Women leaders take center stage at The Manila Times Forum

Sen. Grace Poe led the special guests and served as keynote speaker at the Manila Times Women's Circle event titled "Ladies Who Lead: Serving Inspiration, Empowering Nation Builders," held at Hotel Okura Manila in Newport City.

The event opened with remarks from Anna Marie Ang-Thompson, CEO of The Manila Times, followed by a welcome message from President and COO Blanca Mercado.

Among the distinguished panelists were women leaders in government and foreign affairs, including: Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Marielle Geraedts; Ambassador of Romania Raduta Dana Matache; Ambassador of South Africa Bartinah Mombeshodwa Radebe-Netshitenzhe; Ambassador of Australia HK Yu; Embassy of Israel Deputy Chief of Mission Ester Buzgan; Spouse of Ambassador Lai Thai Bing of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy; and Department of Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez.

Another panel, "Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies: Women in the C-Suite," featured prominent executives including: Clorox Southern Asia President and General Manager Marites Dagdag; President and General Manager COO Danielle del Rosario; SunSmart Power Technology Inc. Co-founder and President Jenny Lin Maano-Ngai; Asticom Technology Inc. SEVP and COO Mharicar Castillo-Reyes; and Landicho Abela & Co. Assurance and Financial Services Leader Anna Marie Pabellon.

Lifestyle and Entertainment Editor Tessa Mauricio-Arriola served as emcee for the event.

The Manila Times Women's Circle was a resounding success, highlighting the vital role of women leaders in shaping a more empowered and inclusive nation.