See main article: List of 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 have served as senators in the Senate of the Philippines, as distinct from the existing whole list of Philippine senators.
Since 1947, there have been 23 Filipino women senators in Philippine history. In the ongoing 19th Congress, there are 7 incumbent female senators.
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] She later resigned the post due to suspected ME/CFS, which turned out to be lung cancer.[4] [5]
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.
denotes incumbent senator
| Senator | Full name | Election | Years in service | Congress | Prior political experience | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magnolia Rodriguez Welborn-Antonino | 1967 | 1967–1972 | 6th, 7th | None | |||
| 2 | Maria Teresa Aquino Aquino-Oreta | 1998 | 1998–2004 | 11th 12th | Representative, Malabon-Navotas's lone district (1987–1998) | |||
| 3 | Helena Zoila Tirona Benitez | 1967 | 1967–1972 | 6th, 7th | ||||
| 4 | Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay Angeles | 2013 2019 | 2013–present | 16th, 17th 18th, 19th | Personal assistant to Vice President Jejomar Binay (2010–2013) | |||
| 5 | Pilar Juliana Schramm Cayetano | 2004 2010 2019 | 2004–2016 2019–present | 13th, 14th 15th, 16th 18th, 19th | Representative, Taguig's Lone district (2016–2019) | |||
| 6 | Anna Dominique Marquez-Lim Coseteng | 1992 1995 | 1992–2001 | 9th 10th 11th | Representative, Quezon City's 3rd district (1987–1992) | |||
| 7 | Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima | 2016 | 2016–2022 | 17th, 18th | Secretary of Justice (2010–2015) | |||
| 8 | Miriam Palma Defensor-Santiago | 1995 2004 2010 | 1995–2001 2004–2016 | 10th 11th 13th 14th 15th 16th | Secretary of Agrarian Reform (1989–1990) | |||
| 9 | Luisa Fernandez Pimentel-Ejercito | 2001 | 2001–2007 | 12th, 13th | First Lady of the Philippines (1998–2001) | (to 2004) | ||
| 10 | Eva Reynada Estrada-Kalaw | 1965 1971 | 1965–1972 | 6th, 7th | ||||
| 11 | Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel | 2016 2022 | 2016–present | 17th, 18th, 19th | Representative, Akbayan (2004–2010) | |||
| 12 | Maria Villanueva Kalaw-Katigbak | 1961 | 1961–1967 | 5th, 6th | None | |||
| 13 | Lorna Regina Bautista Legarda | 1998 2007 2013 2022 | 1998–2004, 2007–2019, 2022–present | 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th | Representative, Antique's Lone district (2019–2022) | (to 2003) | ||
| (2004) | ||||||||
| (2nd/3rd/4th terms) | ||||||||
| 14 | Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo | 1992 1995 | 1992–1998 | 9th, 10th | Undersecretary of Trade and Industry (1989–1992) | |||
| 15 | Maria Ana Consuelo Abad Santos Madrigal-Valade | 2004 | 2004–2010 | 13th 14th | Presidential Adviser for Children's Affairs (1999–2001) | (to 2007) | ||
| PDP–Laban (to 2009) | ||||||||
| 16 | Maria Paz Paterno Madrigal-Warns | 1955 | 1955–1961 | 3rd, 4th | Secretary of Social Welfare and Development (1953–1955) | |||
| 17 | Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos | 2019 | 2019–present | 18th, 19th | Representative, Ilocos Norte's 2nd district (1998–2007) Governor of Ilocos Norte (2010–2019) | |||
| 18 | Geronima Palisoc Tomelden Pecson | 1947 | 1947–1953 | 1st, 2nd | Assistant Executive Secretary to President Manuel Roxas | |||
| 19 | Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe Llamanzares | 2013 2019 | 2013–present | 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th | Chair, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (2010–2012) | |||
| 20 | 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) | (to 1992) | ||
| 21 | Santanina Centi Tillah Rasul | 1987 1992 | 1987–1995 | 8th, 9th | Commissioner for Muslim and Other Ethnic Minorities (1978–1987) | (to 1992) | ||
| 22 | Cynthia Ampaya Aguilar Villar | 2013 2019 | 2013-present | 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th | Representative, Las Piñas's lone district (2001–2010) | |||
| 23 | Tecla San Andres-Ziga | 1963 | 1963–1969 | 5th, 6th | Secretary of Social Welfare and Development (1962–1963) |
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