Maria Orosa is a prominent Filipina chemist born on November 29, 1892. She is known for her contributions to malnutrition and the insecurity of food in the country by creating over seven hundred culinary recipes.
Orosa bravely participated in the guerilla movement against the Japanese during World War II. Unfortunately, Orosa passed away when she was hit by shrapnel while she was working in her lab during the Battle of Manila.
Maria Orosa has multiple degrees in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, which she attained at the University of Washington. She is also the Filipina who invented the country’s renowned favorite condiment, banana ketchup. Furthermore, she was able to curate banana ketchup by incorporating banana, sugar, vinegar, and other spices.
During the war, she was also able to come up with a process of food canning, helping the country with sufficiency. Her contributions to food have significantly minimized the Philippines’ reliance on import, saving numerous Filipinos from starvation during the war, and in turn, making canned goods more accessible and affordable.
Before Orosa’s innovation of canning in the country, canned goods were already available for Filipinos to purchase but were too expensive for the masses to afford.
On top of creating a nationwide favorite, banana ketchup, Maria Orosa also created “Soyalac,” a soy-based milk. The origins of Soyalac began when Orosa was designated captain in the Marking’s Guerillas. With Soyalac, the guerilla group was able to feed prisoners of war with Soyalac, a soy-based milk packed with the necessary nutrients.
In 1928, Orosa was sent abroad to study food processing methods and learn about canning technology in multiple nations. In 1933, she was the head of the Food Preservation Bureau. Notably, Maria Orosa spearheaded the creation of the Homemakers’ Association of the Philippines in 1941.
Her involvement in food preservation and canning were heavily influenced by her studies abroad.
To sustain her and her studies at the University of Washington, Orosa worked in the Food Laboratory operated by the Dean of the Pharmacy School. Her work experience was able to teach her preservation and packaging.
In a letter addressed to her mother, Maria wrote, “Here in America, it is very difficult to obtain the kind of job I have just been offered and accepted. Before they offer to a person of color, such as Filipino, Japanese, or Chinese, the jobs are first offered to whites. So, I am indebted to Dean Johnson, that although I am a person of color, he offered me a job ahead of everyone else.”
Orosa’s contribution to the Philippines’ canning process was showcased in Manila City’s 18th annual carnival. “She nourished a nation through chemistry and culinary ingenuity, developing food products and preservation methods that highlighted the island’s abundant resources and paved a path towards self-sustainability” – Lady Science.
Up to this day, Maria Orosa is a notable figure in making food affordable to all Filipinos.
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