Power women in private professions

Last Monday’s column (see “Let us celebrate Women Suffrage Day,” 4/21/2025) elicited a lot of responses saying I should not limit myself only to those directly responsible for the grant of suffrage to Filipino women but should hail others who excelled in many private endeavors, achieving equality if not superiority with the other gender. Let’s call them the power women of the Philippines in the private professions whom I have met or know about.

BERNADINE SIY IMMEDIATELY CAME TO MY MIND. She is the first woman chairperson of Ateneo de Manila University and of the Manila Golf Club (MGC). Several times, I have teased Fr. Bobby Yap, president of Ateneo, that though women cannot be priests, still the Jesuits installed a lady as their “boss” in their board of trustees. And he would always smile in agreement.

Since its founding in 1901, MGC had been a bastion of masculine pride, until the proverbial glass ceiling was broken in 1987. And in 2008, Bern, as she is affectionately called, was elected the first and thus far its only lady president and queen. In the board rooms of PLDT and JG Summit, Bern is listened to with respect and awe because she studies the agenda and speaks with distinct eloquence. I know because I happen to be her fellow independent director (ID) in both companies. She is happily married to my compañero, celebrated corporate lawyer Eric Quiazon.

The first lady president of the prestigious Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is Marife Zamora, former chairperson of Convergys (now Concentrix), the biggest business process outsourcing company here, with about 120,000 employees. She founded the Filipina CEO Circle composed of the country’s top women chief executives. She sits as an ID of PLDT, Cemex, SM Investments Corp., and other big companies.

DR. LYDIA B. ECHAUZ, AN OUTSTANDING POWER LADY, is an ID of Meralco (where, as her fellow ID, I witness her wit and wisdom), SPNEC, Shell Philippines, D&L Industries, and other big entities and foundations. She was past president of Far Eastern University, former dean of the De La Salle University Graduate School, and currently executive director of the Henry Sy Foundation.

Equally noteworthy are the versatile Chaye Cabal-Revilla (executive vice president and chief operating officer of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.), Martha Sazon (president/CEO of GCash), Meean Dy (president/CEO, Ayala Land Inc.), Lynette Ortiz (president/CEO, Land Bank of the Philippines), Rhoda Huang (president/CEO, Filinvest Development Corp.), Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso (president, Megaworld Corp.), Hannah Yulo-Luccini, (CEO, Hotel101 Global Pte Ltd.), Lorelie Quiambao-Osial (president/CEO, Shell Philippines), Riena Pama (president, Sun Life Prosperity Fund), and Sandy Prieto-Romualdez (president/CEO, Inquirer Group).

Lilia de Lima broke the MAP record of awarding only males in the much-acclaimed Management Man of the Year by being the first female to be given the award in 2010. She was also granted the coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2017. She suggested I should also recognize some of her fellow members of the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service which celebrated its 50th Anniversary on March 25 with a dinner/dance/musical, which I attended.

The broadcast industry is powered by (alphabetically) Pia Arcangel, Karmina Constantino, Cheryl Cosim, Luchi Cruz-Valdes, Karen Davila, Ces Drilon, Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Cheche Lazaro, Vicky Morales-Reyno, Maria Ressa, Korina Sanchez-Roxas (whose initial Bilyonaryo podcast with Mike Toledo and Pinky Webb, I was told, has 500,000 views), Bernadette Sembrano, Jessica Soho, and Mel Tiangco.

Lea Salonga leads the performing arts followed by (alphabetically) Yeng Constantino, Sharon Cuneta, Moira Dela Torre, Rachelle Gerodias, Sarah Geronimo-Guidicelli, Rachelle Ann Go, Kuh Ledesma, Celeste Legaspi-Gallardo, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Lani Misalucha, Julie Anne San Jose, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, and Sofia Zobel-Elizalde.

NOT TO BE OUTDONE, JOJI ALONSO—an independent film producer and well-known labor lawyer—submitted these outstanding living legends in the movie industry (alphabetically): Laurice Guillen, Rosemarie Gil, Hilda Koronel, Gina Pareño, Boots Anson Roa Rodrigo, Celia Rodriguez, Caridad Sanchez, Charo Santos, Vilma Santos, and Nova Villa.

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I know that Charo was a beauty queen before making her first movie, “Itim,” that won the best picture award in the 1978 Asean Film Festival, and she as the best actress for her role in the movie. And from there, she starred in many more blockbusters. Recently, she and Laurice were given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

What is even more admirable about her, in my humble opinion, is her being the first lady president/CEO (2008-2015) of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., which she magnificently brought to its peak in both revenues and reach, thereby also earning a place among the power lady executives.

And Vilma, while keeping her movie allure, reinvented herself successfully as Lipa City mayor, Batangas governor and Batangas congressional representative. Gina won best actress awards in Belgium, India and France for her leading role in “Kubrador” that Joji produced.

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