Leticia Ramos-Shahani

Leticia Ramos-Shahani
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998
16th Senate President pro tempore of the Philippines
In office
July 6, 1993 – October 10, 1996
President Fidel Ramos
Preceded by Teofisto Guingona, Jr.
Succeeded by Blas Ople
Personal details
Born Leticia Valdez Ramos
(1929-09-30) September 30, 1929
Lingayen, Pangasinan,
Nationality Filipino
Political party Lakas Kampi CMD
Spouse(s) Prof. Ranjee Shahani
Children Ranjit Shahani
Residence Asingan, Pangasinan
Occupation Professor

Leticia Valdez Ramos-Shahani (born September 30, 1929) is a former Senator of the Philippines[1] and writer. She was born on September 30, 1929 in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Her father, Narciso Ramos (1900–1986), was a lawyer, crusading journalist and 5-term legislator of the House of Representatives, who eventually rose to the position of Secretary of Foreign Affairs.[2] As such, Narciso Ramos was the Philippine signatory to the ASEAN declaration forged in Bangkok in 1967 and was one of the founding fathers of the Liberal Party. Her mother, Angela Valdez-Ramos (1905–1977), was an educator, woman suffragette and daughter of the respected Valdez clan of Batac, Ilocos Norte making her a second degree cousin to Ferdinand Marcos.[3]

She is the sister of Fidel V. Ramos the 12th President of the Philippines.

Education

Mrs Ramos-Shahani graduated elementary and secondary level at the University of the Philippines. She finished her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and her master's degree in Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York.[4] She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature at the University of Paris (Sorbonne) after defending her doctoral thesis with highest honors.

Mrs Ramos-Shahani was a former Dean of the Graduate School of Lyceum of the Philippines. She taught English Literature, French, Spanish, Comparative Literature, Humanities, Social Psychology and others. She was former member of the faculty of the University of the Philippines from 1954 to 1957, Queens Borough Community College, New York in 1961, Brooklyn College, New York in 1962 and New School for Social Research, New York from 1962 to 1967.

She was also the former Dean of the College of International, Humanitarian, and Development Studies of Miriam College.

Later life and political career

After passing the Philippine Foreign Service Officer (FSO) Examination, she held various high positions such as: she was appointed Ambassador to Australia from 1981 to 1986; Secretary-General of the World Conference on the UN Decade of Women in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985. She became the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Social and Humanitarian Affairs. Mrs Shahani left her UN post and returned to the Philippines where in 1987 she was elected a Senator and became the Deputy Minister for Philippine Affairs after 1986 EDSA Revolution rising to Senate President Pro-Tempore during her brother's presidency.[5]

1995 Ramos House (Primicias St., Poblacion), Lingayen, Pangasinan (rented family house of Narciso Ramos & Angela Valdez, where Fidel V. Ramos & Leticia Ramos-Shahani were born).

While in the Senate she was the Chairman of various committees like committee on Foreign Affairs, committee on Education, Culture and Arts, committee on Agriculture and member of the Commission on Appointments.[6][7]

Personal life

Senator Shahani married the late Professor Dr. Ranjee Gurdassing Shahan, PhD, former Indian writer with whom she has three children. Among their children are Philippine civil servant Lila Ramos Shahani and 6th District of Pangasinan Board Member and Former Pangasinan Vice Governor Ranjit Shahani and Chanda Shahani, an entrepreneur.

Ancestry

The Ramos clan hails from Asingan, Pangasinan while the Shahani clan is originally from Sindh province, in Pakistan.

References

  1. ↑ UNICEF. (1998). Megatrends: the future of Filipino children. Goodwill Trading Co., Inc. pp. 225–. ISBN 978-971-574-011-1. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Profile of Leticia Ramos Shahani in the New York Times, Steven Erlanger "Manila Journal; From a Life of Privilege, a Woman of Substance" November 9, 1989,
  3. ↑ Luz Maria Martinez, "The life and times of Leticia Ramos Shahani," Isis International, June 11, 2015
  4. ↑ Leticia Ramos Shahani's biography on Wellesley College's Alumni Achievement Award page
  5. ↑ Leticia Ramos Shahani's biography at the United Nations Intellectual History Project
  6. ↑ Mario Casayuran, "Senate honors former Sen. Ramos-Shahani" Manilla Bulletin, June 12, 2015
  7. ↑ Shahani political profile on the website of the Philippines Senate
Ramos House marker
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