SPECIAL FEATURES

Grace Barbers-Baja, KC Concepcion, Rocio Olbes-Ressano, Geraldine Roman, and George Royeca’s contributions to society are inspiring acts of goodwill, sparking awareness and action

“I’m the little voice that empowers people to speak up.”

This is probably the best quote to summarize the force that is known as Grace Barbers-Baja. Grace is the daughter of the late Senator Robert Barbers and wife of investment banker Lauro Baja. She is also a mother of three.

A few people might make the mistake of passing Grace off as just another pretty face upon seeing her. After all, her porcelain skin, chiseled nose, easy grace, and lilting laughter can easily lull someone into thinking that she’s just another lady who lunches but one conversation with Grace is more than enough to show you that though she may be one of those ladies who lunch, she is also a force to be reckoned with.

Catapulting into prominence back in 2012 when she started her blog, The Spoiled Mummy, Grace is more than just a blogger. In fact, she has gone above and beyond her blog having started three successful businesses since then. Still, this entrepreneur is just getting started.

She started Grace Home Manila where she sells the most exquisite candles and dinnerware along with other things such as linen to help beautify the home. Since Grace loves entertaining, she wanted to provide something to other women so that they can easily entertain at home.

She curated Taste by Grace, a line of healthy food products created by Grace herself. This project took 6 months of hard work because Grace wanted to make sure that Taste will not scrimp on quality and ingredients. After all, Grace believes that you need to give your all in everything that you do, big or small.

Her most recent passion project is called Gatherings by Grace. Grace believes that she needs to use whatever influence that has been bestowed upon her by empowering people to talk about things that are normally not openly discussed and encouraging people, specifically women, to ask questions.

This and a whole lot more is why Grace Barbers-Baja is an agent of change. She doesn’t let any boxed notion stop her from starting something new or going out of her comfort zone. She starts things when she feels bored and turns it into something beautiful. She affects the people around her with positivity and makes beautiful things out of nothing. She empowers women and enjoys seeing someone thrive and grow into a thing of beauty. Being around Grace is like being surrounded by a beautiful tornado: she will take you places and leave you spinning with new ideas to make things better.

“Being a perfectionist is my best and worst trait,” said Grace. Since she is a perfectionist, she expects the same from her team and lives by the standard that whatever they produce, it needs to be excellent.

“I wanted to ask women how they manage. I’m a woman and I’m also a mother. I struggle with the same things and that’s what I want to show. I hope to be an agent of change that will drive women to speak up. It starts there. You speak up. Don’t be shy, be confident. Know your worth. Know who you are and believe in yourself that you can do it, whatever it is that you want to start, to launch, or to do in your life.” This is what Grace hopes to accomplish by starting Gatherings by Grace and having what is now known as

Curiosity Conversations.

Grace wants to remind women that they don’t need to stop dreaming just because they became a mother. There is no need to let go of one’s self and one’s dreams just because they are now called moms. Instead, becoming a mom should push women to do better and become better because they are moms.

For a lot of women, the moment they become a mom, everything ends there. Grace hopes to show women that motherhood should actually serve as a springboard to be other things. This is what the culmination of the three talks from Gatherings by Grace wishes to accomplish. A gentle reminder that women can age well and that though they may no longer be the previous size that they were back when they were young, they can still be positive about it and share that positive image with their children.

Inspired by her father who Grace believes is also an agent of change, Grace grew up believing that as long as you know you are doing something good and something right, you shouldn’t be afraid. Even if people would be against you or won’t believe you or take you seriously, continue doing it because at the end, you will reap what you sow. This became the symbol of what a good agent of change is.

It may have taken a while before Grace Barbers-Baja found her voice but now that she has, she will no longer keep silent.