List of female senators of the Philippines
This is a list of women senators of the Philippines. It is a guide to identify the women in the Philippines who has served as senators in the Senate of the Philippines, as distinct from the existing whole list of Philippine senators.
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Since 1947, there have been 23 Filipino women senators in Philippine history. In the current 18th Congress, there are 7 incumbent female senators.
History
The first female senator elected in the Philippines was Geronima Pecson, who reaped the third largest number of votes during the Philippine senatorial elections of 1947. During her senatorial term, Pecson headed the Senate Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Health and Public Welfare, and the Joint Congressional Committee on Education.[1]
Eva Estrada-Kalaw was the first woman to be re-elected as senator.
Nikki Coseteng was the youngest senator during the 9th and 10th Congress. She was first elected in 1992 and then re-elected in 1995.
Loren Legarda is the first Filipino woman senator to top the Senate race twice in 1998 and 2007. She also became the first Filipino woman to become Majority Floor Leader of the Senate. She was also the youngest senator during the 11th Congress.
Pia Cayetano is the youngest woman elected senator in Philippine history at the age of 38. She was elected in 2004, then re-elected in 2010. She returned to the Senate in 2019.
Loi Ejercito Estrada became the first First Spouse (to Joseph Ejercito Estrada) to be elected in the Senate. She served from 2001 to 2007 after her husband's removal from the presidency in 2001.
Leticia Ramos-Shahani became the first Filipino woman to become President pro tempore of the Senate in 1993.
Santanina Rasul is the first Filipina Muslim senator.
Tecla San Andres Ziga was the first woman in the Philippines to top the bar examinations for law degree graduates. She was elected as a senator in 1963.[2]
Miriam Defensor Santiago was the first Filipino and first Asian from a developing country to be elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on December 12, 2011.[3][4] She later resigned the post due to chronic fatigue syndrome, which turned out to be lung cancer.[5][6]
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the first female senator who was elected as vice-president (1998–2001) and later installed to the presidency (2001–2010).
Risa Hontiveros is the Philippines' first socialist woman senator, representing the Akbayan party-list.
Female senators
- * denotes incumbent senator
| # | Senator | Full name | Election | Years in service | Congress | Prior political experience | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magnolia Antonino | Magnolia Rodriguez Welborn-Antonino | 1967 | 1967–1972 | 6th, 7th | None | Nacionalista | |
| 2 | Tessie Aquino-Oreta | Maria Teresa Aquino Aquino-Oreta | 1998 | 1998–2004 | 11th 12th |
Representative, Malabon-Navotas's lone district (1987–1998) | LDP | |
| 3 | Helena Z. Benitez | Helena Zoila Tirona Benitez | 1967 | 1967–1972 | 6th, 7th | Nacionalista | ||
| 4 | Nancy Binay | Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay Angeles | 2013 | 2013–present | 16th 17th 18th |
Personal assistant to Vice President Jejomar Binay (2010–2013) | UNA | |
| 5 | Pia Cayetano | Pilar Juliana Schramm Cayetano | 2004 2010 2019 |
2004–2016 2019–present |
13th 14th 15th 16th 18th |
Representative, Taguig Lone district (2016–2019) | Nacionalista | |
| 6 | Nikki Coseteng | Anna Dominique Marquez-Lim Coseteng | 1992 1995 |
1992–2001 | 9th 10th 11th |
Representative, Quezon City's 3rd district (1987–1992) | NPC | |
| 7 | Leila de Lima | Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima | 2016 | 2016–present | 17th, 18th | Secretary of Justice (2010–2015) | Liberal | |
| 8 | Miriam Defensor-Santiago | Miriam Palma Defensor-Santiago | 1995 2004 2010 |
1995–2001 2004–2016 |
10th 11th 13th 14th 15th 16th |
Secretary of Agrarian Reform (1989–1990) | PRP | |
| 9 | Loi Ejercito | Luisa Fernandez Pimentel-Ejercito | 2001 | 2001–2007 | 12th, 13th | First Lady of the Philippines (1998–2001) | Independent (to 2004) | |
| PMP | ||||||||
| 10 | Eva Estrada-Kalaw | Eva Reynada Estrada-Kalaw | 1965 1971 |
1965–1972 | 6th, 7th | Nacionalista | ||
| 11 | Risa Hontiveros | Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel | 2016 | 2016–present | 17th, 18th | Representative, Akbayan (2004–2010) | Akbayan | |
| 12 | Maria Kalaw-Katigbak | Maria Villanueva Kalaw-Katigbak | 1961 | 1961–1967 | 5th, 6th | None | Liberal | |
| 13 | Loren Legarda | Lorna Regina Bautista Legarda | 1998 2007 2013 |
1998–2004, 2007–2019 |
