LOOK: Inspiring Filipina Achievers You Need To Know About
March is Women's Month! Time to celebrate women's contribution to society and history, and their achievements that inspire other women and the younger generation.
In old times, women did not enjoy the same rights and privileges as men. In a way, women were treated as second class citizens in some cultures and countries.
Before, most women were not allowed to get an education, vote, speak publicly, pursue a career in the corporate world or in male-dominated professions and run for public office.
These rights and privileges were limited to men and women's potential and capabilities were greatly reduced.
In many societies, women were expected to be the happy homemaker and doting mom.
While there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, if that's what women really wanted for themselves, many women felt unseen, unheard and deprived of becoming who they want to be or what they really want to do.
After decades and even centuries of fighting for these rights, many women now enjoy a life where they can speak their mind, have their opinion heard publicly, get a degree, vote and run for office, and pursue a career in whatever field they want to.
Now, women even excel in male-dominated fields or careers that many thought only men could thrive.
And many women who have a stellar and fulfilling career are also wives and moms, proving that women can juggle work and responsibilities at home and their families.
Each woman is a superwoman in their own way, whether they play a big role in the world or in their communities.
And it doesn't matter if they're single, married, with kids or none, each woman's achievement is of value and deserves to be celebrated.
Plus, women achievers are not limited to ladies who do well in their field, they are also people who have exceptional contribution to society and history or have stories that serve as great inspirations to many.
Filipinas are, of course, among women who have notable achievements and contributions.
From a Filipina girl boss at NASA to a young Pinay inventor of a revolutionary aircon, get to know incredibly inspiring Filipina achievers in the gallery below.
Hidilyn Diaz
Pinay weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz just made history after winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal of the Philippines at the 55-kilogram women's weightlifting catergory at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Silver and bronze medals
Before her historic win at the Tokyo Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz also won the bronze medal in the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand and the silver medal in the 53-kilogram weight division at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
First Olympic gold medal
Hidilyn Diaz's victory at the Tokyo Olympics is historic for a number of reasons. It is the first Olympic gold medal of the Philippines since we first joined the Olympics in 1924, and not only did she win her first Olympic gold medal, but she also set a new world record.
Airwoman Sergeant
Hidilyn Diaz was also promoted to Airwoman Sergeant by the Philippine Air Force after winning the Philippines's first gold medal in the Asian Games in 2018.
Margielyn Arda Didal
Filipina skateboarding champion Margielyn Didal recently won the Bronze Medal at the first-ever Women's Open at Skate Tampa in Florida. She also won a gold medal at the 30th Southeast Asian Games last December 2019.
Tokyo Olympics
Margielyn Didal made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics and finished 7th in the street skateboarding category despite an ankle injury.
Melanie Perkins
Melanie Perkins is the Filipino-Australian co-founder and CEO of online graphic design and publishing tool Canva. The tech entrepreneur recently became Australia's youngest billionaire at age 32 with a net worth of 2.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Reins Mika
Reins Mika is the first Filipina Digital Creator winner in the prestigious Elite Model Look World Final Competition. Get to know more about the young Fil-Chi model HERE.
Maria Isabel Layson
Maria Isabel Layson made headlines last year for discovering that the aratiles fruit or Jamaican Cherry has the potential to prevent Type 2 Diabetes. She was also a contender at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held at Phoenix, Arizona last year.
Cabrini Roy
Cabrini Roy is a young British-Filipina fashion designer who, just four months after starting her brand, was tapped to showcase her designs at the London Fashion Week show. And, was also featured inside the October 2019 issue of British Vogue.
Louise Mabulo
Louise Mabulo is an award-winning chef and agriculture advocate. One of her awards is the prestigious Young Champions of the Earth Prize, awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). She was recognized for The Cacao Project that she initiated, which promotes sustainable agriculture.
Tiffany Grace C. Uy
Tiffany Grace C. Uy first made headlines in 2015 when she graduated summa cum laude and had a nearly perfect general weighted average (GWA) of 1.004. It's the highest grade recorded in the history of the University of the Philippines Diliman since World War 2. She then became a trending topic again in July 2020, when she graduated as class valedictorian of UP Manila College of Medicine. She was also awarded the Dr. Gregorio T. Alvior, Jr. Award for Academic Excellence in Medicine Faculty Gold Medal.
Hannahlei Cabanilla
Hannahlei Cabanilla is the Filipino-American dancer who won the 15th season of the U.S. TV show, 'So You Think You Can Dance'. She took home approximately P13.4 million as her prize. She then became part of the live TV production of the Tony Award-winning musical 'Rent', which starred Vanessa Hudgens, Jordan Fisher, Tinashe, Mario, and many others.
Josephine Santiago-Bond
Josephine Santiago-Bond currently works at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida as Head of the Advanced Engineering Development Branch. She was a scholar of the Philippine Science High School and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering from the University of the Philippines.
Maria Yzabell Angel Palma
Maria Yzabell Angel Palma is a Bicolana student who invented the eco-friendly AirDisc Air Conditioner, which consumes less energy, doesn't use any chemical refrigerant, and has a disc-shaped compressor. She's received multiple awards for her groundbreaking invention.
Eloisa Lopez
Eloisa Lopez is a Filipino photojournalist who won the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award (2019) for her personal project, which documented the bloody war on drugs in the Philippines. Her work has been exhibit at the Prix Bayeux Festival in Normandy, WARM Festival in Sarajevo, and at the World Council of Churches in Geneva.
Jerilyn Tan Balonan
Dra. Jerilyn Tan Balonan became the first Filipina doctor licensed to practice medicine in Italy and the European Union (EU) back in 2011. She graduated from the University Santo Tomas (UST) in 2006. Dra. Jerilyn then went to Rome in 2008 to further study medicine at the Università di Tor Vergata.
Jenny Anne Barretto
Jenny Anne Barretto is a New Zealand-based Filipina marine geophysicist who recently discovered the Apolaki Caldera within the Benham Rise, which could possibly be the largest caldera in the world, with its diameter of 150 kilometers.
Joy Ongcachuy
Prince Charles awarded the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) to Joy Ongcachuy, a Filipina robotic lead nurse at The Royal London Hospital, for immediately treating the injured during the London Bridge terrorist attack.
Armi Lopez-Garcia
Armi Lopez-Garcia is an Honorary Consul of Russia based in Cebu. She was awarded the Russian National Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin last Nov. 4, 2019. It is a recognition of her exceptional contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the Russians and the Filipino people.
Gay Jane Perez
Dr. Gay Jane Perez is the Deputy Director for Research & Extension at the UP Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM). She led the Department of Science and Technology's microsat program, which successfully sent the Philippines' first satellite in space back in 2016, the Diwata-1 microsatellite.
Aimee Carandang-Gloria
Aimee Gloria is the first Filipina commercial aviation pilot. She flew with Philippine Airlines for ten years. Aimee is now the Executive Director of Fair Training Center, which helps equip Filipino workers with the essential skills for successful migration.
Catherine Aquino-Fournier
Catherine Aquino -Fournier is a BS Biology (1996) and MS Genetics (2003) graduate from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). The Filipina alumna of UPLB is currently leading the development of a groundbreaking COVID-19 mass testing technology called HiDRA-seq in Switzerland's Functional Genomic Center Zurich (FGCZ).
Charito Romano
Filipina nurse Charito Romano made it to Queen Elizabeth's New Year Honor List and was awarded the British Empire Medal for her outstanding contribution in England's campaign against COVID-19.
Maria Ressa
Seasoned journalist and author Maria Ressa made history when she became the first Nobel Prize laureate.
Maria, who shared the honor with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, was cited for her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”