Women are resilient, silently enduring struggles while remaining the backbone of their homes. As primary caregivers, they are a force to be reckoned with. Since its establishment in 2019, the InLife Sheroes Advocacy and Movement (InLife Sheroes) has been championing women empowerment, transforming their voices into a powerful call to action through its four pillars: financial literacy, health and wellness, women-specific solutions, and access to social and business networks. On March 12, InLife Sheroes celebrated its 6th anniversary through its Life, Camera, Action: Sheroes in Motion event held at the Insular Life Corporate Centre in Muntinlupa City, honoring the 1st InLife Sheroes Awards recipients for their courage, commitment, and advocacy.
Atty. Nelisa Guevara-Garcia: The Defender of the Voiceless
Atty. Nelisa Guevara-Garcia has spent two decades in the legal profession, dedicating 15 years to rescuing children from online sexual exploitation. As the Director of National Prosecution Development for International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines, she leads efforts to develop sustainable prosecution strategies, ensuring justice for the most vulnerable.
“Children are my primary clients,” Atty. Garcia shares. “Awareness is the first step. You can’t just choose an advocacy at random — it has to be something you can commit to. For me, there was a tipping point where I knew I could no longer stand by. I had to act,” Atty Lisa explains when asked why she advocated for human rights.
Her work has led to numerous convictions, even reaching the Supreme Court. However, she measures success not just by legal victories, but by the transformation of survivors. “All the women I’ve helped in my cases are my Sheroes. I’ve seen them grow and change their lives after traumatic experiences. I share this award with the women and children I represented in court who were victims and now survivors. I thank all of them for their courage.”
Marge Aviso: Empowering Communities Through Digital Innovation
Leaving a high-pressure job in the call center industry to spend more time with her son, Marge Aviso found her calling in digital entrepreneurship. She founded TeleworkPH, a business process outsourcing company bringing employment opportunities to rural communities, particularly Bulacan and Bohol; co-founded Salig AI, a business management platform supporting local freelancers and businesses; and is the President of Global Impact Productions, a film and music production company.
“When I first started working from home, it became a turning point for me. I said, why not start training people in the barangays to learn about online work?” Marge recalls.
Her journey has been riddled with doubts and setbacks. “People questioned why I was teaching digital work in barangays. They assumed I was a scammer. But I kept pushing forward. If there’s a dream implanted in you, it’s there for a reason. Sometimes it’s scary but you just have to take the leap of faith. If your faith is very strong, you won’t be easily destroyed.”
Beyond business, Marge is driven by a deeper mission: breaking stereotypes. “Even now, in international conferences, people assume Filipinas are mere laborers rather than business owners. We need more women in tech — AI, metaverse, blockchain. All these technologies are here, and we need more people, women and youth; to understand these things so we can truly embrace and leverage them for our own good.”
Antoinette Taus: Champion of the Environment and the Underserved
A household name as an actress and singer, Antoinette Taus has used her platform to advocate for sustainability and social impact. She founded CORA (Communities Organized for Resource Allocation) and The Sustainable Planet, championing environmental conservation and livelihood programs for women and vulnerable communities.
“One of my dreams is to be able to keep placing the spotlight on local sheroes and heroes, people we should know and hear about, and recognize for dedicating their lives to things that benefit their countrymen and the rest of the world,” Antoinette says. “One small action can have a ripple effect and truly make a difference for years and decades to come without you even realizing it. Just start where you are.”
Through CORA, she supports grassroots environmental warriors: “… local communities, women, youth, fisherfolk, farmers, women grove warriors restoring mangroves in Leyte, women champions at the forefront of solid waste management and the circular economy, volunteers and everyone at team CORA.” This is an advocacy close to her late mother Cora’s heart.
She encourages all to be sheroes and heroes in their own right. “Through your gifts, skills and experience and the amazing and painful things you’ve experienced in life, you serve that purpose to be a shero and a hero to many others around you.”
The Power of a Voice, The Strength of a Movement
At the heart of this celebration was InLife Executive Chair Nina D. Aguas, who reflected on how the Sheroes Movement has grown from a bold ambition — reaching one million women in three years — to an unstoppable force that has impacted over ten million lives after six years.
“For too long, women were unheard — not because they had nothing to say, but because no one was listening,” Nina said. “InLife Sheroes has changed that. When a woman finds her voice, she finds her power. The InLife Sheroes is about everyday actions that create change, amplifying the voices of women, ensuring they are heard in boardrooms, businesses and communities. It is about breaking barriers and creating a future where every woman has the opportunity to thrive, not just survive. When one woman speaks, she inspires another to rise. When millions speak, the world listens.”
With InLife Sheroes surpassing its goal, Nina takes her dreams further. “Our collective dream is to touch the lives of a million men, supporting women if this is what it takes for the world to truly listen.
The Next Chapter: InLife Sheroes Awards 2026
During the event, InLife Sheroes announced the launch of the 2026 InLife Sheroes Awards, calling for nominations of exceptional Filipino women. The awards recognize champions in four categories:
Financial Literacy Advocates
Health and Wellness Champions
Women Empowerment Leaders
Business Innovators Addressing Women’s Needs
Interested? Please send an email to inlifesheroes@insular.com.ph for a copy of the nomination form. Deadline of entries is on Nov. 25, 2025.
As this year’s InLife Sheroes Awardees have shown, life is not about waiting. It’s about taking the stage, owning the moment, and moving forward no matter what stands in the way. Before the celebration ended, InLife Sheroes made a powerful pledge: to “… hold space for ourselves and for our fellow Sheroes — a safe and brave space to own our roles, turn inspiration into action, and create the change we envision.”
The InLife Sheroes Advocacy and Movement 6th anniversary celebration featured performances by singer and actress Bituin Escalante, talented young singer, New York-based Dominique Aguas Alvarez, and the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) who performed a theater play featuring women empowered by the InLife Sheroes.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
