Tecla San Andres Ziga (1906–1992) was a
female senator in the Philippines
This is a list of women senators of the Philippines. It is a guide to identify the women in the Philippines who has served as senators in the Senate of the Philippines, as distinct from the existing whole list of Philippine senators.
Since 1947 ...
notable for being the first
woman in the country to top the
bar examination
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
Australia
Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...
for law-degree graduates.
Biography
Early years
She was born 23 August 1906, in Nueva Caceres (now
Naga, Camarines Sur
Naga, officially the City of Naga (Central Bikol: ''Siyudad nin Naga''; Rinconada Bikol: ''Syudad ka Naga''; fil, Lungsod ng Naga) or the Pilgrim City of Naga, is a 1st class independent component city in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. ...
).
Education
San Andres Ziga obtained her elementary education from the Santa Isabel College. She gained her high school education from the Catholic Central School. In 1930, she obtained her degrees in Liberal Arts and in Law from the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
. She took the bar examination in 1931.
[
]
Career
San Andres Ziga first worked as an assistant attorney at the DeWitt Law Office. After seven years there, she took and passed the 1937 Philippine Civil Service examination. After topping the said examination, San Andres Ziga worked for the Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
. She was elected to the House of Representatives, representing