1 Estefania Aldaba-Lim

General Biography

Many contemporary histories of psychology focus on the contributions of Western psychologists, but psychological progress was never limited only to the Western hemisphere. The Philippines is one such country that is traditionally overlooked, due to their limited number of PhD programs and grants offered for graduate study abroad (Sexton & Hogan, 1992).

However, one simply cannot overlook Estefania Aldaba-Lim. Born in Malolos on January 6th, 1917, as the fifth of fourteen siblings – and later the mother to six children – Dr. Aldaba-Lim would be no stranger to children and their development. From her birth to her death on March 7th, 2006, Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s life focused heavily on bettering the lives of children across the world through her research and contributions to the field of psychology.

Much of Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s academic career was pursued at local universities. In 1936, she received a Bachelor of Education from the Philippine Women’s University, and went on to obtain a Master of Arts in Psychology in 1939 from the University of the Philippines (David et. al., 2007). Like other prominent Filipino psychologists, such as Agustin Alonzo and Elias Bumatay, she then went abroad to the United States to pursue her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the University of Michigan (Sexton & Hogan, 1992; Gupte, 1977). She graduated early in 1942, becoming the first Filipina to receive a doctorate in clinical psychology (David et. al., 2007).

Throughout her illustrious and global career, Dr. Aldaba-Lim specialized primarily in clinical psychology, counseling, population issues, and children (Sexton & Hogan, 1992). Following graduation, she began her career as a research assistant for the U.S. Public Health Service in Maryland (David et. al., 2007). From there, she returned to the Philippines and worked to expand their psychological infrastructure. She became the first director of the Institute for Human Relations at Philippines Women’s University, and founded and headed a Filipino branch of the Psychological Corporation, a New York-based initiative. Additionally, she helped establish and later became president of the Philippine Association of Psychologists and of the Philippine Mental Health Association, and from 1971 to 1977, was the Secretary of the Department of Social Services and Development in the Filipino cabinet (David et. al., 2007). Her focus turned global upon appointment as the United Nations Special Representative for the International Year of the Child (Gupte, 1977). For her contributions, she was awarded a UN Peace Medal in 1979, and in 1992 the APA awarded her the Centennial Citation for Distinguished International Service in Psychology in the Area of Public Interest (David et. al., 2007). Her myriad of accomplishments secures her place as one of the most influential Filipinas in the global psychology field, and will be explored in more detail below.

Important Achievements

Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s philanthropy, advocacy, and involvement in international movements had a global impact on psychology, especially in the field of mental health. In 1952, she founded the Philippine Mental Health Association, at the forefront of global mental health awareness (Joaquin, 1996). She also later became the president of the World Federation of Mental Health, founded in 1948 (Sexton & Hogan, 1992; Brody, 2004). Throughout her life, Dr. Aldaba-Lim was a generous donor to the American Psychological Foundation, a group that aids in assisting vulnerable populations like military veterans or incarcerated persons through psychological treatment (David et. al., 2007). She also greatly contributed to the advancement of the field of psychology in her home country. Dr. Aldaba-Lim helped develop the Philippine Association of Psychologists, the largest accredited professional organization of psychologists in the country (Sexton & Hogan, 1992). She also founded Museo Pambata, the first children’s museum in the Philippines, which promotes scientific discovery and career exploration for children across the country (Lim‐Yuson, 2000).

Among these many accomplishments, Dr. Aldaba-Lim is arguably most well-known for her work in organizing the United Nations’ International Year of the Child in 1979. The primary goal of the movement was to bring awareness to the current state of children’s welfare in both developed and developing countries across the world (Aldaba-Lim, 1979b). Particularly, in developing countries, the focus would be primarily on malnutrition and education, while developed countries would have more of an emphasis on violence, drug addiction, and child abandonment and abuse (Gupte, 1977).  Named the UN Special Representative for the year, along with the rank of assistant secretary general, Dr. Aldaba-Lim took a very hands-on approach, organizing activities and meeting with leaders around the world (David et. al., 2007). Notably, she strongly discouraged the use of conferences in favor of more practical approaches. Instead of the costly, over-politicized conference model, Dr. Aldaba-Lim instead pushed member countries of the UN to develop national commissions for the purpose of implementing children’s programs, with money allocated specifically for aiding in the development of such (Gupte, 1977). Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s action-based advocacy was well-received internationally, and marked a new approach as government and non-government agencies worked together to improve the conditions and issues specific to their own country (Aldaba-Lim, 1979b).

Historical Context

Two individuals who influenced Dr. Aldaba-Lim were her psychology professors and mentors, Walter Pillsbury and Norman R. F. Maier, who encouraged her to pursue clinical psychology and to be the first Filipina to obtain her PhD in that field. Dr. Aldaba-Lim was also heavily influenced by stories of the women and children affected by World War II in the U.S., though the U.S. wasn’t the only country that was suffering from the effects of the war (David et al., 2007). In Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s home country of the Philippines, families were under immense stress to adapt and cope with a changing world, with poverty being a big challenge. During this time, women and children suffered numerous psychological burdens brought on by the war. They faced fear and confusion, multiple casualties, tremendous physical destruction, violence, threats of families being separated, and they were uncertain of the outcomes of the war (Foster et al., 2003). As Dr. Aldaba-Lim was concerned with the well-being of these specific groups, she devoted her life’s work to mental health, clinical psychology, child development, and women’s rights.

Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s interest in supporting women and children’s physical and psychological welfare was so profound that she published several books and over a hundred research articles  on mental health, parenting, the welfare of children, and women’s rights (David et al., 2007). Some of her most well-known works include Children: A Shared Responsibility and Setting Realistic Targets For Children in the Eighties. Dr. Aldaba-Lim felt it was her duty to commit to exploring the well-being of people, and that her seven years of experience as Minister for Social Services and Development in her country had given her the proper understanding of the severity of poverty and its challenges to women and children (Aldaba-Lim, 1979). Moreover, she concluded that her interest focus should not be restricted to just one country but all countries worldwide. Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s contributions continued until her death in 2006 and helped advance the field of child psychology internationally (David et al., 2007).

Historical Impact

The magnitude of Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s impact on psychology as a field cannot be easily defined. Unlike other prominent historical figures, she is not widely recognized for her research, empirical discoveries, or scholarly work, though she certainly produced a great deal of it. Rather, she is known for her service and advocacy, using her credentials and platform to call attention to pressing global crises and ills, mainly those pertaining to the emotional well-being of children.

Undoubtedly, her impact is strongest in her home country of the Philippines. Throughout her life, she took every opportunity to raise awareness about the plight of Filipino children, such as poverty and untreated mental illness, urging other psychologists and mental health professionals to pay greater attention to them (e.g., Aldaba-Lim, 1993). It appears many have followed in her footsteps, since multiple Filipino academics succeeding her have conducted research with the goal of further investigating this plight and possible solutions (e.g., Malolos et al., 2021). Her contributions to establishing the Philippine Association of Psychologists and the Philippine Mental Health Association, two organizations that still exist as of 2022, helped promote the growth of the field, both in terms of research production and mental health services, within the country (David et al., 2007).

Further, her humanitarian ventures continue to foster the well-being of these children and their families. One such venture is the Museo Pambata (the children’s museum), which she founded and established in the capital city of Manila. The museum not only raises awareness about children’s issues, both national and global, but also serves the local children by educating them on everything from science, arts and crafts, Filipino history, sexual health, and future career options – all free of charge (Lim-Yuson, 2000). After all, a well-rounded education, in Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s view, is essential to children’s current and future health and character (Aldaba-Lim, 1960).

However, this is not to say that Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s impact was only as far-reaching as the Philippines’ borders. Her status as a political leader and United Nations representative allowed her to extend her advocacy to the international level. She spoke at numerous international conferences, most of which were attached to the UN, as well as more academic gatherings, such as the 1993 Psychiatric Rehabilitation: The Asian Experience conference in Hong Kong (Aldaba-Lim, 2003; David et al., 2007). In addition to this, it was clear she was held in high regard by other mental health professionals and researchers, having been asked to write the foreword for one of the first issues of the International Journal of Mental Health (Aldaba-Lim, 1978). Her expertise and passion was admired, leading her to contribute increased legitimacy to causes promoting children’s mental and emotional health.

Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s impact on psychology and related services was incredibly strong in the Philippines, and modest-to-strong internationally. Although her name and accomplishments remain unknown to the majority of Western psychology students, her strides in promoting psychology as an avenue for children’s welfare were profound and deserve to be recognized, as Dr. Aldaba-Lim’s lengthy dedication to psychology has surely inspired many psychologists, feminists, and women of color alike.

References

Aldaba-Lim, E. (1960). National seminars on education in “human relations” in the Philippines. International Review of Education, 6(1), 110–114. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3441775

Aldaba-Lim, E. (1978). Foreword. International Journal of Mental Health, 7(1/2), 3–4. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41344141

Aldaba-Lim, E. (1979a). Children: A shared responsibility. International Social Work, 22(2), 38-40.

Aldaba-Lim, E. (1979b). Setting realistic targets for children in the eighties. India International Centre Quarterly, 6(1), 55–59. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23001596

Aldaba-Lim, E. (1993). The Asian family under stress [Keynote address]. Proceedings of the conference on Psychiatric Rehabilitation: The Asian Experience, Hong Kong, 116(47), 71-79. https://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/42549

Brody E. B. (2004). The World Federation for Mental Health: Its origins and contemporary relevance to WHO and WPA policies. World Psychiatry: Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 3(1), 54–55.

David, H. P., Villar, I. V. G., & Denmark, F. L. (2007). Estefania Aldaba-Lim (1917-2006). American Psychologist, 62(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.1.53

Foster, D., Davies, S., & Steele, H. (2003). The evacuation of British children during World War II: A preliminary investigation into the long-term psychological effects. Aging & Mental Health, 7(5), 398–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360786031000150711

Gupte, P. (1977). The U.N. is planning a ‘year of the child’. New York Times, 37.

Joaquin, N. (1996). One woman’s liberating: the life and career of Estefania Aldaba-Lim. Anvil Publishing.

Lim‐Yuson, C. (2000). Drive and vision: the Museo Pambata in Manila. Museum International, 52(1), 46–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0033.00245

Malolos, G. Z. C., Baron, M. B. C., Apat, F. A. J., Sagsagat, H. A. A., Pasco, P. B. M., Aportadera, E. T. C. L., Tan, R. J. D., Gacutno-Evardone, A. J., & Lucero-Prisno, D. E. (2021). Mental health and well-being of children in the Philippine setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Promotion Perspectives, 11(3), 267–270. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2021.34

Sexton, V.S., & Hogan, J. D. (1992). International psychology: Views from around the world. University of Nebraska Press.