25/09/2026
Woman Lawyer of the Year… but Mom duties came first. 🤍
I am incredibly grateful and deeply honored to be named Woman Lawyer of the Year at the ALB Philippine Law Awards 2026.
This recognition is especially meaningful to me because I am proud to carry with it our roots from Mindanao, the Davao Region, and a homegrown Davao-founded law firm and to be the first Woman Lawyer of the Year awardee to do so.
I wasn’t able to attend the awarding ceremony that evening because I had another very important role waiting for me at home: being Mommy to Baby A. 🥹
Night duty muna tayo. 🤍
It’s funny how life changes. There was a time when I probably imagined a milestone like this being celebrated in a ballroom, dressed up and holding the trophy myself. But motherhood has changed the way I see milestones, because sometimes, the most important place you can be is not on the stage, but right at home with your little one.
And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
This feels like the most beautiful advance birthday gift, and one that I dedicate especially to my baby girl, A. I hope that one day, when she is old enough to understand this, she will know that being a woman never meant having to choose between dreaming greatly and loving deeply, and that of all the titles I may ever be fortunate enough to carry, being her Mommy will always come first.
Thank you to Asian Legal Business, to my partners, lawyers and entire team at Nograles Ilagan Cayco Lizada & Dabi Law Firm, to my family, our clients, friends, mentors, our teams and employees, and everyone who has been part of this journey. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to do this all without the support of my husband and the Lord Almighty. Hard work and Prayers!
I am immensely proud that a law firm born and built in Davao can stand alongside the country’s finest on the national stage, where most of the time Manila-based law firms take home the trophy. This recognition belongs not only to me, but also to the people who have believed in what we can build from Mindanao.
From lawyer duties to Undersecretary duties to Mommy duties, I am grateful for everything they continue to teach me, and for the privilege of carrying my Davao roots wherever this journey takes me.
For the moms, for the dreamers, And most especially, for my little girl. 🤍
Amping kanunay!
