PGMN Anchor Atty. Rowena Guanzon has been named one of the honorees of the 4th Asian Pillars Awards, receiving the Asian Pillar of Outstanding Public Service and Exemplary Leadership.
She will be the second PGMN Anchor to receive the award, following Cj Hirro, who won in last year’s edition for her work in broadcast journalism and political analysis.
Guanzon will be honored alongside Franco Mabanta, CEO of Peanut Gallery Media Network, who will also receive the Asian Pillar of Visionary Leadership in Political Strategy.
The recognition places Guanzon among regional figures cited for sustained contributions to governance, accountability and public leadership. Her career spans key institutions, including the Commission on Elections and the Commission on Audit, as well as local government service as mayor of Cadiz City. Her work in election oversight and public financial accountability forms a central part of her public record.
During her tenure at COMELEC, Guanzon drew national attention for her positions on electoral integrity and governance issues. Her statements on election-related matters placed her at the center of public discourse, reflecting a visible role in debates tied to transparency and accountability.
Her work extends beyond government. Guanzon contributed to legislative efforts linked to women’s rights, including laws addressing violence against women and human trafficking. In academia, she taught Election Law, Local Government and Public Officers at the University of the Philippines College of Law and authored legal textbooks used in Philippine law schools.
Her legal scholarship has also gained international recognition. Her book, The Anti Sexual Harassment Act Notes and Cases, published by the University of the Philippines Law Center, has been cataloged in the Library of Congress, confirming its inclusion in the institution’s permanent research collection. The work provides an in-depth discussion of the Philippines’ Anti Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, combining statutory interpretation with case analysis.
The same title is listed in major academic institutions, including Yale Law School, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of California, UC Berkeley, and the National Library of Australia, placing a Philippine-authored legal text on women’s rights within leading global research collections.
The award affirms a career shaped by integrity and accountability, spanning leadership in election governance, oversight of public funds, contributions to women’s rights legislation and sustained work in legal education.
