Global awards for Filipino women

Paris. The City of Lights. A fashion capital. The place for romance and dreams. A good number of Filipino women were in this magnificent location recently to be present at the 16th Filipina Leadership Global Summit where awards were given to the 100 “Most Influential Filipina Women in the World” from 11 countries. 

The Most Influential Women in the World Award, otherwise called Global FWN100, is the Filipina Women’s Network’s strategy to execute its mission – a Filipina woman leader in every sector of the global economy. It is a conglomeration of outstanding Filipinas living in 31 countries. 

The CEO and founder of the Filipina Women’s Network, Marily Mondejar  says the awardees are “joining an esteemed group of distinguished Filipina women worldwide who are advocating with FWN in its mission to increase the power and influence of Filipina women as leaders and policymakers on economic equity, social justice and women’s rights in the private and public sectors.”  The Philippines’ Georgitta P. Puyat is FWN president.

The global awards are given annually in eight categories: Behind the Scenes Leaders, Builders, Emerging Leaders, Founders and Pioneers, Innovators and Thought Leaders, “Nicole”, Policymakers and visionaries, and Keepers of the Flame.

The chair of Global FWN100 Awards and member of the governing board of trustees, Thelma Boac, is based in Berryessa Union School District, San Jose, California. She says in the awards’ souvenir program, “I have no doubt that these extraordinary awardees will continue to amplify Filipina women’s voices – especially for those who cannot speak out to heads of state, corporate titans, and those that influence systems of oppression and inequality.”

My good friend Teresita Tumangan was awarded under the Founders and and Pioneers category. 

Under the Behind the Scenes Leaders the awardees were  Gemalin Batino Diaz of Laguna; Marcia Vicenta Paz Gonzalez Sadicon, Manila; Maria Paz Rosales Alberto, Quezon City; Pauline Bondad, Batangas City and Zarah Jane Juan, Muntinlupa.

Under the Builders category winners: Margarita Gutierrez, Alabang; Maria Amparo Pinky Trinidad Yee, Quezon City, and Maria Victoria T. Lualhati, Ortigas.

Under the  Pioneers and Builders category, awardees were Bernadette Jardiolin Madrid, Manila; Dame Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung, Cebu City; Maria Rhodora Perpetua Isabedra Palomar-Fresnedi, Muntinlupa City; Mildred Vitangcol, Mandaluyong City, and Rosario Chavez, Paranaque City.

The Innovators and Thought Leaders awardees were Anna Isabel Crisostomo Sobrepena, Quezon City; Maria Victoria  Garcia, Taguig, NCR; Nerissa Gerial, Quezon City; Maria Ester Bautista, Makati City, and Maria Francesca Tan, Taguig, NCR. 

Also given awards were Maria Rosa Carrion of Paranaque City and Dr. Mildred Flores Piad, Paranaque (awardee for Global FWN1002018).

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Having known the capability of Founders and Pioneers awardee Teresita Tumangan, I’m here giving you a picture on why she deserves (more than deserves, yet), the award. Her depth of experience in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has been instrumental in upgrading industry standards in the Philippines – a   historical milestone and achievement. I recall her telling me that when the late President Corazon Aquino appointed her in the 1980s as a leader in upgrading pharmaceutical standards, the local pills manufacturers cooked their products in kawalis, very crude, but true. But things have changed drastically since she exited from the scene.

As the Global Awards program recounts her experiences, when Tess was appointed chair of the Philippine Board of Examiners, and consultant at the Philippine Department of Health, she engaged with the deans of all colleges of pharmacy to review and revise their curriculum. As a result, the Philippines produced better quality professors and increased passing grades by students of pharmacy. Pharmacy students strived for the top rank in the Philippine Pharmaceutical Board Exam. She advanced the effectiveness of the Generic Law in the Philippine Congress and Bureau Food and Drugs agenda. She advised the strategic rollout of retail drug stores in urban and rural settings nationwide for broader access to medicines for all Filipinos. As a humanitarian and civic leader, out of 1.2 million Rotarian worldwide, Tess received the Most Distinguished and Highest Award, “Service Above Self”, by Rotary International in 2015.

On the global imprint of her body of work, Tess told the Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award interviewers the Philippines has successfully implemented the Generic Law from the manufacturing of quality drugs, mostly drug manufacturers attained GMP classification, and able to compete with multinational drug companies.

There remains challenges in the field of gender treatment in the country. “Gender discrimination remains, especially at the management level,” she said. “As one of the top executives of Sterling Drug Asia, I was the only female executive among the male executives. I experienced gender discrimination. I was given a cubicle for an office instead of an executive office, given a 2-star hotel (normally for technical people) instead of a 5-star. No matter, attending top-level meetings gave me exposure to finances, control, taxes, managerial reports and gave me insights on how to manage a company. So I was ready when I started my own company.

Tess’ advice to the younger generation: “Remember to practice integrity, honesty, compassion and caring in whatever you do.” 

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A word (or words) about an Innovators & Thought Leaders awardee Anna Isabel Crisostomo Sobrepena,  also a good friend. Anna is a multi-awarded editor and writer, her awards coming from among others, The International Association of Business Communicators and Philippine Quill. She was recognized as editor of the Year in 2018 by Asia Leaders Awards for professional integrity and competence in steering Lifestyle Asia,  a glossy magazine that has been running  for 11 years. Among her favorite accomplishments are putting Pope Francis on the cover; creating a Giving Back section for inspirational stories, highlighting children’s welfare through Make A Wish Foundation, partnering with companies to plant a tree for every page of her magazine, raising funds for teacher training, and giving Filipino artists media mileage.

“The perception that luxury lifestyle was merely about fashion, dining spending, travelling needed to be debunked,” Anna says of her start as Lifestyle Asia editor. “It was important to establish that lifestyle, particularly luxury lifestyle, did not exist in a vacuum. It is affected by commerce and related industries, technology, medical developments, politics and other sectors. The challenge of being a woman in a field that was largely perceived to be inconsequential in the greater scheme of things was to be taken seriously so that the values and ideas I was pushing forward would affect the way people contribute for the greater good. Credibility was important and being in a leadership position helped to promote action towards that end, i.e. doing good for the greater good.”

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