From November 25 to December 10, the world observes the 18-Day Campaign Against Violence Against Women. This year, the Philippines also commemorates the 76th anniversary ending World War II and the Battle for the Liberation of Manila. As we remember the sacrifices of our heroes and the innocent civilians that perished in the war, let us celebrate the lives and contribution of three distinguished women who saved countless lives from starvation and with their innovation, grit, and service for others.

Maria Y. Orosa was a food technologist, pharmaceutical chemist, humanitarian and war heroine who invented calamansi juice powder, banana ketchup, soyalac, and two breeds of fruit-plants called oroval and clarosa. Orosa completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as an additional degree in food chemistry from the University of Washington. She was only 29 years old in the year 1922, when she worked for the Philippine government as the country’s foremost chemist. By 1928, the government was so impressed with her work that they sent her to Holland, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Hawaii to study food technology and food preservation. She became part of the Bureau of Science and the Bureau of Plant Industry.

Maria wanted to help the country become self-sufficient, so she empowered Filipino families by organizing 4-H clubs in the islands and traveling into the barrios to teach women how to raise chickens, preserve local produce, and plan healthy meals. She invented the palayok oven that enabled families without access to electricity to bake, and developed recipes for local produce, including cassava, bananas, and coconut. Her banana ketchup food invention became a favorite condiment and cooking ingredient in the Philippines. She also developed wines and calamansi nip, a desiccated and powdered form of a citrus fruit also used to make reconstituted calamansi juice, and is also used in other recipes. Using both her local and technical knowledge, Orosa made culinary contributions and taught proper preservation methods for native dishes such as adobo, dinuguan, kilawin and escabeche.

When World War II reached the shores of the Philippines, Maria joined the Marking’s Guerillas, which was one of hundreds of guerilla forces formed against the Japanese. Orosa was designated the rank of captain. Instead of fighting in the frontlines, Maria made use of her expertise as a scientist to help Filipinos and Americans. Orosa risked her life smuggling food into prison camps to feed Filipino and American prisoners of war. She invented over 700 recipes during her lifetime. One of her food inventions proved useful for this: Soyalac. It was considered as a miracle food because of its complete nutrition. Soyalac saved the lives of thousands of Filipino and American soldiers who would have died of starvation at the University of Santo Tomas. Maria also invented a process for canning goods for the guerilla warriors fighting for the liberation of the Philippines. Without her food inventions, thousands of people would have died in internment camps, hospitals, and on the streets.

On February 13, 1945, in the Battle for the Liberation of Manila, Orosa was hit by shrapnel during the intense American bombardment. She was working at the Bureau of Plant Industry building in Malate at that time. She was taken a few blocks away to the Malate Remedios Hospital. Unfortunately, while she was being treated, another shelling hit the building causing another shrapnel to hit her, piercing her heart. # NASLabordo