Celebrating Women Leaders who Make Lives Better
PHINMA takes pride in fostering a positive work environment, where everyone is treated with utmost respect, allowing us to collaborate and come up with better ideas. In capping off our celebration of International Women’s Day and National Women’s Month, we feature the following women leaders from the PHINMA Group.
MS. SABRINA ACOSTA
Assistant Treasurer – PHINMA Construction Materials Group
Ms. Sabrina Acosta, or fondly called Sab by her colleagues, played a pivotal role in securing investments for PHINMA’s cement plant and port facility in Bataan. Believing that women can actively take part in uplifting the lives of others, she talks about her advocacy that she shares with her husband.
“I am passionate about helping the poor have a better chance in life. I dedicate time, money, and effort in projects that help those who are not educated in helping them find jobs or career opportunities. My husband and I try to make small businesses that will help create jobs, especially during this time when the unemployment rate continues to rise.”
Taking inspiration from Amal Clooney’s fight for equal access to education, Sab emphasized the need for other women to be persistent and have confidence in their capacity to take on leadership roles. “Women are capable to lead. Women should not second guess their ability to learn and contribute to our business and society. We may offer a different skill set than everyone else, but this creates the balance that we need.”
MS. NANETTE VILLALOBOS
Vice President – Treasurer
Ms. Nanette Villalobos was elected Vice President – Treasurer in January 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree major in Accounting from the University of the East. In 2008, she attended the Basic Management Program at the Asian Institute of Management.
Nanette, whose passion lies in mentoring others, draws inspiration from one of the renowned female icons in the country – Socorro Ramos, the founder of National Book Store. For her, Socorro Ramos, or more popularly known as Nanay Coring, is a perfect example of a fearless woman, who, despite facing life’s adversity, mustered enough strength to start a business and transform it to the largest chain of bookstores in the country.
Asked for her message to all the women of PHINMA, she said “know that we are strong, valuable and beautiful. We deserve every chance and opportunity in the world but we need to strive hard, to keep going and face everything that may come our way with a strong spirit. There’s no limit to what we can achieve, it’s really all up to us.”
MS. REGINA ALVAREZ
Chief Finance Officer
Ms. Regina Alvarez is PHINMA’s Chief Finance Officer. She has been Senior Vice President – Finance of the company since April 2005.
Ms. Ruby is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accountancy from the University of the Philippines and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business. She shares her thoughts on women handling leadership positions in our country.
“I consider myself fortunate that I was born a Filipina, in a society where culturally and historically, women have respected roles in society. Our country has women heroes and presidents and women in visible positions in all fields and professions. We are also fortunate to work in an environment where we have the opportunity to thrive and excel,” she said.
Ms. Ruby, one of the recognized female CFOs in the country, urges other women to continue making important contributions, at home and in our community. “In our own way, we continue this tradition by being strong yet compassionate role models at home, at work and in society, bearing in mind that the next generation is watching.”
MS. GRACE AGLUBAT
Vice President – Information Technology
Ms. Grace Aglubat was elected as Vice President in 2020. In the same year, she successfully led the Information Technology Department as PHINMA transitioned into remote working arrangements at the onset of the implementation of community quarantines. In addition to being a certified ISO 27001 Information Security Lead Auditor, Grace earned her MBA degree from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in 2020.
Grace shared that she has faced her own share of discrimination for being a woman in a male-driven industry. “I’ve experienced unfair treatment in the past while dealing with clients from other countries. I took that as a challenge to improve my craft and be better at what I do. Whenever I doubt myself, my mom would always tell me to pray hard and focus on achieving my goal. That’s exactly what I did and it brought me to where I am right now.”
With her mother as her primary source of inspiration, Grace expanded her skill set and tried out different hobbies such as scuba diving, tennis, cooking, and baking.
“If there’s one thing I learned after being in the information technology profession for more than two decades is that we should never limit ourselves because of our gender. We should explore other possibilities, cherish the journey, and be happy. Life is too short to worry about what others think, so just enjoy what you want to do.”
MS. DANIELLE DEL ROSARIO
Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, and Director for Strategy
Ms. Danielle del Rosario was appointed as Chief Risk Officer in 2020 and as Vice President – Director for Strategy in 2019. Prior to these appointments, she previously held leadership positions in PHINMA’s energy subsidiary and the PHINMA Foundation. In 2016, Danielle earned her Masters in Business Administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business MBA Regis Program.
For Women’s Month, she greets the men and women of PHINMA with a reminder to acknowledge the impact of women in our lives. “Give thanks for all the women in your life who have paved the way for the life you have now,” said Danielle.
“Give thanks to all our mothers, lolas, titas, sisters, daughters, nieces, wives and friends – countless females who have supported us through challenges and sickness, making rainy days better and kissing boo-boo’s away like magic, and making happy days even better.
A woman’s grace is not in how she shows her strength, but in how she does not need to show her strength and yet she is the force behind us all. Let us celebrate the compassion of women, the care of our mothers, and the wisdom of all women who have come and loved before us.”