The ECHO

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙋𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚'𝙨 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 📰🎉

Happiest birthday to one of our Photojournalists, 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨! The Echo family celebrates you today and we thank you for the effort, time, and heart you pour to make our publication stronger and brighter with your presence.

May this year bring you more reasons to smile, countless stories worth telling, and success in every chapter of your journey. Keep echoing positivity and excellence, Pauline! 💙✨





🎨 Jarvis Borcena

𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 | 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡: 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

“Feminism: The radical notion that women are people.”

An advocacy that preaches louder, especially in the month of March. Happy Women’s Month — a time established to honor and celebrate the contributions of women in society, inventions, and culture.

To further brighten the honor of this month, let me share some inventions and milestones created by empowered women. Let’s be honest — women were not always given the opportunity to contribute freely. It was only during the late 19th century that women’s suffrage began to be recognized in parts of the world. When universal rights stop at women’s rights, progress itself stops working. Yet these women show exactly how they can be just as great as men — sometimes even greater.

Let me mention some Filipino women who made great impacts on society.

Fe del Mundo, the first woman to study at Harvard Medical School, was also the first female National Scientist of the Philippines. With a lifelong mission of improving pediatric healthcare in the country, she established the Philippines’ first pediatric hospital. Shaping the future of medicine, she created a safe environment dedicated to children’s health and well-being. Young patients in need of medical care received treatment in a place built on compassion and trust. She made a significant impact on the country’s healthcare system, leaving an even greater footprint in history. She remains a huge inspiration for women in STEM and aspiring medical students.

Pura Villanueva Kalaw — remember how I mentioned women’s suffrage? While women’s suffrage movements began gaining ground in Europe and America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Pura Villanueva Kalaw fought for women’s rights in the Philippines. Her activism contributed to Filipinas securing the right to vote in 1937. She was also a powerful voice for women. Through her projects and writings, she empowered women to actively participate in shaping the future of the nation.

With women like these as part of our history, I hope this writing, just like Pura Villanueva Kalaw’s advocacy, also empowers women. Because we, as women, can do great things. Do not let misogyny tell you otherwise — history itself proves it wrong.






✍️ Kyleii Jazs Aeyvin C. Diola
🎨 Althea Caballero

IN PHOTOS | 𝐌𝐑. & 𝐌𝐒. 𝐀𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐒 2026 (Part 1)

📸 Shann San Victores & Pauline Desquitado
🎨 Althea Caballero