MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Benel Se Liban (U.S. FWN100™ '11) and Trish Quema La Chica (Global FWN100™ '15)

Maria Benel Se Liban
Principal, Vasquez & Company, LLP
Los Angeles, California

My Fil-Am s/hero is... the late Senator Ninoy Aquino because he was not only a man of principles and brilliance but also a man of action and character. I admire his love for God and his family; he later gave up his choice of personal comfort and freedom of his new home in America in order to help bring back democracy to the Filipinos that he loved so much. I truly share Senator Aquino's principle that "The Filipino is worth dying for!"

My proudest professional achievement is my work as a co-founder of ISSFA and raising it as a leading Filipino American professional development organization in the field of accounting and finance in the U.S.

My biggest workplace challenge as a Fil-Am woman is balancing work, family and faith.

My five-year goal is to continuously grow the non-profit business as a Principal and Nonprofit Practice Leader of Vasquez and Company, LLP.

Trish Quema La Chica
Policy Analyst, Office of the Governor, State of Hawai’i
Honolulu, Hawai’I, USA

What is the global impact of your work? As a public health advocate, I am involved in a lot of initiatives that aim to improve health outcomes for the Asian and Pacific Islander population. Here in the U. S., my work has had an impact across the nation, particularly in the development of Tagalog translated materials that are used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Department of Health and Human Services.

What's the best part of being a Filipina woman leader? I love being the only Filipina woman in the Governor's Office who actually grew up in the Philippines. I like being able to talk about my home country and the unique experiences I have had that helped to shape my career.

What is the most significant barrier to female leadership from your experience? There are actually a lot of women leaders in the health care field, and many of them are vocal about issues that affect the Filipino community. I think that there is always a need for Filipina women to run for public office, particularly those who wish to implement innovative and progressive legislation.

Member Spotlight: Trina Villanueva (Global FWN100™ '15) and Elizabeth J. Bautista (Global FWN100™ '15)

Trina Villanueva
Community Outreach and Foundation Officer, MUFG Union Bank
Oakland, California, USA

If there is one professional accomplishment and/or influential action that makes you very proud from your body of work, what would that be? As a board member of Filipino Advocates for Justice, I'm proud that I have helped the organization grow and helped them accomplish their mission of serving the Filipino community specifically, our youth, recent immigrants and low-wage workers for the past 12 years.

Workplace challenge as a Filipina woman and why: I always get mistaken for being a lot younger than I really am.  So many times I feel I have to prove myself to my colleagues because they don't realize how long I have been doing this work and the different experiences I have had in my career.

What do you think is the biggest challenge that faces the next generation of Filipina women? I think as with other generations, the next generation of Filipina women will take care of a lot of people including their parents, partners and children while juggling their own personal goals and aspirations.  They need to have a solid group of friends, mentors and colleagues to support them and help them pursue their dreams.

Elizabeth J. Bautista
Operations Technology Group Leader, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Daly City, California, USA

If there is one professional accomplishment and/or influential action that makes you very proud from your body of work, what would that be? I continue to create opportunities for women to consider a career in the Computing Sciences area.

What is the global impact of your work? By creating opportunities for women in Computing Sciences, I give them a tangible inroad into this area. They can experience the work they can potentially take part in and demonstrate the impact of what they do to further scientific research.
What's the best part of being a Filipina woman leader? I'd like to provide insight and opportunities to young women.

Workplace challenge as a Filipina woman and why: My industry is still very male-oriented and as a woman in a technical area, my co-workers and even management team, assume that I do not understand the technical aspects of our work. I am more known for my soft skills and not my technical skills. The challenge for me is to continue reminding management, that I cannot do my job well if I did NOT have a technical understanding.