Filipino Women Leaders

Known for her legal expertise and her resolve to fight corruption, Miriam Defensor Santiago also became the first Filipina and the first from an Asian developing country to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court. The senator was also a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient and died of lung cancer.

Philippine environmental activist and philanthropist Gina Lopez is remembered for her relentless fight against hazardous and destructive mining practices. She had led the ABS-CBN Foundation and had chaired the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. She had also served as the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.

Risa Hontiveros is a Filipino politician, journalist, and community leader. After starting her career as a journalist, Hontiveros went on to establish herself as a prominent political leader and is currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. Over the course of her career, Risa Hontiveros has received several honors, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is a Filipino politician and academic. From 2001 to 2010, Arroyo served as the president of the Philippines. Before serving as the president, Arroyo served as a senator and as the vice president of the Philippines. She later served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2018 to 2019.

Imelda Marcos is a retired Filipino politician with a controversial history. She became the First Lady of the Philippines in 1965 when her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, became President of the nation. Her family stole billions of dollars from the country’s citizens and lived lavishly. The Marcoses were unseated during the People Power Revolution in February 1986.

Before being adopted by iconic Filipino actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, Grace Poe was found as an infant in front of a cathedral in Iloilo city. She grew up to be a politician and senator of the Philippines. She has previously also chaired the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

A former broadcast journalist, Loren Legarda was known for anchoring shows such as The World Tonight, before she stepped into politics and rose to be the President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines. The former senator is also a prominent environmental activist.