Kids

Filipino Women in STEM That Our Daughters Can Look Up To

by Kevyn Gohu
March 13, 2025

Here are Filipino women in STEM who have made the country better and can inspire our daughters

STEM, short for “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” has become one of the most popular courses in the Philippines’ K-12 education system. Considering how the world is slowly embracing automation, artificial intelligence, and the benefits of higher medical technologies, it’s no surprise that our daughters have considered succeeding in what historically was a male-dominated field. And for this month, it’s time for us to bring more women in STEM to the spotlight.

Fe del Mundo, M.D., M.A.

It’s almost criminal that many don’t know the name of the first Filipina scientist to be named National Scientist and her invaluable contributions to pediatrics. After obtaining her medical degree, she pursued a master’s degree in the art of Bacteriology. Hailed as the pioneer of pediatrics and a graduate from UP Manila, the late Fe del Mundo is the founder of the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines — Children’s Memorial Hospital, which we now know as Children’s Memorial Medical Center.

Her work has always been for the betterment of children, making her worthy to receive the title “National Scientist” in 1980. In 1962, she surveyed premature babies in the Philippines, which helped the country develop ways to care for them in the post-war era. Her inspiration? Some say it was the death of her younger sister, Elisa, while others claim it was her frustration with government hospital systems at the time.

So for the many moms who’ve had premature babies, Dr. Fe del Mundo is the reason why many of them can celebrate their birthdays today.

Pilarica M. Ejercito, M.D., M.A.

Affectionately called “Ninang” among her many nieces and nephews and “Lola Ninang” by the grandchildren, Pilarica M. Ejercito grew up in a family wherein, allegedly, the children were only allowed the following career choices: either become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, earn a double degree, or get a Master’s Degree. As the eldest sister, she decides to achieve by becoming a doctor and getting a master’s degree in microbiology. Her study would then further research on herpes simplex virus.

Dolores A. Ramirez

Hailed for her research in biochemical genetics and cytogenetics, Vogue Philippines’ August 2023 Cover Dolores A. Ramirez, even has two flowers in honor of her skills as a geneticist: a gumamela hybrid and a mussaenda hybrid. She began teaching in the University of the Philippines in 1956 and has enjoyed being part of the metaphorical chain to improve the field of genetics in the Philippines.

“I’m also a product of somebody else’s mentoring, so I’m sincerely part of the chain. There are many students, such as my students, for example, who have widened the scope of what I’ve done,” she shares in the interview.

Some of her studies include the growth pattern and behavior of the macapuno which is actually considered a “tumor” in coconuts.

Isabel Sieh

Nothing says accomplished like being self-taught. Self-teaching programming and coding at 10 years old, Isabel Sieh then established the coding academy, “Girls Will Code,” at 14 years old to encourage girls to try their hand at coding. In a world where technology is becoming a thing, Isabel Sieh represents the majority of the new generation who are “true” digital natives or those who are born into a world of technology and have an innate knowledge of how to use it.

According to LinkedIn, Isabel Sieh is currently an intern at Waymo, a driver-hailing app company.

Reina Reyes

Known as “the Filipina scientist that proved Einstein right,” Reina Reyes is an astrophysicist who led a research team back in 2010 to prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. She and her team proved that the galaxies even beyond our own are pulled together by gravity in an order which was predicted by the formula left behind by the late genius. Her work also proved the existence of “Dark Energy” which is supposedly a greater force than gravity.

Currently, she works as a consulting data scientist for companies.

Aletta Yñiguez, PhD

Ever wonder why Filipinos know so much about marine life? It’s because of marine biologists like Dr. Aletta Yñiguez. A faculty member and scientist of the Marine Science Institute in UP Diliman, she often studies marine ecology, biological oceanography, ecological modeling, and dynamics of marine systems. She does this in hopes of developing tools and models to make fishing sustainable not just for the small-time fishermen but also for the big fishing companies.

And if our daughters want to learn more about marine life, Dr. Yñiguez is also involved in organizing summer camps and marine science events for kids!

There are so many accomplished women in STEM from the PH!

With so many accomplished women in STEM from the Philippines, it kind of makes us wonder why not many know about them. Some say it’s because they prefer focusing on mastering their craft, constantly pursuing knowledge. Others say that it’s the benefits that their discoveries bring that matter more, with these accomplished Filipinas preferring to keep their lives private. But the fact that they exist and have come this far proves that science isn’t a male-dominated field anymore. Women can achieve in STEM.

All they need is a chance to prove they can.