BY JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
Guided by her strong sense of duty and desire to serve others, Filipino-American Gina Ortiz Jones rose to become the first woman of color to assume the role of undersecretary of the United States Air Force — making her the organization’s second-highest-ranking civilian officer from July 2021 to March 2023. And like many great stories — and great women, for that matter — it all began with her first hero, her mother, Victorina Ortiz.
“My mom came as a domestic helper to the US in the ’70s. My uncle served in the steward program. And then I served as the number two in the Air Force. That’s a very special story. And while it may be an American story, it really starts with the courage of a Filipino,” Gina tells PeopleAsia during her recent vacation to the Philippines.
Armed with a career that spans decades, Gina is best known for instigating reforms that opened doors and leveled the playing field for women — especially women of color — within the air force. As undersecretary, she led initiatives that eventually allowed female pilots to fly during pregnancy, and convinced the Thai Royal Air Force to admit women in its Air Command and Staff College, a mid-career professional military school, among others.
And while data and experience helped her roll out such positive reforms within the United States Air Force — and not without facing resistance, mind you — she admits that it was courage that helped her carry on in any battle, the same kind of courage that she saw in her mom.
“My sister and I are very much aware that if my mom did not have the courage to jump in, our story would be very different,” says Gina.
It all began when Gina’s mom, Victorina, heard that her sister-in-law, Linda, was looking for someone to replace her as a domestic worker for an ambassador who was set to move to the US.
Immediately, Victorina, a UP Diliman graduate who was already pretty established as a science teacher in her hometown, recognized the opportunity and seized it. “My mom said [to her sister-in-law], ‘don’t tell anyone else about it anymore. I’m going!’ Just like that! She knew even then that this is her chance to take a stab at the American dream and that she’s going to try it,” narrates Gina. “That same courage is in my heart, that’s in my blood, that’s in my sister’s heart. We know how special our trajectory in life is, and it’s because she took that chance,” shares Gina.
Eventually, Victorina’s American dream came true. Aside from having two children – Gina and Christi Ann – she also got back to teaching. She taught children with special needs for 44 years until she retired recently.
“She’s a hard worker, no one works harder. My mom loves us unconditionally. My mom is responsible for my faith. I’m a proud Catholic. It’s like that Abraham Lincoln saying: ‘Everything I am, I owe to my angel mother,’” says this proud mestiza, who also grew up knowing her Filipino roots.
A strict, protective ‘Angel’
“My mom is very strict. Yeah, if I came home with a 97 on my report cards, she would say, ‘where are the other three points?’ At the same time my mom has also been very, very encouraging. She’d always tell me to ‘keep going, keep going, keep going!’” she shares.
Such support would come in handy, especially when Gina, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, started her career in the US Armed Forces while the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was in effect. The policy, which was lifted in 2011, prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service.
It was a different story at home though. Long before she started her career in the US Armed Forces, 15 year-old Gina had told her mom about her sexual orientation. In a Facebook post, Gina shared that she came out by telling her mom, “Mom, I think I like girls,” to which her mother replied, not bothering to look up from the magazine she was reading, “I think you just like the clothes that they’re wearing.”
Looking back, she says that her mother might have been a little bit surprised, especially since this happened more than 20 years ago. “Mothers always want to protect their kids and I knew that she didn’t want me to have a hard life,” says Gina. “Maybe she thought that it would be hard, and, yes there have been some hard things. But you know what? In my heart is my mom’s courage. And this idea of what’s right. I’m a good daughter, I’m a good sister and I think over time, my mom has seen that I’m an obviously a good person, you know, regardless of who I love.”
The same courage – and love – was on display when Victorina dropped by to join us, just as the interview was wrapping up. “I am a single mom. And it is true that I am very strict,” Victorina tells us, in that sweet yet triumphant Filipino mom voice, before breaking into a smile. “But look at my daughters, they grew up well… and I’m very, very proud of them,” she tells PeopleAsia.
