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Highlights: SM's "Women Inspiring Women"—An International Women's Day Summit

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<p><strong>SM Supermalls</strong>&#x27; <strong>International Women&#x27;s Day Summit</strong> just marked its fifth year with the theme &quot;<strong>Women Inspiring Women</strong>.&quot; Held last March 7 at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura, the event gathered women leaders and influential speakers to share their experiences of breaking boundaries and stereotypes.</p><p>SM Supermalls President <strong>Steven Tan</strong> kicked off the summit with an opening speech, stating, &quot;As we celebrate International Women&#x27;s Day, let this gathering serve as a powerful reminder that when we listen to how these inspiring women overcame different hurdles to become the successes they are today, we grow ourselves and live with the wisdom and the strength to support other women.&quot; </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741574753011483067132_18494565748059586_6512548261513809722_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">SM Supermalls&#x27; &quot;Women Inspiring Women&quot; Summit featuring (sitting, from left) Unprude founder and CEO Rica Cruz, Connected Women co-founder Gina Romero, Canon Europe ambassador Chiara Negrelli, BDO brand ambassador Small Laude, SM Group Sustainability Champion Jica Sy, Wildflour Hospitality Group CEO Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo, Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Hataman, BLK and Happy Skin co-founder and CEO Jacqe Guttierez, Backscoop founder Amanda Cua, and UN Women National Goodwill Ambassador Karen Davila. (Standing, from left) Department of Trade &amp; Industry Usec. Blesila Lantayona, Bledes Forés Legarda, Canva PH Marketing &amp; Growth Lead and Global Content &amp; Discovery Lead Maisie Littaua, Canva Southeast Asia Regional Lead Yani Hornilla-Donato, and writer Gina Consing-McAdam.</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Here are some inspiring takeaways from the speakers at the </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/100064363432709/videos/3462021840772724" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>&quot;Women Inspiring Women&quot; summit</strong></a><strong>:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Usec. Blesila Lantayona of the Department of Trade &amp; Industry</strong></div><p><strong></strong>&quot;We believe that when we uplift women, we uplift the entire community. As we celebrate this momentous day, let us not only recognize the achievements of women but also reaffirm our collective commitment to breaking down barriers and creating an environment where every woman can thrive.&quot; </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741576058005usec blesila lantayona.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div>  <strong> </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Ermelita Valdeavilla, Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><p>&quot;Women are not waiting for change; women are driving it. Women are not asking for space; women are reclaiming it. Women are not just seeking empowerment; women are redefining power and using power to lift up the people around them.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741592171511ermelita valdeavilla.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo, Wildflour Hospitality Group co-founder and CEO</strong></div><p>&quot;Wildflour&#x27;s journey is an ongoing fruition of my leap of faith in applying my love for food into an entrepreneurial journey. And it&#x27;s a never-ending drive to grow, to retain my passion and, more importantly, to champion women in the workplace. So, I hope this story of mine has inspired aspiring restaurateurs and entrepreneurs in the audience to continue to dream big, pursue your passion, put in all the hard work just to be able to accomplish this. It takes a lot of time, money, and effort to be able to build a business moreso a brand that is acceptable to the market and to stand the test of time given that our industry is very cutthroat. Also, you should not be discouraged when things don&#x27;t go your way from the get-go, and don&#x27;t rest on your laurels. Just put in all the necessary legwork, cover all bases, and don&#x27;t settle just to get things done. Trust that, as a woman, you can make these things happen. Again, just put in the hard work and things will follow.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741594610429ana lorenzana de ocampo.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Gina Romero (Connected Women co-founder), Sitti Djalia Hataman (Isabela City Mayor), and Chiara Negrelli (Canon Europe ambassador) on the topic of how AI can empower women</strong></div><p><strong>Gina Romero: </strong>&quot;I think representation is very important, right? Today, we have a room full of women, mostly women, but how many times do we attend tech events or events? And especially when you get more technical, and when you think of AI, you see less and less women. If you look at those big voices who are shaping the big tools, the ones that we use every day—the ChatGPTs, the Facebook tools, and all of these different tools—a lot of the time you will see that it&#x27;s men who are representing, actually teams of men. So, that diversity is very risky. It&#x27;s not just <em>not</em> a good thing, but it&#x27;s also very risky for all of us because if we&#x27;re not represented, then the tool will not be built taking into account the different needs that we all have.