In the Philippines, women have a history of influence and leadership, longer than her counterparts in the ASEAN region or even the rest of the world. Blending traditional and modern Filipino values and culture, Filipinas have emerged as iconic and memorable in various aspects.The webinar entitled “Women Influencers in the Society: Stories of Filipino Women Leaders” of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), notable personalities were invited to share their stories and thoughts on what a woman leader and influencer should be. The roster of speakers included National Scientist Carmencita Padilla, planetary health diet advocate Juana Manahan-Yupangco, academic institution mover Clarita Carillo, and celebrated volleyball player and orthopedic surgery resident Kathy Bersola.
Ms. Manahan-Yupangco shared how her experiences make a difference and how they impact people. Cooking is one of her passions. This led to her founding Mesa ni Misis. In the beginning, she was advocating more of a vegan lifestyle. Continuous exposure to farmers and communities and introduction to the planetary health program shifted her in a new direction. Since then, she has been promoting a sustainable diet by incorporating fish and meat in the meals she innovated, in addition to locally available vegetables. Through her efforts related to nutrition and healthy cooking, her book “Mesa ni Misis” won the Gourmand Awards in 2020 in the vegetarian category and “Juana’s Table” in 2023 in the nutrition category. With the belief that food security should be having food that people prefer, she continues to embark on a journey of a healthy diet and life-long learning.
The quality of continuous learning was also expounded by Dr. Carillo when she shared her journey at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). She is currently the assistant to the Rector for planning and quality management of UST Manila. Though she did not have prior experience related to it, she believes that with her years of experience, adequate academic preparation and training, supportive individuals at home and in the workplace, suitable organizational culture and environment, and her enthusiasm for continuous learning, she could turn unforeseen risks into opportunities.
Women, more often than not, take on multiple, and sometimes risky, tasks. For most people, it is petrifying to balance passion and career. Dr. Bersola could not agree more on this. But with determination and discipline, women can emerge victorious. While she is famous for being a volleyball player, she used to be a taekwondo athlete and started playing volleyball only when she was in college. To cope with the needed skills, she exerted extra effort in training and did the unimaginable feat of juggling academic and athletic life. Through her determination and discipline, she was appointed as the team captain of the UP Women’s Volleyball Team and graduated summa cum laude and class valedictorian from the UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics. She is now a resident in the Department of Orthopedics at the Philippine General Hospital, training to help people with fractures and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. She continues to advance her career in orthopedics without forgetting her passion for sports by coaching youngsters and all who are interested in volleyball and helping injured athletes get up again.
NS Padilla defined the qualities of a woman influencer and leader through her journey in institutionalizing newborn screening and establishing the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), which played an integral role during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to her, turning newborn screening from a mere project to a national flagship program was not easy. It was even suggested then to be attached only to a program of the Department of Health. But through her perseverance and creativity, even enrolling in a course on health policy and translation of research into relevant law; her efforts paid off when newborn screening was made into law. The impact of the program cannot be overemphasized; its benefits to the Filipinos are both immediate and far-reaching. Additionally, her vision of establishing PGC started when the idea of it or its benefits was still non-existent in the minds of Filipinos, years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her creativity, the institution was built. Little did we know that it would play a very crucial role in the recent pandemic. Viral samples were studied in the laboratories of PGC. This paved the way for the decreasing negative effects of the pandemic on the Filipino people.
The four (4) women speakers come from different sectors and view life from different perspectives, but they all share the view that some approaches are uniquely feminine; some problems are best solved by women; and definitely, some tasks are better undertaken by women!
The activity conducted on 27 September 2024 was spearheaded by the NAST Gender and Diversity Committee, the members of which are Acd. Agnes Rola and Acd. Edward Wang (as co-chairs), Acd. Aura Matias, Acd. Maribel Nonato, Acd. Roel Suralta, and Acd. Arvin Diesmos, and GAD Focal Point System Technical Working Group, composed of Director Luningning Samarita-Domingo, Dexter Bautista, Maria Theresa Caasi, Jenalyn Laquinta, Angelito Navarro, Sarah May Pascual, Krystel Jade Mercader, and Reihvelle Perez. (Krystel Jade Mercader/Dexter Bautista)
The National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), an attached agency to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is the premier organization that recognizes achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), nurtures emerging scientific talents, and serve as the primary advisory body on national ST&I policy and related matters. For more updates, follow the NAST PHL’s social media accounts (@nastphl).