Philippine history is not only rich with legendary tales of heroes and revolutionaries who fought for the country’s liberation, but it also tells the empowering stories of different Filipino women who helped shape the nation into what it is today.

Thinking about our women heroines, here’s a list of notable Filipinas who gave inspiring marks in Philippine history, empowering modern Filipinas to create their own legacy.

1. Hidilyn Diaz

Weightlifter wonder Hidilyn Diaz won the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, making it a historic victory for the country.

She became the Philippines’ “Golden Girl” as she continued to bag medals from different competitions around the world, proving that women are truly powerful, valiant, and resilient in their own right.

Further shaping her legacy, she established a weightlifting academy to mentor aspiring weightlifters and next-generation athletes.

2. Marcela Agoncillo

Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo sewed her way into history as the “Mother of the Philippine Flag” for being the principal seamstress of the first and official flag of the Philippines.

Married to a prominent lawyer, Marcela also stood by her husband in defending their poor townmates against the corrupt Spanish authorities.

It was General Emilio Aguinaldo who turned to Marcela to use her skilled needlework to make the flag we now know today, making her an iconic figure who propelled the Philippines’ national prominence.

3. Atang de la Rama

Honorata “Atang” de la Rama, hailed Queen of the ‘Kundiman’ and of the ‘Sarsuela,’ was a Filipina singer, bodabil performer, and national artist who embodied a very significant part of the Philippines’ pop culture heritage.

During the American occupation, de la Rama was involved in the popularization of Tagalog songs after fearlessly fighting for the dominance of Philippine folk songs.

Generations of Filipino artists and audiences greatly consider her vocal and acting talents as leading elements for the success of original Filipino sarsuelas, kundimans, and dramas, as she was at the forefront of introducing Filipino culture to foreign audiences.

4. Fe del Mundo

Doctor Fe del Mundo was a prominent pediatrician, distinguished scholar, humanitarian, and Filipina of exemplary character.

As a medical researcher and writer, her clinical research served as a great reference for the use of vaccines and immunizations that are currently available in the country.

With her primary goal of helping families in rural communities without electricity, del Mundo also conducted further studies that led to the invention of a bamboo incubator and a jaundice-relieving device.

5. Gloria Diaz

In July 1969, history was made when 18-year-old Gloria Diaz became the first Filipina to win the Miss Universe title in Florida.

Even though she was not considered the crowd favorite during the pageant, Diaz was able to outsmart 60 beauty queen contestants during the questions and answers portion with a simple yet very witty answer.

Through her iconic victory, Diaz cemented the country’s love for Miss Universe and her passion for conquering international stages.

6. Lea Salonga

Named the “Pride of the Philippines,” Lea Salonga is a multiple award-winning actress and singer who is best known across the world for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon.

Renowned for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, she was the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award, the first Filipina to sign with an international record label, and one of the best-selling Filipino artists of all time.

As an international recording artist with million-seller albums, she was hailed as a “Disney Legend” for being the singing voice of Disney Princesses Jasmine and Mulan.

7. Josefa Llanes Escoda

The legacy of Josefa Llanes Escoda began when she founded the Girl Scouts of the Philippines in 1940.

She was a dedicated educator and social worker who sought ways to promote the welfare of Filipino people through her noble works, which included providing restrooms for women workers, free nursery classes, rural health and sanitation, and adult education.

Escoda also played a crucial role during World War II, where she offered aid to prisoners of war and helped them reconnect with their families in Manila.

8. Jovita Fuentes

Dubbed the “first lady of Philippine music,” Fuentes is one of the greatest Filipino vocal talents and also the first Filipino international star in the world of opera.

With her exceptional skills in opera singing and acting, she was responsible for producing operas in the Philippines, which developed the love of Filipinos for theatrical performances.

She also established a foundation that focuses on music production and promotion, together with the establishment of other various music associations and artists’ guilds in the Philippines.

9. Pura Kalaw

In Philippine history, Purificacion “Pura” Kalaw was the country’s first-ever beauty queen.

She was crowned the first “Queen of the Manila Carnival” in 1908, a title that later became “Miss Philippines” in 1926.

In 1906, Kalaw founded the Philippines’ first suffrage movement led solely by women. Under her strong leadership and advocacy, the first suffrage bill reached the Philippine Assembly, which passed in 1937 and finally celebrated women’s right to vote.

10. Lucrecia Kasilag

Lucrecia “Tita King” Kasilag is an educator, composer, performer, and one of the Philippines’ most distinguished National Artists for Music, having pioneered modernism in Philippine music.

Kasilag also created more than 300 compositions for songs, piano solos, marches, hymns, chamber music, and orchestra ensembles in a glorious span of more than five decades.

Her numerous compositions, which involved showcasing Philippine folk and ethnic dances with the use of traditional Filipino instruments on the global stage, helped propel Philippine music further into national consciousness.

11. Regina Paz Lopez

Regina Paz “Gina” Lopez was a Filipino environmentalist, philanthropist, politician, and sustainable livelihood advocate who promoted people’s sustainable and harmonious beneficence from the environment.