&quot;<strong></strong><br/></p><p><strong>Sitti Djalia Hataman: </strong>&quot;I think the fear about the disadvantages of AI is real, but mankind will never run out of needs. We will always have more and more and more needs as time comes. But what advantage AI can give us is that we are able to focus on more important needs, especially on our role as women. Because it makes a lot of things easier, that would also give us more time, the energy, and the attention to look into things that AI cannot do for us. No matter how great that is, we should always serve our purpose—therefore, we should always also be able to complement it, not try to compete with it. And that means, also, coming out of our comfort zones, continuous learning, applying it to our lived realities.&quot;</p><p><strong></strong><strong>Chiara Negrelli: </strong>&quot;<strong></strong>I think we should try to encourage the inclusion of women on leadership level—and not just include women because it&#x27;s a trend or because we have to, but because we really understand the values that women can bring and the perspective that they can bring. And, really, being on high-level decisions, they can represent their communities and really speak for them. I think that&#x27;s how we can really empower and include women for real.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741655282862gina sitti chiara sm.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Jica Sy, SM Group Sustainability Champion</strong></div><p>&quot;I stand here today as someone who&#x27;s been privileged to grow up in an environment that has never limited my aspirations because of my gender. From a young age, I was told that, while I may not be able to achieve everything that I want, I can achieve anything that I can set my heart on. I was supported, encouraged, and given the freedom to dream, a practice that I recognize is not yet a reality for all. So, today, together with the incredible women in this room, advocates in our communities, and the young girls who have not learned to say that &#x27;I can,&#x27; we dream of a future where gender equality is no longer an aspiration but a reality for all.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741656065001jica sm.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/> </div><div><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/><strong>Jacqe Gutierrez, BLK and Happy Skin co-founder and CEO</strong></div><p>&quot;Let me give a quick overview: What do we do in our brands so we really make sure they are poised for growth? One is we solve a real need.... Second is about building strong branding and storytelling... Third is about building a community—this one I truly, truly believe in... Fourth one is about leveraging strategic partnerships... Build with heart but lead with strategy. Find the gap. Tell a great story. Listen to your customer, and keep evolving.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741656519993jacqe.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><strong>Gina Consing-McAdam, writer and author of <em>Houses That Sugar Built: An Intimate Portrait of Philippine Ancestral Homes </em></strong></div><p>&quot;When I graduated high school from St. Theresa&#x27;s College Manila many years ago, I was asked to pick a quote that inspired me. I was 17. The quote I chose was &#x27;In dreams begins responsibility.&#x27; It&#x27;s a quote by Irish poet W.B. Yeats. What it means is we are responsible for making our dreams come true. And I never once thought that being a woman meant that I had to curtail my dreams. I would make them come true... If there is a lesson I&#x27;ve learned in my career, it is to play to your strengths... If you think you have the talent as a writer, then don&#x27;t stop writing. Start and don&#x27;t stop.&quot; She also shared tips that serve as great reminders for writers, citing her key learning from putting together her book: &quot;practice makes perfect,&quot; &quot;seek out and strive for professionalism and excellence,&quot; &quot;capture essences,&quot; &quot;tell <em>their </em>story,&quot;and &quot;share a <em>larger </em>story—history and heritage.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><em></em><em></em><em></em></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741657589818gina consing mcadam.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"> </div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div><strong>Amanda Cua, Backscoop founder</strong></div><p>&quot;What if I tell you that success is not about your qualifications; it&#x27;s not about your degree; and it&#x27;s not about what you know today? But that success is about how you navigate the unexpected, and you make the most of the opportunities in front of you,&quot; she said. Amanda also shared the lessons she&#x27;s learned as a career woman in the field of technology: 1) &quot;Your qualifications don&#x27;t define success;&quot; <em></em>2) &quot;You don&#x27;t have to be less of a woman—or less of yourself;&quot; and 3) &quot;Bet on yourself, not on the probability of success.&quot; &quot;The lesson is to constantly ask yourself: &#x27;Are you willing to bet on yourself?&#x27; Because if I never asked myself that when I was 19 if I was willing to bet on myself and just told myself &#x27;This is a cool idea but it&#x27;s meant for somebody, that&#x27;s not me,&#x27; I would never be here standing in front of you today,&quot; she concluded.</p><div><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741658513834amanda cua.