28 March 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. – “’Ignorance is bondage; the mind defines the man; a man who does not cultivate an independent mind has no identity, said Dr. Jose Rizal in his 1899 letter to the young women of Malolos who fought for women’s rights to education during the Spanish colonial period.  STEM was farthest from their minds. Writing from London, Dr. Rizal expressed his full support for them,” said Mr. Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, Minister for Economic Affairs of the Philippine Embassy during the inaugural Talakayan sa Pasuguan featuring “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)” at the Romulo Hall of the Embassy on March 23.

“Gender bias in STEM remains prevalent around the world. Most especially in Asia, the opportunities and capabilities of women are still constrained by cultural and societal values,” Mr. Chan-Gonzaga added.

The Talakayan was led by a distinguished panel of speakers who were introduced by the President of the Philippine Association of Metropolitan Washington Engineers (PAMWE), Ms. Hazel Russell.

The speakers were Dr. Christie Canaria, a highly trained chemist presently working as program manager at the National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health; Ms. Hedy Thomas, architect and structural engineer who owns Leuterio Thomas LLC; and Ms. Hilda Gigioli, computer engineer and proprietor of Roccomar, Inc. The Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Officer, Ms. Darell Artates, moderated the discussion. END