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6th Bravo Empowered Women Awards

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753916400960Bravo Empowered Women Awardees 2025.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Nine outstanding Filipinas were recently recognized at the <strong>Bravo Empowered Women Awards</strong>, inspiring<strong> </strong>with their courage, achievements, service, and leadership with a positive impact.</p><p>Presented by the<strong> Zonta Club of Makati &amp; Environs Foundation, Inc.</strong>, with the support of <strong>Security Bank</strong>, the awarding ceremony was held at the JYD Hall, Security Bank Centre, marking the sixth edition of the award-giving body that&#x27;s held every two years. </p><p>This year&#x27;s honorees, according to Security Bank president and CEO <strong>Sanjiv Vohra</strong>, are women &quot;whose passion has delivered real results and continues to drive progress across our communities.&quot; </p><p><strong>Aileen Ruiz–Zarate</strong>, Bravo Empowered Women Awards Chairwoman for 2025, added that &quot;the Bravo Awards honor extraordinary women who represent the many unsung heroines who walk among us every day. These are the women whose strength and courage seldom make headlines, yet whose diligence, compassion, and vision quietly transform families, workplaces, and entire communities for the better.”</p><p>One of the highlights of this year&#x27;s edition is the awarding of the <strong>Bravo Lifetime Achievement Award</strong> to culinary luminary <strong>Glenda Barretto</strong> of <strong>Via Mare</strong> fame.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:500px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753916713838Glenda Barretto, Bravo Empowered Women Lifetime Achievement Awardee 2025.jpg" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Glenda Barretto is a celebrated figure in Philippine cuisine, best known as the founder of Via Mare and a Culinary Icon Awardee. With a career that spans over five decades, she has elevated Filipino food to global recognition. She has been a tireless advocate for preserving traditional Filipino recipes and a champion of women’s empowerment in the local culinary industry. She has mentored countless aspiring chefs, supported local food enterprises, and helped create pathways for women to thrive in culinary careers. Her influence continues to shape the landscape of Filipino gastronomy with purpose, pride, and generosity.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Below, read about the inspiring stories of the recipients of the 6th Bravo Empowered Women Awards:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Arts, Culture, &amp; Heritage: </strong><strong>Larissa Palma Chavez</strong></div><p>Larissa Chavez is the co-founder of Looking for Juan and a Fundraising Consultant for CANVAS, where she uses art and storytelling to promote literacy, social change, and community empowerment.</p><p>At CANVAS, she leads creative fundraising efforts that connect corporate partners and communities to support free books for children and Filipino art. Through Looking for Juan, she develops art-based products that fund advocacy work and support local artists.</p><p>Her projects include a CCP storytelling event promoting children’s rights and a platform that brings socially relevant art into daily life. She also champions women’s empowerment through inclusive campaigns and collaborations with Filipina artists.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753916854460Larissa Chavez.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Business: </strong><strong>Maria Mikaela “Maiki” Enriquez Oreta</strong></div><p>Maiki Oreta is a business journalist and social entrepreneur committed to empowering young Filipino leaders through education, entrepreneurship, and media. With over a decade in national news, she has helped demystify economic issues, promoting financial literacy and informed decision-making.</p><p>In 2011, she founded Kiddo-preneur, the Philippines’ first entrepreneurship fair for kids, turning malls into interactive learning hubs. She followed this with The Alphabee Spelling Contest in 2015, a national competition that strengthens literacy and communication skills among young learners.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong><strong></strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753916967640Maiki Oreta.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Culinary Arts: Doreen Alicia Gamboa</strong></div><p>Doreen Alicia Gamboa-Peña is a food advocate from Negros Occidental committed to sustainable agriculture and preserving culinary heritage through the Slow Food principles of good, clean, and fair food.</p><p>On her family’s sugarcane farm, she shifted to natural farming—growing native crops and raising livestock without chemicals. The farm also supplies her ancestral home, now a tourism site offering Ilonggo cuisine, homestays, and craft workshops.</p><p>She hosts the local Earth Market, mentors communities across Western Visayas, and helped map 100+ native ingredients for Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. She co-led the region’s participation in Terra Madre during the pandemic, showcasing local food traditions online.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753917128981Doreen Alicia Gamboa.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Education: Maryan Cabasag Diaros</strong></div><p>Maryan Cabasag Diaros is the Education Program Supervisor for Curriculum and Learning at DepEd Regional Office 2. The sole female supervisor in her division, she oversees K to 12 implementation across nine Schools Division Offices and tailors programs to meet the needs of marginalized communities.</p><p>A key contributor to national education reform, she has developed curricula and learning materials for TLE/SPTVE subjects, including ICT, Agriculture, Industrial Arts, and Home Economics. She also leads regional trainings and builds partnerships with TESDA, DTI, and DOLE to align education with workforce needs.