On March 8, 2025, the UP Data Science Society marked International Women’s Day with a statement honoring the women who have shaped data science and who continue to shape it. The graphic that went with it features three Filipina scientists, labeled Dr. Reyes, Dr. Lim, and Dr. Legara, with the line: their contributions to the advancement of data science cannot be erased.
The objection
The statement also took a position on a specific incident. Dr. Reinabelle Reyes had been removed from the poster for “Frontiers in Theoretical and Experimental Physics,” an event held in March of the previous year. She had been the only woman among the presenters. The society said that removing her, and doing so during Women’s Month, sends a message that undermines the contributions of Filipina scientists and of women in science generally. The society’s language was strong: it said it vehemently condemned the erasure.
Whose legacy is at stake
The statement placed the incident against two names from the history of science. Marie Curie’s discovery of radioactivity changed physics and chemistry, and the work cost her her life. Dr. Fe del Mundo, a Filipina pediatrician, became the first woman admitted to Harvard Medical School and spent her career improving healthcare for children. Erasing a woman from a scientific record, the society argued, disrespects that legacy.
The statement closed by reaffirming the society’s solidarity with women in STEM and its commitment to amplifying their voices and recognizing their work, and with the words “Abante Babae!”
Source: this is a statement by the UP Data Science Society; no separate report on the poster incident was found to link.