This is a list of women senators of the Philippines. It is a guide to identify the women in the Philippines who have served as senators in the Senate of the Philippines, as distinct from the existing whole list of Philippine senators.

Since 1947, there have been 24 Filipino women senators in Philippine history. In the ongoing 20th Congress, there are 5 incumbent female senators.

History

The first female senator elected in the Philippines was Geronima Pecson, who reaped the third largest number of votes during the Philippine senatorial elections of 1947. During her senatorial term, Pecson headed the Senate Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Health and Public Welfare, and the Joint Congressional Committee on Education.

Eva Estrada-Kalaw was the first woman to be re-elected as senator.

Tecla San Andres Ziga was the first woman in the Philippines to top the bar examinations for law degree graduates. She was elected as a senator in 1963.

Leticia Ramos-Shahani became the first Filipino woman to become president pro tempore of the Senate in 1993.

Santanina Rasul is the first Filipina Muslim senator.

Miriam Defensor Santiago was the first Filipino and first Asian from a developing country to be elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on December 12, 2011. She later resigned the post due to suspected ME/CFS, which turned out to be lung cancer.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the first female senator who was elected as vice president (1998–2001) and later installed to the presidency (2001–2010). She became the first female speaker of the House of Representatives in 2018.

Loren Legarda is the first Philippine female senator to top the Senate race twice in 1998 and 2007. She also became the first woman to serve as Majority Floor Leader of the Senate of the Philippines as well as the second woman to serve as President Pro Tempore of the Senate of the Philippines. She was also the youngest senator during the 11th Congress. She is the only female member of the Senate's history to serve in four different decades. Legarda is currently serving her fourth term as a senator, making her the longest-serving female senator in the Philippines.

Pia Cayetano is the youngest woman elected senator in Philippine history at the age of 38. She was elected in 2004, then re-elected in 2010. She returned to the Senate in 2019. Upon her reelection in 2025, she became the second woman to be elected to a fourth term as senator.

Loi Ejercito Estrada became the first first spouse (to Joseph Ejercito Estrada) to be elected in the Senate. She served from 2001 to 2007 after her husband's removal from the presidency in 2001.

Risa Hontiveros is the Philippines' first democratic socialist woman senator, representing the Akbayan party. In 2022, she became the first Filipino to serve as Deputy Minority Floor Leader of the Senate. In 2025, she became the first woman to occupy the post of Deputy Majority Floor Leader.

Female senators denotes incumbent senator PortraitName(lifespan)ElectionYears in serviceCongressPrior political experienceParty(1896–1989)19471947–19531st, 2ndAssistant Executive Secretary to President Manuel RoxasLiberal(1915–2008)19551955–19613rd, 4thSecretary of Social Welfare and Development(1953–1955)Nacionalista(1912–1992)19611961–19675th, 6thLiberal(1906–1992)19631963–19695th, 6thSecretary of Social Welfare and Development(1962–1963)Liberal(1920–2017)196519711965–19726th, 7thNacionalista(1915–2010)19671967–19726th, 7thRepresentative, La Union's 1st district(1965–1967)Nacionalista(1914–2016)19671967–19726th, 7thNacionalista(1929–2017)198719921987–19988th, 9th, 10thUnder-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs(1981–1986)LDP(until 1992)Lakas(from 1992)(1930–2024)198719921987–19958th, 9thCommissioner for Muslim and Other Ethnic Minorities(1978–1987)Liberal(until 1992)Lakas(from 1992)(born 1947)199219951992–19989th, 10thUndersecretary of Trade and Industry(1989–1992)Lakas(born 1952)199219951992–20019th, 10th, 11thRepresentative, Quezon City's 3rd district(1987–1992)NPC(1945–2016)1995200420101995–20012004–201610th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16thSecretary of Agrarian Reform(1989–1990)PRP(born 1960)19982007201320221998–2004,2007–2019,2022–present11th, 12th, 14th, 15th,16th, 17th, 19th, 20thLakas(until 2003)Independent(2003–2005)NPC(from 2005)(1944–2020)19981998–200411th, 12thRepresentative, Malabon–Navotas's lone district(1987–1998)LDP(born 1930)20012001–200712th, 13thFirst Lady of the Philippines(1998–2001)Independent(until 2004)PMP(from 2004)(born 1958)20042004–201013th, 14thPresidential Adviser for Children's Affairs(1999–2001)LDP(until 2007)PDP–Laban(2007–2009)Independent(from 2009)(born 1966)20042010201920252004–20162019–present13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 20thLakas(until 2007)Nacionalista(from 2007)(born 1968)201320192013–202516th, 17th,18th, 19thChair, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board(2010–2012)Independent(born 1973)201320192013–202516th, 17th18th, 19thPersonal assistant to Vice President Jejomar Binay(2010–2013)UNA(born 1950)201320192013-202516th, 17th,18th, 19thRepresentative, Las Piñas's lone district(2001–2010)Nacionalista(born 1966)201620222016–present17th, 18th, 19th, 20thRepresentative, Akbayan(2004–2010)Akbayan(born 1959)20162016–202217th, 18thSecretary of Justice(2010–2015)Liberal(born 1955)201920252019–present18th, 19th20thRepresentative, Ilocos Norte's 2nd district(1998–2007)Governor of Ilocos Norte(2010–2019)Nacionalista(born 1985)20252025–present20thRepresentative, Las Piñas's lone district(2019–2025)Nacionalista

Timeline of female senators

Per Congress Women voted for their right suffrage and to run for public office in the 1937 Philippine women's suffrage plebiscite. The National Assembly was a unicameral legislature at this time. The 1940 Philippine constitutional plebiscites restored, among other things, the bicameral Congress, and the Senate was first elected in 1941. CongressSession ElectionElectedComposition1st Commonwealth Congress19412nd Commonwealth Congress1st–2nd19461st Congress3rd–4th19472nd Congress1st–2nd19493rd–4th19513rd Congress1st–2nd19533rd–4th19554th Congress1st–2nd19573rd–4th19595th Congress1st–2nd19613rd–4th19636th Congress1st–2nd19653rd–4th19677th Congress1st–2nd19693rd–4th19718th Congress19879th Congress199210th Congress199511th Congress199812th Congress200113th Congress200414th Congress200715th Congress201016th Congress201317th Congress201618th Congress201919th Congress202220th Congress2025

References