11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th |
None | Lakas (to 2003) | |
| Independent (2004) | ||||||||
| NPC (2nd term) | ||||||||
| 14 | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | 1992 1995 |
1992–1998 | 9th, 10th | Undersecretary of Trade and Industry (1989–1992) | Lakas | |
| 15 | Jamby Madrigal | Maria Ana Consuelo Abad Santos Madrigal-Valade | 2004 | 2004–2010 | 13th 14th |
Presidential Adviser for Children's Affairs (1999–2001) | LDP (to 2007) | |
| PDP–Laban (to 2009) | ||||||||
| Independent | ||||||||
| 16 | Imee Marcos | María Imelda Josefa "Imee" Romualdez Marcos | 2019 | 2019–present | 18th | Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Ilocos Norte's 2nd district (1998–2007) Governor of Ilocos Norte (2010–2019) |
Nacionalista | |
| 17 | Pacita Madrigal-Warns | Maria Paz Paterno Madrigal-Warns | 1955 | 1955–1961 | 3rd, 4th | Secretary of Social Welfare and Development (1953–1955) | Nacionalista | |
| 18 | Geronima Pecson | Geronima Palisoc Tomelden Pecson | 1947 | 1947–1953 | 1st, 2nd | Assistant Executive Secretary to President Manuel Roxas | Liberal | |
| 19 | Grace Poe | Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe Llamanzares | 2013 2019 |
2013–present | 16th, 17th, 18th | Chair, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (2010–2012) | Independent | |
| 20 | Leticia Ramos-Shahani | Leticia Valdez Ramos-Shahani | 1987 1992 |
1987–1998 | 8th, 9th, 10th | Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs (1981–1986) | LDP (to 1992) | |
| Lakas | ||||||||
| 21 | Nina Rasul | Santanina Centi Tillah Rasul | 1987 1992 |
1987–1995 | 8th, 9th | Commissioner for Muslim and Other Ethnic Minorities (1978–1987) | Liberal (to 1992) | |
| Lakas | ||||||||
| 22 | Cynthia Villar | Cynthia Ampaya Aguilar Villar | 2013 2019 |
2013-present | 16th, 17th, 18th | Representative, Las Piñas's lone district (2001–2010) | Nacionalista | |
| 23 | Tecla Ziga | Tecla San Andres-Ziga | 1963 | 1963–1969 | 5th, 6th | Secretary of Social Welfare and Development (1962–1963) | Liberal | |
Living former female senators
As of May 2020, there are 6 living former female senators:
- Nina Rasul (born September 14, 1930) — 90 years, 142 days
- Loi Estrada (born June 3, 1930) — 90 years, 245 days
- Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (born April 5, 1947) — 73 years, 304 days
- Nikki Coseteng (born December 18, 1952) — 68 years, 47 days
- Jamby Madrigal (born April 26, 1958) — 62 years, 283 days
- Loren Legarda (born January 28, 1960) — 61 years, 6 days
The most recent female senator to die was 75-year-old Tessie Aquino-Oreta who served from 1998-2004.
Time series
Per Congress
| Congress | Session | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 0 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 1 / 24 | |
| 2nd Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 1 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 1 / 24 | |
| 3rd Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 1 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 1 / 24 | |
| 4th Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 1 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 1 / 24 | |
| 5th Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 1 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 2 / 24 | |
| 6th Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 3 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 3 / 24 | |
| 7th Congress of the Philippines | 1st–2nd | 3 / 24 |
| 3rd–4th | 3 / 24 | |
| 8th Congress of the Philippines | 2 / 24 | |
| 9th Congress of the Philippines | 4 / 24 | |
| 10th Congress of the Philippines | 4 / 24 | |
| 11th Congress of the Philippines | 4 / 24 | |
| 12th Congress of the Philippines | 3 / 24 | |
| 13th Congress of the Philippines | 4 / 24 | |
| 14th Congress of the Philippines | 4 / 24 | |
| 15th Congress of the Philippines | 3 / 24 | |
| 16th Congress of the Philippines | 6 / 24 | |
| 17th Congress of the Philippines | 6 / 24 | |
| 18th Congress of the Philippines | 7 / 24 | |
References
- "Senators Profile - Geronima T. Pecson". www.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- "Senators Profile - Tecla San Andres Ziga". www.senate.gov.ph. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- "Press Release - Revilla: Press statement on Senator Santiago's election as ICC judge". www.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- "Press Release - Revilla: Press statement on Senator Santiago's election as ICC judge". www.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- "It's final: Miriam steps down as ICC judge". Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- "Miriam Santiago: I have lung cancer". Retrieved October 2, 2016.
