The Ramos House along Primicias Street in Lingayen. This was the rented family house of Narciso and Ángela Ramos, where Fidel and Leticia were born.Ramos House historical marker
She was born on September 30, 1929, in Lingayen, Pangasinan and grew up in Asingan town along with her brother, former President Fidel V. Ramos. Her father, Narciso Ramos (1900–1986), was a lawyer, crusading journalist and five-term legislator at the House of Representatives, who eventually became 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 founder of the Liberal Party. He was of the Ramos clan that has roots in Asingan, Pangasinan.
Her mother, Angela Valdez-Ramos (1905–1978), was an educator, suffragette and daughter of the prominent Valdez clan of Batac, Ilocos Norte, making her a second degree cousin of Ferdinand Marcos, the 10th President of the Philippines.[3]
She was also the former dean of the College of International, Humanitarian, and Development Studies of Miriam College.
Political career
Early diplomatic career
After passing the Philippine Foreign Service Officer (FSO) Examination, Ramos-Shahani held various high positions such as Ambassador to Australia from August 1978 to December 1980; UN Assistant Secretary-General for Social and Humanitarian Affairs from 1981 to 1986; and Secretary-General of the World Conference on the UN Decade of Women in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985. As Ambassador, she travelled extensively around Australia and was the first Philippine envoy to Australia to visit the Northern Territory. Under her watch, the Australian-Philippines Friendship Society was formally organized in December 1980. She also saw the first formal consultations between Philippines and Australia in Canberra in 1979 and again in 1980. She advocated for the establishment of a chair in Philippine studies in a top university in Australia.[5]
People Power Revolution
Ramos-Shahani eventually spoke up against the Marcos dictatorship, speaking in support of opposition candidate Corazon Aquino.[6] She then resigned from her UN post and returned to the Philippines, whereupon she tried to convince her brother, Philippine Constabulary Director General Fidel V. Ramos, to support the opposition.[6]
After the 1986 EDSA Revolution, Ramos-Shahani became the new revolutionary government's Deputy Minister for Philippine Affairs, serving until a new constitution and a new democratic government could be established, in 1987.
During her term in Senate, Ramos-Shahani was the chair of various committees like the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Education, Culture and Arts, Committee on Agriculture and member of the Commission on Appointments.[8][9]
Post-Senate career
After her second Senate term ended in 1998, Ramos-Shahani would later hold several positions in government. Between 2001 and 2004, she served as Director of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), Presidential Adviser on Culture and head of the National Committee of Libraries and Information Services of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and chairperson of the committee on culture of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines. From 2008 to 2011, she was the Dean of the College of International, Humanitarian and Development Studies of Miriam College.[5]
Family
Ramos-Shahani was married to the late Indian professor and writer Dr. Ranjee Gurdassing Shahani, PhD (1913–1970), whose father had roots in Sindh (currently in Pakistan) of undivided India, and was forced to migrate to India after the 1947 Partition of India.[10] Together they had three children, two sons and a daughter, eldest son Ranjit, another son Chanda Narciso and the youngest, a daughter, Lila. Ranjit Ramos Shahani is the former and youngest Pangasinan Vice Governor (1990–1995), Pangasinan 6th District representative (1995–2001), board member (2010–2016) and member of the Board of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (de facto Philippine embassy to Taiwan) from 2017 onwards.[11][12] Chanda Narciso Ramos Shahani is the real estate and organic food businessman.[11][12] Lila Ramos Shahani is the former Assistant Secretary at the National Anti-Poverty Commission (2010–2012), former Head of Communications of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster (2010–2016) and current Secretary General of the Philippine National Commission to UNESCO appointed in 2016.[13][14]
^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,
‡ — Under the transitory provisions of the Philippine constitution, 24 senators were elected in this election. The first 12 senators who garnered the highest votes would have a 6 six year term while the next 12 senators would have a 3 year term.