Hear her stories, know her power: Four extraordinary women in top positions share their journey to success
The Philippines ranks quite high in gender parity, placing 25th out of 146 countries in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum, which annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. With a gender parity score of 77,9%, the country ranks highest in the Southeast Asian region, ahead of Singapore (48th), Thailand (65th), and Vietnam (72nd).
These numbers seem promising, but there is much more work to be done in ensuring gender equality in our society. Filipinas still face challenges that hinder their personal development and prevent them from reaching their full potential. This includes gender stereotypes that can lead to a leadership gap or underrepresentation in leadership positions in public and private sectors.
This Women's Month, PhilSTAR L!fe celebrates four women achievers who aren't just achieving success—they're defining it. These women hold the most senior leadership positions in their respective companies, proving that gender is no barrier to reaching the top.
Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo's business acumen and love for good food have grown the Wildflour Hospitality Group to include popular brands such as Wildflour Italian, Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain, George and Onnie’s, Pizza Sisters, Pink’s Hotdogs, Kei Makati, and Osteria Antica.
It was her early exposure to the food business that inspired her to become an entrepreneur. Their family owns the Lorin’s Patis brand, where she worked the factory line, putting caps on the patis bottles. She also fondly recalls summers spent in her grandmother’s bakery, enjoying the aroma of freshly-baked bread.
Her first foray into business, a barbecue concept, failed, but she persisted towards her dream, even in the face of rejection. “When I was starting, I never really had to experience any negative biases just because I was a woman, but I think early on when I started, when I was applying for spaces in some malls, I faced rejection after rejection. I think it's probably a function of my being a woman who wasn't really established in business yet. So that's probably it, but other than that, thankfully, I never had to experience any,” Ana admitted.
She tells women entrepreneurs, “I think it's important that you trust your instincts, and you trust your intuition, and you'd be surprised as to what you can accomplish. People are probably going to tell you that you can't do it, you can't make it, but you just have to prove to yourself that you can, and things will follow. You just have to know yourself, you just have to know why you're doing it and who you're doing it for, and I think everything will just fall into place.”
Meanwhile, as the senior vice president for GMA's Talent Management and Development, Program Management, Human Resources Development, Legal Affairs, and Worldwide, and president and CEO of GMA Pictures, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes takes women out of the usual tropes and champions women empowerment on the screen. She takes this responsibility seriously, with the mission of helping more women and girls break out of stereotypes in real life.
Values are another important aspect of her work, and with the popularity of the shows they produce, she makes sure that the network produces quality entertainment. “We, as a network, also want to be able to uplift the values of our viewers, whether it be moral values, nationalism, or Filipino pride. It's something that I think all media companies have responsibility to do,” she said.
One of her superpowers is leading a busy life while making time for her own family. “For me, family is really the most important thing. You work because you want to provide for your family, you want to be a role model to your kids, to see good work ethic, to accomplish things but in the end, family is the most important.”
As a woman leader, Gozon-Valdes uses her platform to empower other women. “If you look at our shows, we have a lot of women in front of the camera and behind the camera. I think in media, we're very lucky that a lot of women flourish and thrive in our industry. We've seen a lot of women-on-cam who shine. I think these people, these women, who the viewers can see and look up to, can be an inspiration for especially the younger generations.”
Millennial CEO Ryna Brito-Garcia of Sunlight Air, on the other hand, is optimistic that more women are taking on more roles in aviation, which has a significant impact on the global economy. “Today, I see a lot of women who are pilots, women in managerial positions. I think, slowly, women are starting to break that barrier,” she said.
A young woman leader herself, Ryna hopes to inspire more women to be unstoppable forces in reaching for their dreams. “I hope that women can feel empowered enough that their gender never becomes a barrier to anything they want to do in their life,” she states. She advised, “Trust yourself—your skills, experiences, and capabilities. Don’t let doubts and uncertainty stop you from trying. Because it’s only when you try that you actually get to achieve your dreams and goals.”
And finally, as the first female president of the urban township developer Megaworld Corporation, Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso plays a major role in inclusion and diversity in the company. “Women have long been part of the real estate workforce. They have been, and continue to be, instrumental in strengthening and elevating the industry. At Megaworld, 60% of our employees are women,” she said. “Our company has a culture of meritocracy, and it has opened up many opportunities for those who are capable, hardworking, and committed to grow and succeed—regardless of gender. I’m living proof of how meritocracy created the ideal environment for me to thrive professionally.”
She does acknowledge that women often have to work harder to prove themselves in leadership roles. “We have to display more courage, tenacity, fortitude, resilience, determination, and persistence,” she said.
One secret to success that she shared is to build strong support systems. “No woman is an island, and when it comes to growth and success, we can’t do it alone,” she said. “Your family, partner or spouse, children, churchmates, and even the communities that you’re a part of—they’ll share responsibilities with you, and they’ll lift you up during difficult times.”
To truly capture the depth and impact of their achievements, L!fe will be featuring each of these extraordinary women in individual stories throughout the month. Their stories serve as powerful inspiration for Filipinas aspiring to excel in any field.
