Bessie B. Legarda Memorial Foundation
The Bessie B. Legarda Foundation was established by Sen. Loren Legarda in memory of her mother who herself was a victim of breast cancer.
The roster of the Bessie B. Legarda Memorial Award is composed of outstanding women who have given breast cancer victims in the Philippines a voice, a token image and a source of inspiration, namely: Stefanie Jeffrey, M.D., head of Stanford Medical Center's Breast Cancer Center (2000); Linda Panutat, head of the breast cancer support group Bosom Buddies (2001); pioneering breast surgeon Diana Cua, M.D. (2002); broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez (2003); journalist Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala (2004), head of the breast cancer support group I Can Serve Foundation; actor/scriptwriter Bibeth Orteza (2005); actress Maritoni Fernandez (2006); and breast cancer survivors Tessie Pamintuan (2007) and Teresita Tobiano (2008); breast cancer survivor/founder of the Big C Magazine Suzette Andrews-Romero (2009); and beauty queen/supermodel Patty Betita (2010).
