Forgotten Filipinos: the 100 history makers most Filipinos, and the world, are ignorant of, and the book to put that right
- When a Google doodle celebrated the first woman in Harvard Medical School, Filipino Fe del Mundo, author Noel de Guzman was shocked he didn’t know her name
- That sparked a project to profile 100 notable Filipinos, from Jollibee’s founder to a fashion designer and an environmentalist, for a book
As a Filipino living in Hong Kong for more than two decades, Noel de Guzman has taken a keen interest in learning more about his homeland, particularly the outstanding men and women who have made significant contributions to the Philippines and the world.
The 52-year-old art director, author, illustrator and publisher has profiled some of these people in a book called 100 Filipinos: A Collection of Biographies of Remarkable Men and Women of the Philippines, which will be available for purchase online from June 1.
De Guzman’s inspiration for the 212-page book was sparked in November 2018 after he saw a Google doodle of Fe del Mundo, the first woman admitted to Harvard Medical School, who also set up the first paediatric hospital in the Philippines.
“I didn’t know who she was and that attracted my attention … After reading the article [about her], I felt ashamed because I thought I knew all the important Filipinos, because I’m interested in this subject. But that got me interested in doing more research.”
De Guzman set up an Excel spreadsheet and created a list of some 500 well-known Filipinos. He then came up with the idea of compiling a book profiling 100 Filipinos. He had previously published 100 Best of Hong Kong, a guidebook of the best places to visit, things to do and places to eat in the city.
When he began the project in earnest, de Guzman casually asked his Filipino friends if they recognised the names of important countrymen and -women. When they didn’t, he was surprised, leading him to believe this book was his calling.