In the Philippines, Dove celebrates womanhood by naming 10 young, beautiful and amazing women who have touched lives, helped others and made the country a better place to live in.

They are the “Dove Bukod Tanging Filipina 2004” winners who have excelled in the fields of music & dance, visual arts, literature, business & entrepreneurship, and science & technology.

After two months of searching, Dove and its partners including NAMCYA, the Women’s Council, Anvil Publishing, National Research Council and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, have finally come up with the Dove Bukod Tanging Filipina 2004 winners.

Making a difference in the field of business & entrepreneurship is 21-year-old Sheryl Genuino.  A daughter of an entrepreneur, Sheryl was exposed to the industry at a young age, which in turn enlightened her on the value of corporate and social responsibility. 

According to Sheryl, this has made her passionate about promoting entrepreneurship among the youth and other community members.  Currently, Sheryl is the vice president of Trace Computer & Business College and the managing director of Neocuisines.

Three women have been selected to represent the field of science & technology — Anna Margarita Aguilar, Marie Grace Pamela Faylona and Imee Martinez.

Anna, 27, has made inroads in the field of information and technology and community leadership in Las Piñas by developing a monitoring system of graduate courses on technical and vocational skills.  She is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) consultant in Las Piñas.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old archeologist Pam has done an immense contribution in bringing the rare find of archeology to the public.  Pam founded the UP Archeology Community’s newspaper/magazine, “Test Pit” and is an active member of the Philippine Maritime Archeological Foundation, FOCOLARE and the Katipunan ng Arkiologist ng Pilipinas.

Twenty-six-year-old Imee, who used to be a model, left the world of glitz and glamour in order to answer her calling in science and the environment. Imee is a chemist and has devoted her time and effort studying the pollution of river systems in the country.  Aside from being a researcher, Imee is also a faculty member in the UP college of chemistry.

Natalia Diaz, 28, and Ani Rosa Almario, 27, are Dove’s extraordinary women in the field of literature.
Being a columnist/writer for a newspaper, Natalia is a woman of words.  She lives by Mahatma Gandhi’s adage: “Be the change you wish to see.”  Natalia wishes to inspire people through her writings.

After taking over her father’s publishing business, Ani has since dedicated herself to developing and producing quality books for Filipino children. A publisher of Adarna Publishing, Children’s Book Publishing House and a secretary general in the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, Ani is definitely a proponent of literacy among the youth.

Tagged as one of the most in-demand fashion designers of today’s young generation, Kate Torralba is Dove’s Bukod Ta-nging Filipina awar-dee for the visual arts.  This petite, 23–year-old Cebuana is a fashion designer, musician and businesswoman all in one.  Kate is known for her whimsical, colorful and feminine designs, which come with a matching purse.

Finally, Dove acknowledged three extraordinary women in the field of music & dance: Dona Leiza Fernandez Tumacder, Erika Marquez and Michelline Duran.

Dona, 28, is a born achiever where she consistently maintained top honors from grade school to college.  She left a flourishing career in a multi-national company when she fell in love with dance and founded an improvisational dance and performance art group wherein dance is used in a form of prayer and meditation.

Even so, Dona’s business talents are still put in good use as she opened her very own business — BelAir Biotech Aromatherapy. 

An accomplished 23–year-old ballerina and certified internal auditor, Erika seeks to keep her vision focused on two main areas: spiritual upliftment and the creation of awareness.  Erika yearns to create changes by battling corruption and to awaken the people to the beauty around them.

Lastly, a woman of movement, 28-year-old Michelline founded Capoeira Philippines.  She brought this Brazillian martial art/dance movement to the country in the hope of sharing with others the joy of such art form. 

By promoting a martial arts that is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, she has proven that women can also do what men can do.  Her charitable works as a Capoeira instructor has likewise helped keep children off the streets.

The Dove Bukod Tanging Filipina winners each received R20,000, a trophy and Dove products while their chosen organizations and foundations namely Las Piñas TESDA, Tugdaan Bisloy’te, Knowledge Channel, Wilhlem G. Solheim II Foundation & Mangyan Heritage Center, Women’s Business Council Philipines, Philippine Ballet Theater, Kalinangan Youth Foundation, Inc., Father O’ Brien’s Angels Home, Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc. and Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation Inc., received R20,000 each as well.