FOR more than a century, Filipina scientists have helped engineer the country’s survival. Their work spans the chemistry of food security, the science of child health, the management of satellites, and the policies that protect knowledge and the environment. For International Women’s Month, The Manila Times Science and Technology section highlights Filipina scientists and science policymakers whose work reshaped how the Philippines survives and develops.
The chemistry of courage
Dr. Maria Orosa (1893–1945) was a pharmaceutical chemist and food technologist who treated food security as a matter of national survival. Educated at the University of Washington in pharmaceutical chemistry and food chemistry, she returned to the Philippines in the 1920s determined to reduce dependence on imported food.
Her most famous invent ion was banana ketchup, developed during a period when tomatoes were scarce but bananas were abundant in the Philippines. The condiment later became a staple of Filipino cuisine.
Orosa also invented the palayok oven, a clay cooking device that allowed households without electricity to bake and roast food. Through the Bureau of Science and later the Bureau of Plant Industry, she worked on food preservation techniques that helped rural communities improve nutrition.
During the Japanese occupation in World War II, Orosa joined Marking’s Guerrillas and used science to fight famine. She developed Soyalac, a protein-rich soybean powder, and Darak, a vitamin-rich rice bran preparation that prevented beriberi. These were smuggled into prisoner camps hidden inside bamboo poles and helped save thousands of prisoners and civilians from starvation. Orosa was killed during the Battle of Manila in 1945.
In service of children
Dr. Fe del Mundo (1911–2011) transformed pediatric medicine in the Philippines and built one of the country’s most enduring health institutions. A physician trained in the United States, she devoted her career to improving the treatment of childhood diseases and expanding health care access in rural communities.
She founded the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines and authored numerous studies on infectious diseases affecting children. She was named National Scientist in 1980 and received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service for her contributions to child health care.
Understanding the limitations of rural infrastructure, del Mundo developed a bamboo incubator designed for areas without reliable electricity. The device used heated water bottles to maintain the temperature needed for premature infants, allowing hospitals and clinics in remote provinces to save newborn lives.
When policy is science
Not all scientific influence occurs in laboratories. Some of the most consequential work shaping science happens through scholarship and policy.
Encarnacion Alzona (1895–2001) was a pioneering historian and scholar who became the first Filipina to earn a doctoral degree when she completed her PhD at Columbia University in 1923. Her research on education and the status of women in Philippine society helped build the intellectual case for women’s suffrage.
Through books, academic research, and public advocacy, Alzona helped generate the political momentum that led to the 1937 plebiscite granting Filipino women the right to vote. She later became a National Scientist in recognition of her scholarly contributions to Philippine history.
Helena Benitez (1914–2016) worked at the intersection of science, diplomacy, and environmental policy. In the Philippine Senate she authored legislation protecting endangered wildlife and natural habitats. She was also a central figure in Philippine education and women’s leadership institutions, serving for decades as president and later chair of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU). Under her leadership the university expanded its academic programs and strengthened its role in training women in professional fields, public service, and the sciences.
Benitez also served as chair of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines and was president of the governing council of the United Nations Environment Program, becoming the first Asian and the first woman to hold the position. Her work helped embed scientific research in global environmental policymaking.
In the stars
Angelita Castro-Kelly (1942–2015) carried Filipino scientific talent into the space age. Born in Isabela and trained in physics, she spent nearly four decades working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
In 1990 she became the first female Mission Operations Manager at NASA. She helped develop and supervise the Earth Observing System missions that include satellites such as Terra, Aqua, and Aura, spacecraft that collected data on global climate, oceans, and atmospheric chemistry. Her leadership helped establish the operational framework for satellites that monitor the Earth’s changing environment, and inspired the current women leaders of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).
Roots and genes
Two women scientists devoted their careers to understanding the chemistry and genetics of Philippine plants. Together, their work transformed knowledge of Philippine biodiversity into actionable research.
Dr. Luz Oliveros Belardo (1906–1999) spent decades studying the chemical compounds of native flora. Her research on essential oils and medicinal plants helped build the scientific foundation for herbal medicine and pharmaceutical research in the Philippines.
Dr. Dolores Ramirez (1931–2024) advanced the field of plant genetics. Her work on crop cytogenetics, including research on coconut varieties such as makapuno, helped scientists understand how certain traits are inherited and cultivated. The research contributed to improved agricultural productivity and strengthened the country’s biotechnology expertise.
In laboratories, classrooms, and institutions these women demonstrated that scientific leadership in the Philippines has never belonged to one generation or one field alone.
