Who is your girl crush?
Raise your hand if you are female and you have a girl crush. Or girl crushes.
Girl crush is defined as “a non-romantic admiration a woman or girl has for another, often rooted in finding them cool, talented or inspiration. It often involves wanting to be like them and is common in pop culture.” This is an AI overview.
Girl crush is “used in both daily life for personal admiration and in K-pop to describe empowering, fierce, or ‘badass’ concepts that appeal to female audiences.”
More details from Google: “It is stronger than just liking someone; it is often described as a ‘kindred spirit’ level of admiration… In music, it includes confident, self-loving lyrics, often with a girl power theme.”
A girl crush may range from Mother Teresa, Gabriela Silang, Jackie Kennedy, Aung San Suu Kyi, Cory Aquino, Michele Obama to Son Ye-jin, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, IU, Lea Salonga, or Alex Eala. Or you might like Malala Yousafzai or Plestia Alaqad.
Celebrating women empowerment, we cite a reminder from the song Girl Power: Never give up, never stay down.
Throw your hands up if you know just who you are.
Loren Legarda
Senator
One of the young women I admire is Greta Thunberg. I remember her saying, “There is no climate justice without social justice.” I admire how she turns that conviction into action, insisting that caring for the environment must always mean caring for people.
That is the same moral compass behind my own work and advocacies on climate justice, protecting the vulnerable, demanding accountability from those in power, and insisting that every life has equal value. Greta’s intentions are pure, she fights for our world, she has a passion like no other. She is bold and brave, a truly admirable young woman.
Robina Gokongwei-PE
Robinsons Retail president and CEO
Carmen (Chitang) Guerrero Nakpil, one of my favorite Filipino authors in English.
At a birthday party hosted by the late Napoleon Rama, publisher of the Manila Bulletin, at his home 25 years ago, Tito Nap asked Tita Chitang, “Out of curiosity, what is a good husband?”
In her tongue-in-cheek manner, Tita Chitang said, “A good husband is a dead husband.”
We all fell off our seats from laughter.
(My answer comes with the permission of my husband, Perry Pe. At that time we had been married five years).
Josie Natori
International fashion designer
Audrey Hepburn has always epitomized my ideal woman! She had a timeless elegance and beauty from the inside out. She exuded quiet strength and resilience.
Her “less is more” style was so captivating. Finally, her humanitarian-focused life beyond the limelight was an inspiration!
Joy Belmonte
Quezon City Mayor
I am a huge fan of US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. To me, she is a great example of a principled, excellent and audacious woman. What inspires me most is that she doesn’t just speak truth to power; she does it with clarity, conviction and a fearless willingness to take up space.
By doing so, she expands such space to advocate for those who have long been excluded. Her example affirms that women need not shrink to fit into power.
Risa Hontiveros
Senator
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)! She’s beautiful, can explain social justice while doing a lipstick demonstration, and cares passionately about her people, their country, and our world.
Mariana Zobel De Ayala
Managing director, Ayala Corporation; senior vice president, Ayala Land
A Wonder Woman I’m lucky to know is my cousin and colleague, Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala. Paloma is the creative director of Ayala Land —and one of the most talented, diligent and positive people I know. Not to mention: the coolest.
During the week, she pushes us to dream bigger and imagine better. On weekends, she’s usually learning something new—whether that means traveling around the Philippines, playing racquet sports or golf, or taming and riding horses.
Leni Robredo
Naga Mayor
I think I speak for a lot of women when I say I admire Angel Locsin. It really isn’t hard to see why we are all drawn to her. Beyond her beauty and talents, I am most impressed by her willingness to keep showing up for those who are most in need.
Whether she is on the ground, rolling up her sleeves, or moving in silence to facilitate assistance, Angel has long used her stardom to shine a light upon communities. That kind of instinct speaks a lot about her character. We could use more women like her around us.
