Leadership transitions are always defining moments. At Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), when Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio stepped into the role of President and CEO last February, it marked more than succession. It signaled continuity, clarity, and a culture that promotes from within. Her rise through the ranks—grounded in performance, vision, and long-term thinking—mirrors the kind of leadership RLC champions across the board.

Today, women comprise more than 50% of RLC’s workforce and continue to take the lead across departments, disciplines, and decision-making spaces.

It’s within this culture that RLC presents SheLeads: Unfiltered— an ongoing campaign that celebrates women and their strengths in the workplace, home, and private lives. This year’s edition features a two-part roundtable series capturing “raw truths, real stories, and quiet reflections women rarely get to say out loud—until now.”

Five remarkable women of RLC from different career and life stages gathered at the Summit Lounge of Holiday Inn Manila Galleria for drinks courtesy of The Gallery Bar at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Ortigas.

As the title suggests, the women poured their hearts out in a candid conversation moderated by content creator and host Inka Magnaye. No scripts—just raw stories, unfiltered emotions, and exposing their courage and vulnerability. It’s the kind of truthfulness that only surfaces when women feel safe and supported.

Their insights reflect the progressive culture RLC continues to build.  It challenges traditional gender roles across fields like engineering, law, sales, and analytics. Through their conversation, it reveals that RLC is hiring women and empowering them to transform their roles, break new ground, and improve their way of life.  It allows their impact to be felt not just in their industry but in their personal lives and communities as well.

Breaking the mold

The conversation began by tackling how they dealt with perceptions of what women can or cannot do. Marah Jane Benitez, Chief Engineer of Robinsons Magnolia, talked about how she was discouraged from taking mechanical engineering because the course was seen as not feminine enough. She’s heard it all–including remarks that she isn’t physically strong enough to handle the job’s heavy lifting.

“It turned out that being able to lift heavy stuff wasn’t necessary in my job,” she said in Filipino, laughing. “So here in Robinsons Land, it helped me to open my eyes to a more diverse culture because there are a lot of female engineers here.”

Data from the Professional Regulation Commission states that women remain significantly underrepresented in the engineering workforce in the Philippines, with even fewer found in more specialized fields.

But Marah found female colleagues in her department. She added that out of the seven engineers in her department, three are women. Marah appreciates their presence in her life more than ever because she found soul sisters in her workplace. Being able to talk about technical matters—like generator sets and elevators—with fellow women has made a meaningful difference in her day-to-day experience, contributing to a stronger sense of fulfillment and joy at work.

Angie Lozano, Data and Customer Lifetime Value Lead of the Analytics and Intelligence Team of RLC Corporate Marketing, had a similar experience. She initially wanted to take an engineering course but was discouraged because her father worried that she might need to go to a construction site while pregnant. She has no regrets about taking a different path, but she knows she’s not passing this mindset on to the next generation.

“I'm living in a different generation.  I don't want to pass that mindset or thinking to my daughter,” she said determinedly.

Robinsons Hotels and Resorts Digital Office, Jacq Aboy looked cool, calm, and collected in her pretty heels.  One might stereotype her as someone who would never be caught hauling heavy objects for her work. But this is exactly what she had to do in her previous role as part of marketing—and she loved it.

“That’s how I learned to do things. I had to carry heavy objects including a TV set. As a woman, that’s what I had to unlearn: that I don’t have to be vulnerable or delicate. I can do it. I’m going to show you that I can do it,” she said.

Eljin Nepomuceno, Regional Sales Manager, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, wants society to be more accepting of women who choose to be child-free. While she sees herself as having a life partner, she doesn’t see herself bearing children.

“I'm very outspoken to my family, to my parents in particular. I don't want a kid. But I have six cats and one dog and they're my kids. I’m spending a lot on them,” she said and the room laughed. “I just want people to respect that. Currently, I think there are a lot of topics going on like conversations about having no kids, just being married… I want people to be more open to that idea.”

RLC Residences’ Legal Counsel, Alyssa Lim, had her parents’ support for her profession from the start. “I guess even if the legal profession is mostly dominated by men. When I appear in courts or if I meet people in the government, most of them are men.  The hesitation on the part of my parents is because of my safety and security as a woman.  So I don't take it as them limiting me. It’s more that I might need more security because of my profession.”

Alyssa can take up space at RLC.  In the company, she is respected when she makes legal decisions on behalf of the company to pursue or not pursue litigations.

“I know when to fight. I know when to have a good compromise,” she said. This has helped Alyssa build the confidence to face biased remarks in the courtroom or out of it.

For the women, what they had to unlearn the most was the stereotypes that were set by their gender.  That they are allowed to follow the paths they genuinely want.

Normalizing emotions

If there’s one thing about work culture that they collectively wish to normalize, it’s the acceptance of emotions in the workplace.

Angie spoke about how valuable it is to have a work environment where women feel safe expressing what they’re going through. She emphasized that being open about emotions shouldn’t come with judgment or biases. Jacq shared a similar view, pointing out how women are still unfairly seen as too emotional—even though they keep showing up and doing their jobs well despite their unseen internal turmoil.

Meanwhile, Eljin wants to open more conversations that will lead to healthier perspectives around reproductive health. She wants this not just for women who choose to remain child-free, but also for those facing fertility challenges or carrying unwanted pregnancies.

They also talked about the silent mental load of womanhood. Alyssa said that women should learn to compartmentalize to avoid burnout. Together, they called for a work culture that allows women space to express vulnerability without consequences. They want the act of speaking up to be seen not as weakness, but as a quiet act of strength.

Rethinking roles

One of the things that was put on the table was the times women had to make themselves smaller to make the people around them comfortable. Angie, for example, is the breadwinner. She’s very grateful that her job at RLC allows her to earn enough to provide for her family.

She and her husband made an agreement that he would be the one to take care of their daughter. But their reverse-traditional family setup has a downside: Angie worries that her husband might feel inadequate because of her success. As a result, she tends to not celebrate her achievements at work when she’s at home.

She was quickly reassured by the ladies that men who accept strong women into their lives are just as strong and beautiful.

Angie works in tech, a field still heavily dominated by men. So when Angie says she earns enough to support her family, it’s not just a personal win.  It’s a win in an industry where women are still fighting for equal footing.

Shifting the norm

The ladies’ reflections share a common theme that success isn’t just about rising through the ranks. It’s about knowing who you are, embracing every part of yourself, and moving forward with purpose. Their message spoke of the power of self-awareness and self-leadership.

The “SheLeads: Unfiltered” roundtable proved that when women are given space to speak freely, they start conversations that matter. RLC demonstrated its commitment to shaping a workplace that listens and evolves.

This initiative reflects the kind of culture RLC continues to build. It empowers women through meaningful inclusion where gender is not a barrier and where there are no glass ceilings to shatter—only possibilities to rise into. With leaders like Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio at the helm—along with the many women leading at RLC,  RLC proves that empowering women isn’t aspirational. It is the standard and the cornerstone of success.

The two-part feature “SheLeads: Unfiltered” is available on Facebook, Instagram,  LinkedIn, and YouTube via @officialrobinsonsland.