We asked for your nominations for the Most Influential Filipino Women on LinkedIn and from your responses we curated a list of the 100 Most Influential Filipino Women on Linkedin inspired by and in partnership with Virginia Bautista who has published formidable lists like these for the past three years.

We want to celebrate each woman individually, shining a spotlight on her positive impact, wisdom, and experiences.

---

Join us with a virtual round of applause as we showcase and celebrate the accomplishments of

Maria Montserrat “Monette” Hamlin

No. of Followers: 2961

Position:

President and Founder, TeamAsia
Chairwoman, Women’s Business Council Philippines, Inc. (WomenBizPH)
Chairwoman, Hopkins International Partners, Inc.
President, Government Academe Industry Network, Inc. (GAIN)
VP Conventions, Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibitions Organizers and Suppliers, Inc. (PACEOS)
Speaker and Co-Founder, Philippine M.I.C.E. Academy
Co-chairperson, Philippine MICE Roadmap 2030 Sub-Working Group on Human Resources

What do you think is the most significant contribution Filipino Women make to the country?

Women in the Philippines are strong. This strength begins in the family and is honed as daughters see their mothers take care of the home and nurture the family, no matter what difficulties arise. Daughters imbibe the values of love of family, love of God, diligence, hard work, tenacity, resilience, malasakit.

Women in the Philippines are trained through fate and the never-ending challenges thrown at them to adapt and fight for justice and equality, all while also taking care and nurturing their household. Filipino women have been paving the way for social change and nation-building in the Philippines.

In today’s time, we have gone past being subservient beings in society. Filipino women may be considered as one of the most advanced women, especially in Southeast Asia. Going beyond responsibilities at home, we continue to play an active role in every sector be it academically, professionally, or politically on both local and national levels, which I believe is a significant contribution because these are essential for our country to continuously progress.

According to Grant Thornton International’s 2020 Women in Business report, the Philippines topped the rankings for having the most women executives holding senior positions in the workplace among 32 countries, helping meet business goals and boost the economy. Data also shows that almost 50 percent of the local workforce is composed of hard-working women that contribute to lifting the economy.

The Philippines also leads Asia in legislation for women’s rights. Signed into law in 2009, the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act No. 9710) is comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination against women by recognizing, protecting, fulfilling and promoting the rights of Filipino women, especially those in marginalized sector.

I’m happy that here in the Philippines, there is a greater awareness of the importance of women in society. Although much has yet to be done to fully achieve equality, we have come a long way when it comes to making an impact and compelling every Filipino to value and respect diversity, equality, health, and education as we move forward into the future.

What’s your best advice for Filipino women to achieve success?

Speak up! Don’t be afraid because you can be anything you want to be. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Invest in education, in developing your mind and your character.

This I learned from my mother, aunts and grandmothers, all strong women who served as my role models. They inspired me to work hard and chase my dreams. By sharing my story, I hope to motivate and inspire more women to be brave and be risk-takers to truly move forward, achieve success, and create change.

Poverty is still one of the biggest hindrances for women here in the Philippines but take heart and grab every opportunity that you can to learn and develop your skills. At the same time, let’s empower and build each other up. Only us, women, have the capability to fully grasp what we go through, that’s why we should do everything we can to lift one another to create a stronger foundation for the next generation of women in the country.

When women support other women, great things happen.

Follow Maria Montserrat

We hope you enjoyed this feature!

We have so many more women to celebrate! For future inspiration, follow Connected Women on Facebook and Instagram.

---

2022 NOMINATIONS

We’ve opened nominations for next year’s 100 Most Influential Women and this time we’re going global!

For 2022 we are opening up nominations to women globally. Countries with the highest number of nominations will have their own list.

Join us in recognizing influential women by nominating for the 2022 list! Ready?
NOMINATE HERE

**Nominations end on November 30, 2021**

We hope this inspires more women to share their voices and connect with each other on LinkedIn.

You can find more information about the criteria at the end of the original Top 100 Most Influential Filipino Women on LinkedIn article.