JUST in case there was any doubt on how well Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) Protected Area Superintendent Anqelique Songco was doing her job, she has added another feather to her cap: It was no April Fool’s Joke when last April 1, “Mama Ranger” was chosen as one of eight International Women of Courage (IWOC), an award that has been given since March 2007 by the U.S. Department of State, which has recognized more than 190 women from 90 countries since the program was initiated by then Secretary Condoleezza Rice.
“The Award recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice,” the IWOC website says. Awardees are invited to Washington, DC to receive their awards from the Secretary of State and the First Lady of the United States in a ceremony usually held around International Women’s Day (March 8).
Songco at the Tubbataha Rangers’ Station in 2023, with the new ranger station still under construction in the background (Photo by Alya B. Honasan)
Songco is more affectionately known as Mama Ranger (she wears T-shirts with the title emblazoned on the back), and for two decades, has led a small group of incredibly dedicated rangers protecting the national marine treasure, home to over 360 species of coral and some 700 fish species, making the Unesco Marine World Heritage Site a major economic driver as well as the country’s most famous scuba-diving destination. “As the reef flourishes,” states the IWOC website, “Ms. Songco and her rangers have become an example of what is possible when a strategic leader successfully merges conservation and anti-corruption efforts.”
Recent good news for Tubbataha has been the commitment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to finally complete the construction of a new ranger station, which began in 2013, and which will shelter the park’s guardians.
Angelique joined the other awardees at the State Department in Washington, where the award was handed out by United States First Lady Melania Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mrs. Trump lauded the “exceptional assembly” of women, adding that “Love serves as a powerful catalyst.”
Angelique’s fellow awardees are Amit Soussana, a lawyer from Israel who survived being a hostage of the attack by Hamas and has continued to advocate for survivors; Georgiana Pascu of Romania, who has championed human rights for institutionalized children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities; Henriette Da of Burkina Fasso, a sociologist and expert in human and women’s rights; Major Velena Iga of Papua New Guinea, who has been fighting violence and sorcery accusations against women, as well as human trafficking; Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit of South Sudan, a women’s rights leader working in post-conflict and marginalized settings; Namini Wijedasa of Sri Lanka, an award-winning journalist reporting on civil conflicts and corruption; and Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj of Yemen, who founded the Abductees’ Mothers Association to bring light to the issue of Yemeni detainees. The 2025 Madeleine Albright Honorary Group IWOC Award was also given to the Women Student Protest Leaders of Bangladesh during the period of repression in the country in July–August 2024, as they stood between security forces and male protestors, lead protests, and rallied against censorship.
To address the elephant in the room: The awardees were chosen under the term of former US President Joe Biden, which begs the question: Will there be 2026 awardees? This year’s edition had been unconfirmed for a while, and the incumbent’s stand on women (despite Sec. Rubio’s claims otherwise) leaves many wondering. Still, says Angelique, who looked elegant in an embroidered alampay, it was an honor to join the women’s ranks, and standing amidst the dignitaries was “an out-of-body experience,” she recalls.
Here’s to many more accolades, Mama Ranger, and finally seeing the rangers’ home completed soon!
