Leticia R. Shahani
Senator Shahani was born on September 30, 1929 in Lingayen, Pangasinan to late Foreign Affairs Secretary Narciso Ramos and Angela Valdez.
She graduated elementary and secondary level at the University of the Philippines. She finished her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and her Master in Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature after defending her doctoral thesis with highest honors.
Shahani was a former Dean of the Graduate School of Lyceum of the Philippines. She taught English Literature, French, Spanish, Comparative Literature, Humanities, Social Psychology and others. She was former member of the faculty of the University of the Philippines from 1954 to 1957, Queens borough Community College, New York in 1961, Brooklyn College, New York in 1962 and New School for Social Research, New York from 1962 to 1967.
After passing the Philippine Service Office Examination, she held various high positions such as: she was appointed Ambassador to Australia from 1981 to 1986; Secretary-General of the World Conference on the UN Decade of Women in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985. Shahani left her UN post and returned to the Philippines to become the Deputy Minister for Philippine Affairs after 1986 EDSA Revolution.
She ran for the 1987 Congressional elections and won as Senator. While in the Senate she was the Chairman of various committees like committee on Foreign Affairs, committee on Education, Culture and Arts, committee on Agriculture and member of the Commission on Appointments.
Senator Shahani married Ranjee Shahani, former Indian writer and professor with whom she has three children.