During her stint as a former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Lopez led the audit and subsequent closing of 23 mines, the suspension of five more, and the cancellation of 75 mining permits that were found to have violated various regulations and laws.

In 1999, her environmental crusade became known for its successful reforestation of the La Mesa Watershed and the rehabilitation of the Pasig River.

12. Maria Orosa

Hailed as the “Filipina Nutrition Heroine,” food technologist and pharmaceutical chemist Maria Orosa created a revolution in Filipino cuisine as she pioneered innovative ways to reduce the Philippines’ dependence on imported food.

It was Orosa who invented calamansi juice powder, banana ketchup, soyalac, and two breeds of fruit plants called oroval and clarosa.

She was also credited with creating proper methods of canning and preserving native fruits with the intent of making the country self-sufficient in food production.

13. Maria Socorro Ramos

Maria Socorro Ramos, also known as “Nanay Coring,” is one of the most successful Filipino entrepreneurs who co-founded the largest retail bookstore chain in the Philippines with hundreds of branches established throughout the country.

Part of the company’s core values is to uplift the lives of underprivileged children across the Philippines by focusing on education and empowerment.

Nanay Coring still continues to help impoverished communities by providing its poorest schools with libraries and supplies, driven by her mission to promote reading and literacy among Filipinos.

14. Miriam Defensor Santiago

Known as the “Fighting Judge,” Miriam Defensor Santiago is one of the most intellectually brilliant leaders the Philippines has ever seen.

She has brought honor to the Philippines by becoming the first Filipino and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected to the United Nations as a judge of the International Criminal Court.

She was named one of “The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World” for her bold and moral leadership, which became a leading force in cleaning up a graft-ridden government to uphold the rights and freedom of all Filipinos.

15. Gabriela Silang

Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang was the first Filipina revolutionary leader who led the Ilocano Independence Movement to revolt against Spanish colonization in 1763.

After her husband was terminated, Silang bravely took over his husband’s revolution and led her troops toward the resistance for four months before her capture and execution.

With her fearless leadership and heroic efforts, she was named “Henerala,” who fiercely fought against colonialism and imperialism in exchange for Filipino independence.

16. Melchora Aquino

Melchora “Tandang Sora” Aquino is known as the “Mother of the Philippine Revolution” and is also the first Filipina to appear on a Philippine peso banknote, featured on the 100-peso bill.

Without any fear of risking her own life, she helped the Katipunan by volunteering her home to be the Katipuneros’ venue for secret meetings.

Using her store as a refuge for sick and wounded revolutionaries, Tandang Sora also fed and nursed the Katipuneros with medical support while providing them with motherly guidance amidst the raging revolution.

17. Francisca Tirona Benitez

Francisca Tirona Benitez was a Filipino educator, humanitarian, and civic leader who co-founded the first university for women in Asia.

The university made a big history in 1928 when it established the Philippines’ first college of home economics, further promoting higher learning for women.

Benitez is also known for organizing an orphanage and sanctuary that sheltered abandoned children and homeless women to provide them with social aid.

18. Teresita Reyes

Best known as the “Mother of Filipino Cooking,” Teresita Reyes established one of the most popular condiment companies in the Philippines that produces the key ingredients found in a variety of Filipino dishes.

She proudly introduced the rich flavors of the Philippine Islands to the rest of the globe and made a big name for the country’s traditional food.

With her company selling authentic Filipino recipes and sauce mixes around the world, she became an influential figure in popularizing the colorful tastes of Filipino cuisines worldwide and preserving the highly esteemed culinary skills of all Filipinos.

19. Josephine Medina

Para table tennis player Josephine Medina is the most decorated paddler in the Philippines’ sports history, having won seven gold medals in the ASEAN Para Games.

Despite being afflicted with poliomyelitis, which affected the length of her legs, Medina serves as an actual testimony that disability will never be a hindrance to achieving one’s dreams, with her still rising as an Olympic champion.

Back when she was a college student, she was even able to compete against able-bodied players, which encouraged a lot of aspiring athletes hindered by their disabilities to continue reaching out for their dreams.

20. Nesthy Petecio

Nesthy Petecio is a Filipino boxer who became the face of many headlines in the Philippines after winning a silver medal in the inaugural women’s featherweight event at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

Petecio made history as the first-ever Filipino to win an Olympic medal in women’s boxing, where she won against formidable foes that included top-ranked champions across the world.

Hailed as “Davao del Sur’s Heroine,” she immediately became a huge inspiration not only to her fellow Filipinos but to every young woman who also dreams of pursuing boxing to show their unwavering strength.

Indeed, these iconic women have inspired generations with their groundbreaking contributions to the Philippines.

They were able to prove that not all heroines are seen in blazing wars; rather, women, with their own strength and intellect, further excel in different fields and different battles where they are seen moving towards their own momentous victories.

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Source:
https://gbk.cecphils.org/, https://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/ , https://kahimyang.com/, https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/