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div><strong>Rica Cruz, sex therapist and Unprude founder and CEO</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><p style="text-align:left">&quot;People look for a safe space to talk about sex. We created an uncensored but respectful community, a space that respects, listens, and supports people regardless of your sexual beliefs—whether you&#x27;re conservative, upholding the purity culture, or progressive in exploring and embracing your sexual selves freely... It is not easy because the work doesn&#x27;t stop there. There&#x27;s a lot of pushback, couple that with me being a first-time entrepreneur, a therapist pushing for an advocacy, a mother caring for a teenager and a neurodivergent preschooler, and a woman all at the same time. It is not easy... And as we inspire others, let me ask you to also help each other. Let&#x27;s help each other in helping others, in breaking barriers. Help me, and help me help more people by downloading Unprude. Help me by talking about sex. Don&#x27;t be afraid to ask for help. Tell your friends about your sexual life. Tell your friends that there&#x27;s help. Because you know what, my story is your friend&#x27;s story and everyone&#x27;s stories. And with our stories, we can actually change the narrative of sex and create a world where we can embrace our sexual selves on our own terms and proudly say, &#x27;I am unprude.&#x27;&quot;  </p><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741659881181rica cruz.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div><strong>Maisie Littaua, Canva PH Marketing &amp; Growth Lead and Global Content &amp; Discovery Lead</strong></div><p>&quot;At Canva, we have a two-step plan, we believe that we can build one of the most valuable companies in the world, and step two, us doing the most good we possibly can. Our two-step plan fuels one after another, and we believe in a future where everyone can truly belong... The celebration of diversity is a powerful driver here. Because we believe in a future where everyone truly belongs, we&#x27;re committed to taking decisive steps towards achieving gender equity and supporting women in the workplace... There are very many people who have reached out to us, community members, who gushed about Canva, They tell us they love the product but the most inspiring stories we&#x27;ve seen so far are from people who never really thought they&#x27;d become homemakers for most of their lives. There are people who stopped schooling because they had to shift their focus to caregiving for their families, and discovering a tool like Canva also allowed them to rediscover their passion for creativity and inspire them to take the next step forward in building thriving careers even at later stages in life.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741660245030maisie.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">The summit wrapped up with a panel discussion, led by host Karen Davila, who asked the women leaders and speakers about the one word they think will make a difference to the audience. Canva Southeast Asia Regional Lead Yani Hornilla-Donato said &quot;action.&quot; For BLK and Happy Skin co-founder and CEO Jacqe Gutierrez, it&#x27;s &quot;grit.&quot; Writer Gina Consing-McAdam emphasized &quot;hard work.&quot; Unprude founder and CEO Rica Cruz stayed true to her branding by mentioning &quot;sex.&quot; SM Group Sustainability Champion Jica Sy cited &quot;compassion.&quot; Backscoop founder Amanda Cua picked the word &quot;enjoy.&quot; </p><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741664763179483401567_18494565757059586_7148126045374481469_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p style="text-align:left">Among the highlights of SM Supermalls&#x27; &quot;Women Inspiring Women: An International Women&#x27;s Day Summit&quot; was the tribute to Filipina culinary legend <strong>Margarita Forés</strong> who passed away last February 11. She was supposed to be among the speakers at the event, so <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/food/2025/3/3/her-final-words-margarita-fores-last-speech-that-she-never-got-to-say-1701" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">she had already written a speech</a> with the title #WhatGivesLife. Her words, as read by her sister <strong>Bledes Forés Legarda </strong>during the event, will continue to inspire many for many years to come. </p><p>Margarita wrote, &quot;To the next generation of women, I want to say this: don’t be afraid to carve your own path. Trust your instincts. Follow your passions. And know that your voice and your perspective are needed— not just in kitchens but in every space where creativity and leadership matter... As women, we hold the power to nurture and nourish. Not just through the meals we create but through the communities we lead and the legacies we shape. Let us continue to celebrate one another, inspire the next generation, and make every table we touch a testament to the strength and creativity of women.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DG5AJ4ET5bI/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A7147409.199999988%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DG49-4qpvBM/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A7166477.599999964%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p>Here are some inspiring quotes and insights from the women leaders and influential speakers at the "Women Inspiring Women" summit.</p>

Here are some inspiring quotes and insights from the women leaders and influential speakers at the "Women Inspiring Women" summit.

SM's "Women Inspiring Women" Summit: Highlights and Key Takeaways to Motivate You Today and Beyond

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SM's "Women Inspiring Women" Summit: Highlights and Key Takeaways to Motivate You Today and Beyond

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Published Mar 11, 2025 11:00 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 11, 2025 11:50 AM PHT

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