Maria Y. Orosa

Filipino food technologist who revolutionized nutrition and resistance efforts during WWII

Maria Ylagan Orosa (1893–1945) stands as one of the most underappreciated heroes of Philippine history. A food scientist and wartime innovator, she developed soy-based alternatives and preservation methods that saved countless lives during Japan's occupation.

Her creation of Soyalac (soybean powder) and Darak (rice bran cookies) provided critical nutrition to guerrillas and prisoners. Orosa secretly supplied food to captured soldiers at Manila's Santo Tomas Internment Camp, using her position in the Japanese-controlled food administration as cover.

Beyond wartime heroics, she pioneered tropical fruit preservation techniques still used today. Her Palayok Oven design enabled rural communities to bake without modern appliances. Tragically, Orosa was killed by shrapnel during the 1945 Battle of Manila while feeding children in her laboratory.