WOMEN OF IMPACT

Along with the Belo Medical Group, we give you 32 women who have made great strides in changing the cultural spectrum—from business and finance to arts, public service, sports, education, technology, philanthropy. They are shining examples that, yes, a woman can

- LAUREN DOMINIQUE K GOLANGCO, CHRISTINE ANDAS,ISABEL MARTEL FRANCISCO, JOVE MOYA, MARITESS GARCIA REYES, FRANZ SORILLA IV,CHITL LIJAUCO, RYANNE STEPHANIE CHENG CO

LENI ROBREDO

VICE PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC, OF THE PHILIPPINES

“I am told that one of the reasons why some people will not vote for me for President is because I am a woman,” relates the Philippine Vice President. No stranger to the obstacles Filipinas still face today, the resolute 2022 presidential candidate stands tall as the only woman in the running for the nation’s highest office—and if successful, she’ll be installed as the country’s third female President.

Known to never run away from a challenge, her industry is well documented. Vice President Leni Robredo helmed her office’s flagship anti-poverty programme, Angat Buhay. From providing fisherfolk with boats in Agutaya to establishing a weaving centre for Yakan weavers in Lamitan City, the programme addresses the needs of communities all over the country—all on a modest budget.

Tackling the Covid-19 pandemic head-on, she launched free shuttle services that enabled travel to and from work during the lockdowns. Medical front-liners were offered dormitories, preventing infections from hospitals to households. Early on, the OVP (Office of the Vice President) introduced PPEs by local tailors, thus augmenting their livelihoods, and offered medical teleconsultation services, Covid-19 vaccines, and antigen testing, all free of charge for the public.