</p><p>Diaros championed the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan during the pandemic and launched initiatives like Gulayan sa Tahanan to promote home-based learning. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753917229999Maryan Cabasag Diaros.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Media and Public Affairs: Sittie Habiba Sarip-Paudac</strong></div><p>Princess Habiba Sarip-Paudac is a teacher, journalist, and advocate, recognized as the first Muslim hijabi news anchor on Philippine national television. </p><p>In media, Sarip-Paudac started as a local Maranao-language reporter before moving to national TV in 2012, breaking barriers for Muslim women in broadcast journalism. She went on to lead Salaam TV and Salaam Radio, the country’s first government-run Muslim-oriented media platforms, both recognized for promoting cultural inclusion. She currently anchors Balitang Pambansa on PTV and teaches Education and English at PUP–San Juan, where she is the first Muslim professor. </p><p>She advocates for peace, education, and cultural understanding. She speaks on hijab advocacy, interfaith dialogue, and women’s empowerment, addressing audiences from the Philippine Senate to Bangsamoro communities.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753917358581Sittie Habiba Sarip-Paudac.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Social Services: Andie Estrada</strong></div><p><strong></strong>Andie Estrada is a social entrepreneur, educator, and community builder focused on sustainable agriculture, education innovation, and grassroots empowerment. She co-founded Rural Rising Philippines, a nonprofit that rescues surplus produce and connects farmers directly with consumers, and serves as Executive Director of Vivixx Academy, which creates tech-driven, socially relevant training programs.</p><p> During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped launch a national rescue system for distressed farmers using community-supported agriculture (CSA), grassroots logistics, and digital tools. Her efforts have delivered nearly 5 million kilos of produce to consumers while supporting over 4,500 farmers across the country. Through “Rescue Buy,” disaster response programs, and CSA models, Estrada continues to promote food security and farmer sustainability, with a goal of helping 100,000 farmers become debt-free by 2030.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753917448920andie estrada.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bravo Woman for Sports: Jamie Christine Berberabe Lim</strong></div><p>Jamie Berberabe Lim is a Senior Data Analyst at Scrubbed, where she turns complex data into strategic insights. She developed a performance dashboard tracking key metrics like revenue and churn, supporting data-driven decisions. She holds a Master’s in Business Analytics from Imperial College London and graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian in Mathematics from UP.</p><p> Outside work, Jamie is a national karate athlete. She’s a two-time SEA Games gold medalist, an Asian Karate silver medalist (2021), and holds the best-ever Filipino finish at the World Karate Championships. Since 2019, she has proudly represented the Philippines in global competitions. She mentors young athletes and offers free karate lessons to underprivileged children.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753917551220Jamie Christine Berberabe Lim.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div> </div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong></strong><strong>Bravo Woman for STEM: Emmeline Elaine “Emy” Lambengco Cua-De Los Santos</strong></div><p>Dr. Emmeline Elaine “Emy” Cua-De Los Santos, is the first double board-certified and double fellowship-trained surgical oncologist and a pioneer in Oncoplastic, Minimally Invasive, and Robotic Breast Surgery in the Philippines. She has devoted her life to making breast cancer care more accessible for women. Her expansive work stands at the intersection of surgical innovation, professional leadership, and community advocacy. </p><p>Dr. Emy’s contributions have helped ensure that every Filipina, regardless of status, has access to cutting-edge, life-saving, and hope-giving treatments. With her years of community engagement and volunteerism, she has aided in bringing essential medical services and educational resources to thousands of underserved Filipinos. By establishing EmpowerHER, the country’s first free breast cancer survivorship clinic, Dr. Emy continues her mission to empower women to not only survive, but to thrive after breast cancer. With the support of the BRAVO grant, Dr. Emy envisions expanding EmpowerHER’s reach by establishing an online Breast Cancer Clinic, and impacting the lives of more women across the Philippines and beyond.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753923839009Emmeline Elaine “Emy” Lambengco Cua-De Los Santos.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">Photos courtesy of<strong> Zonta</strong></p>

<p>Eight outstanding Filipinas were recently recognized at the <b>Bravo Empowered Women Awards</b> as they inspired with their courage, achievements, service, and leadership with a positive impact.</p>

Eight outstanding Filipinas were recently recognized at the Bravo Empowered Women Awards as they inspired with their courage, achievements, service, and leadership with a positive impact.

Bravo Empowered Women Awards: 9 Remarkable Filipinas and How They're Leading With a Positive Impact

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Bravo Empowered Women Awards: 9 Remarkable Filipinas and How They're Leading With a Positive Impact

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Published July 31, 2025 09:10 AM PHT

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Updated July 31, 2025 09:47 AM PHT

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