PHL special envoy lands on ‘100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World’ list

Doctor Susan Mercado, Special Envoy of the President on Global Health Initiatives, was named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Global FWN100 Award™) for 2018 by the non-profit Filipina Women's Network (FWN).

“We warmly congratulate Dr. Mercado on this singular achievement. This adds yet another feather to her cap,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement on Saturday.

Mercado received the award on Friday at the Gala Awards Ceremony of the 15th Filipina Leadership Global Summit in London.

She was honored under the Innovator and Thought Leader award category for being a Filipina leader who broke "new ground in the global workplace, or have improved the lives of others by helping develop a product or service in various fields."

A former Undersecretary and Chief of Staff of the Philippine Department of Health (DOH), Mercado led the response to non-communicable diseases in her 15 years with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Mercado was also shortlisted for the position of WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific in August.

FWN is a San Francisco-based non-profit professional organization for women with Filipino heritage.

The Global FWN100 Award aims to recognize "100 women of Philippine ancestry who are changing the face of leadership in the global workplace, having reached status for outstanding work in their respective fields and are recognized for their achievement and contributions to society, female mentorship or femtorship and legacy." — Rie Takumi/MDM, GMA News