Estefania Aldaba-Lim

Estefanía Aldaba-Lim, Ph.D. (born Estefanía "Fanny" Aldaba; January 6, 1917 – March 7, 2006) was the first female secretary of any Cabinet of the Philippines, serving as Secretary of Social Services and Development from 1971 to 1977. She was also the first Filipino clinical psychologist.

Estefanía Aldaba-Lim

Ph.D.
Born
Estefanía Aldaba

January 6, 1917
Malolos, Philippines
DiedMarch 7, 2006
Manila, Philippines
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
OccupationPsychologist, advocate, diplomat
Spouse(s)Luis Lim (1944-1962)
Children6
HonoursUN Peace Medal

Early life and education

Aldaba was born in 1917, the fifth of 15 children.[1] She was born and raised in Malolos, in the province of Bulacan, Philippines, by her father, a provincial treasurer of Malolos, and her mother, a homemaker.[1]

Aldaba graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Philippine Women's University in 1936, a Bachelor of Education degree from Philippine Women's University in 1938, and a Master of Arts in psychology from the University of the Philippines in 1939.[1][2]

In 1942, Aldaba completed her PhD at the University of Michigan, becoming the first Filipina to earn a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.[1]

Career

Aldaba-Lim returned to Manila in 1948. She established the Institute of Human Relations at Philippine Women's University, and was a founding member and president of the Philippine Association of Psychologists and of the Philippine Mental Health Association.[1][2]

In 1971, Aldaba-Lim became the first woman cabinet member in the Philippines when she was elected as Secretary of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).[1] She held this role until 1977.

In 1976 through 1977, Aldaba-Lim served as president of the Girl Scouts in the Philippines.[2]

In 1976, Aldaba-Lim was elected the Asian regional representative of the UNESCO Executive Board. In 1979, she became was the first woman to become Special Ambassador to the United Nations, with the rank of assistant secretary general during the UNICEF—UNESCO International Year of the Child. She received the U.N. Peace Medal that year from Secretary General Kurt Waldheim.[2]

In 1994, she founded the Museo Pambata, the Philippines's first children's museum, in the repurposed 1949 Manila Elks Club building in Manila.[3]

Marriage and children

Aldaba-Lim had six children with her husband Luis Lim, whom she married in 1944. Lim died in an airplane crash in 1962.[1]

Death

On March 7, 2006, at age 89, Aldaba-Lim died at her home in Manila, Philippines.

See also

References
  1. David, Henry P.; Villar, Imelda V.G.; Denmark, Florence L. (2007). "Estefania Aldaba-Lim (1917–2006)". American Psychologist. 62 (1): 53. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.62.1.53.
  2. "Estefania Aldaba-Lim - Psychology's Feminist Voices". www.feministvoices.com. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  3. Museopambata.org: History + about . accessed 2.24.2014
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.