is renowned and commended. Her charity is a blessing and an inspiration to all. Rosal joined the Philippine National Red Cross who as a volunteer–member of its blood program in 1950 became known for her efforts to promote blood donation in the country. Rosal also established a Women's Crisis Center within the Philippine National Red Cross aimed at assisting unwed and needy pregnant mothers, as well as finding homes for unwanted children. In fact, she has also hosted two public-service television programs, Damayan and Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, which solicit financial and medical aid for indigent medical patients. She’s the mother of celebrity-television host Toni Rose Gayda.

Conchita Carpio-Morales (associate justice) – a consistent achiever since childhood. She graduated class valedictorian in elementary and in high school at Paoay Elementary School and Paoay North Institute, respectively. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (Economics) in 1964 and her Bachelor of Laws in 1968, both from the University of the Philippines. Her defining moment came when Justice Carpio-Morales became an exemption, in a long line of male tradition in administering the oath of office to the country’s incoming president and vice president. Therefore, she holds the distinction of being the first woman magistrate to administer (on June 30, 2010) the Oath of Office of a President of the Republic of the Philippines. As personally chosen by President Benigno Aquino III to swear him into office, disallowing Chief Justice Renato Corona to do the prestigious and historic act, reserved traditionally to the chief justice, as a manifestation of the new president’s indignant opposition to the midnight appointment of the current head of the supreme court. Quoting her online profile in the website of the supreme court, the lady associate joined the Department of Justice as Special Assistant to Justice Secretary Vicente Abad Santos in 1971 but it was after almost 12 years of work in the Department of Justice that she joined the Judiciary in 1983. A Bar Examiner in Legal Ethics in 2000 and has been the Chair of the 2010 Bar Examinations. During the Centenary of the University of the Philippines in 2008, the UP Alumni Association conferred on Justice Carpio Morales the Outstanding Award in Championing Justice/Judiciary “for delivering justice with courage and untrammeled integrity” ─ “a shining paragon to all magistrates, worthy of emulation and respect.” A frequent speaker/panelist in local and international forums, she was, on the invitation of the World Bank, an interactive panel discussant during its 2009 Celebration of Integrity Day in Washington DC. The Filipino people expects much from her as the newly appointed Ombudsman.

Marixi Rufino-Prieto (chairperson of PDI) – she sits as the current chairperson of the highly influential and the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines called the Philippine Daily Inquirer or popularly known as the Inquirer, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspaper of record. It is a member of the Asia News Network. Under her leadership, she launched the Inquirer Interactive Inc., better known as Inquirer.net, is the official website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It provides comprehensive coverage of both local and international news throughout the site's channels on news, entertainment, lifestyle, technology, business, global nation, and its recently relaunched sports channel. She recently expanded the Inquirer’s clout as it air waves via Radyo Inquirer (DZIQ 990 KHz Manila) as the radio station of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (licensed by TransRadio Broadcasting Corporation), with its broadcast team semi-independent of the main paper editorial team as it is mostly composed of career radio people. Its first terrestrial test broadcast on radio was on August 16, 2010. She’s ranked 39th in Forbes Asia’s list of richest Filipinos in 2007. She’s also married with five children.

Mary Racelis-Hollsteiner (social anthropologist) - her early writings on Filipino values and Philippine culture and society cemented her status as one of the leading female Filipino social anthropologists in the country. Her works and contributions as research scientist and consultant have been recognized and even conferred her two honorary doctorates, namely, Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, from ADMU in 2003 and Doctor in Social Sciences, honoris causa, from DLSU in 1976. Dr. Racelis attained her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She later attained a master’s degree in Sociology from UPD and specializes in issues regarding women's roles, people's participation, NGOs, civil society, and urban poverty. She has been a senior lecturer at the Graduate School of the UP Department of Anthropology and was the former Director of the Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC) in ADMU. Her extensive fieldworks and research, both locally and internationally, paved her way to several consultancy works with the ADB, UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, AUSAID, CARE International, CBCP, Rockefeller Foundation, Misereor (German Bishops Development Fund), Nippon Foundation/API Fellowships, and to various Philippine government agencies. She has authored several books and more than 200 articles on sociological, anthropological, political and development issues. Some of her notable published works include, ‘’Making Philippine Cities Child Friendly: Voices of Children in Poor Communities’’ (2005) and ‘’Bearers of Benevolence: The Thomasites and Public Education in the Philippines’’ (2001).

Loretta Ann “Eta” Pargas-Rosales (chairperson of CHR) – schooled by nuns at St Paul’s in high school and by liberals in UP Diliman, having been obtained a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service and a master’s degree in Asian Studies. This charismatic chair of the Commission on Human Rights was a former left-leaning activist and representative of the progressive party-list AKBAYAN. A daughter of a military and defense attaché who formerly worked as a copywriter in an advertising and marketing company before her passion in teaching called her for higher vocation as founding chairman of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in the Philippines in 1982 and Director of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in 1987. But her advocacy for human rights opened more windows for her when she has represented various causes and organizations in various capacities as Executive Director of the Institute of Political Reforms; President of Claimants 1081 Inc.; Council of Elders of Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates; and Board member of the Institute for National Social Transformation, Reconstruction, Unity and Development, Inc.

Jessica Soho (george foster peabody awardee, british fleet journalism awardee) – probably the most-trusted female broadcast-journalist today. Filipinos in all classes listen to her stories as an award-winning reporter and credible documentarian of contemporary pop culture and current issues on television, through her tried and tested show, “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” – now a hall of fame awardee in several student-award giving bodies and as multi-awarded program chosen by various local and international media awards. An alumna of UP Diliman who climbed into ladder as a top field reporter to becoming the vice president of GMA-7 news. A consistent Anak TV awardee as one of the most favorite tv personalities among viewing children. According to an account of her achievements by http://kahitsino.org/jessica-soho-awardwinning-journalist/, she’s a “Ka Doroy Valencia” awardee given by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. She was also included in the 100 Filipino Women of Distinction chosen during the centennial celebration of the Philippines. Jessica Soho is the first Filipino to won the New York Film Festival for Coverage of a Breaking Story where she covered the story of hostage crisis in Cagayan Valley. In 1998, she’s the first Filipino to win the British Fleet Journalism Award. In 1999, she received the popular George Foster Peabody Award together with GMA Network on her documentaries on “Kamao Death Sport” and “Kidneys for Sale business” where she discovered a remote area where people living there sell their Kidney in order to buy food to eat. After the exposé, the government was forced to intervene in the situation. This put Jessica and her team internationally acknowledged. In 2008 she was awarded as Outstanding Citizen. She has also been awarded by the TOYM, Community Outstanding Young Achievers, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Awards, 100 Filipino Women of Distinction, Asian TV Festival, Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service Awards, and by her beloved alma mater UPD, In fact, she has helped conceptualize the one-hour documentary television program I-Witness which is the flagship documentary show of the Kapuso network that is running on air for more than 10 years now and counting, becoming the longest running late-night program in television today.