PolSci Honors Three Women Who Shaped Generations of Students

On the 28th of August 2026, the Political Science and History Department, with the collaboration of Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Agham Pampulitika ng Ateneo (SAMAPULA) and the support of the Gender and Development Committee, convened on the 7th Floor, Finster Auditorium, to warmly pay tribute to the distinguished and long-serving academic figures and advocates in the department.

In the ceremony titled “The Women Who Taught Us Well,” honorees Ms. Belma Aquino, Dr. Lourdesita Sobrevega-Chan, and Dr. Heidi Gloria were recognized by students and colleagues for their years of academic contribution and service to the university.

Each of the honorees has left a distinct mark on the university and their respective fields.

Mrs. Belma Daoa Aquino has served for 14 years as a faculty member in the Political Science and History Department, recognized for her exemplary service, teaching, contributions to institutional life, and mentorship of generations of students.

Dr. Lourdesita Sobrevega-Chan has taught at Ateneo de Davao University for an estimated 45 years. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees of ADDU and has served as chair of the University Research Council (now rebranded as Research, Innovation and Creative Work Office) and as the Philippine Women’s Rights Representative to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children.

Chan is a dedicated development worker, and her career has been defined by an unflinching commitment to advancing the rights, fundamental freedoms, and protection of women and children.

Dr. Heidi K. Gloria is a historian and Professor Emeritus of the Graduate Studies Program and Social Sciences Cluster at the university. She specializes in Mindanao history and the ethnohistory of indigenous communities, notably the Bagobo people, and has authored The Bagobos: Their Ethnohistory and Acculturation and History from Below: A View from the Philippine South.

Gloria is also a former curator for the Davao Museum and founder of Tambara, the university’s multidisciplinary journal.

The tribute was hosted by Ms. Mary Donna Grace J. Cuenca, chairperson of the Gender and Development Committee, and opened with welcoming remarks from School of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Nelly Z. Limbadan and an event rationale from Political Science and History Department Chairperson Ms. Rhodalie Emilio.

Video testimonials from former students and colleagues preceded individual tributes read by Dr. Eminel Jane M. Alvior, Dr. Christine S. Diaz, and Mr. Neil Ryan S. Pancho, honoring the honorees’ decades of service and the wisdom they imparted to generations of students.

The program closed with photo sessions, student cultural performances, and replies from the honorees, who reflected on their years at the university and the community they call home.