Light of the home, light of the company

From breadwinner to boardroom, Filipinas are powering both the home and the workplace.

For generations, the Filipino woman has been called “ang ilaw ng tahanan”—the light of the home. The phrase captures her role as moral compass, financial steward, disciplinarian, nurturer, and adviser all at once. She balances warmth with wisdom, compassion with firmness, ensuring families stay the course even in times of difficulty. The light she brings is both practical and symbolic, guiding households through storms and triumphs alike.

Increasingly, women are bringing the same values and leadership qualities to corporate boardrooms. They are no longer just the light of homes; they are also the light of companies, guiding organizations with the same empathy, prudence, and discipline that have anchored Filipino families for centuries.

From household governance to corporate governance. Consider how women traditionally run households. They manage budgets with precision, stretching every peso for education, food, health, leisure, and emergencies. They enforce discipline while showing compassion, shaping character while keeping relationships intact. In truth, they act as the family’s chief financial, risk, human resource, and operating officers all at once.

These household governance skills, once invisible, are the same qualities companies now seek in independent directors. Women’s ability to weigh short-term needs against long-term stability, to manage risk without stifling ambition, and to ensure fairness and accountability makes them natural stewards of good governance.

Women at work. The Philippines has long been recognized for strong female participation in the workforce. Women make up nearly 47 percent of jobs nationwide, a higher share than many Asean neighbors. In publicly listed companies, women hold 40 percent of executive roles and 21 percent of board seats (PBCWE Census, 2022). From banking to retail, government to entrepreneurship, women are participating and leading.

Indeed, the Philippines consistently ranks among the world’s better performers in gender equality. In the 2023 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report, the country placed 16th globally, ahead of most of its Asian peers. Filipino women are lawyers, engineers, scientists, CPAs, CFOs, CISOs, CEOs, and entrepreneurs shaping industries. They are household breadwinners as well as corporate decision-makers.

The EQ edge. What makes women stand out in leadership is not just technical skill but emotional intelligence. EQ—the balance of head and heart—allows leaders to inspire, empathize, and unite. IQ may open doors, but EQ determines how far one climbs.

A TalentSmart survey found that 90 percent of top performers score high in EQ, and leaders with strong emotional intelligence build trust, resolve conflict, and sustain performance. Women, often more attuned to empathy and collaboration, bring these strengths to both families and companies. On boards, this translates into more inclusive decision-making, sharper risk awareness, and greater alignment with stakeholder needs.

Why companies with women do better. The impact of women leaders is not just cultural—it is financial. Research shows that companies with women in leadership perform better:

An IFC study (Asean, 2019) found firms with over 30 percent women directors reported return on assets of 3.8 percent vs. 2.4 percent and return of equity of 6.2 percent vs. 4.2 percent compared to all-male boards.

Credit Suisse found that companies with at least 30 percent women directors delivered nearly 19 percent higher cumulative returns between 2019 and 2024.

McKinsey noted that moving from no women in leadership to 30 percent representation correlated with a 15 percent increase in profitability.

Clearly, empowering women in the workplace is not just a social good—it is smart business.

Lighting the way forward. The Philippines is well-positioned to lead this shift. With women already holding a significant share of executive and board seats, the foundation is strong. Networks like PhilWEN, PBCWE, NOWCD/Women Corporate Directors and ICD are building pipelines of board-ready women, ensuring that talent is never the barrier.

From home to nation. Women are not only the light of the home, they are also the ilaw ng kumpanya, illuminating boardrooms with integrity, empathy, and discipline. Their presence ensures governance is grounded in values, ambition tempered by perspective, and profit pursued alongside purpose.

Today, behind every successful company and nation stands the Filipina, powering both the office and the home, her light shining far beyond the family table into boardrooms and industries that shape our future.

Truly, the Filipina is no longer just the light of the home; she is the light that guides companies, industries, and the nation toward a brighter tomorrow.

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Lizanne Uychaco FICD, EVP of SMIC, oversees corporate services, governance, risk, and compliance. She represents SM on several boards. She is an active member of NextGen Organization of Women Corporate Directors (www.nowcdphils.com) and PhilWEN.