After her son’s life-threatening Covid experience last January 2022, Atty. Lia Badillo-Crisostomo’s perspective in life shifted altogether. She’s committed to making a difference in the world—albeit in her own little ways—and to enjoy every moment of it.
Atty. Lia Badilla-Crisostomo at office
Early childhood
Growing up overweight, Lia was bullied for her appearance. Instead of letting the demeaning stares and harsh words pull her down, she focused on the things that would make her stand out.
Lia admits that she was not always so strong. “It’s not easy to be a 220-pound teenager,” she says. But the realities of life forced her to go on auto-pilot mode, surviving the mental turmoil of being tormented for her weight by pivoting to interests and skills she could leverage as strengths beyond her physique. Lia cites intellect, academic excellence, to name a few characteristics that she was able to build her confidence through.
The importance of attaining knowledge and quality education, being a good person, as well as the value of hard work, was instilled in Lia as early as when she was only five years old. Her father was still reviewing for the bar exam at the time, and had multi-colored highlighters and pens all over their small apartment.
Lia recalls her dad teaching her to have patience and to wait for him to pass the bar. He assured her that, once he becomes a licensed lawyer, they could finally buy a new house and move out. He reiterated to her how she could also excel in her life, “mag-aral ka lang ng mabuti, at dapat marunong ka magtrato sa tao (You just need to study well, and know how to treat other people well, too).” Lia was not born with a silver spoon, but she was raised with faith and determination that she could accomplish anything she worked hard for and put her mind into.
With LionHeart employees where she served as corporate lawyer.
Pursuing law
Aside from her father, Lia’s older brother is also a lawyer while her sister is currently in law school. Lia got married in 2018 at 27 years old to her husband Khiel, who is a lawyer as well.
Thus, coming from a family of lawyers, Lia always knew that being a lawyer is not the romanticized, glamorous job that movies make it seem to be. For her, it is a personal conviction. “Being a lawyer is about you changing someone’s life for the better.”
Her first five years handling corporate law left a huge impact in her life. She handled several civil cases in court while serving as general counsel for Lionheart Farms Philippines, the biggest employer in Palawan. “I remember when I did everything I could to have the issuance of 500 cedulas, purok clearances, birth certificates, and driver’s licenses happen for the Palawan Tribal community.”
For some, this may seem trivial and shallow, but Lia recognized the power this gave the local Palawan natives. These legal documents enabled “those who exist without any real identity” the rights of a Filipino citizen and a true sense of belonging.
Atty. Lia with her son Alonzo
Turning point as a private citizen
For Lia, the instinct to help was always there. After giving birth to her son Alonzo in 2019, she felt the calling to give back grow even more. “I wanted him to live in a better place where kindness is the norm and cruelty is the exception,” thus inspiring Lia to keep doing good in her own little ways through her law practice.
Her turning point as a private citizen happened last January 2022. “It was Omicron time, I will never forget that,” says Lia who remembers the feelings of hopelessness as a mom caring for her then two-year old son Alonzo. “He caught it. And nakita ko talaga na (I really saw that) he cannot breathe.”
Lia says she made a commitment to the Lord in prayer then, “Lord, if na-heal si Alonzo, I will dedicate my life to public service.” Particularly, towards women and children which she has a soft heart for. “Ever since I became a mom, once you have a kid, everything transitions for your child.”
Hence, when Alonzo successfully recovered from the virus, Lia knew it was a sign from God to serve the country. Alonzo also happens to mean “brave” in Spanish, which was relevant to Lia’s courageous entry into politics.
DICT Sec. Ivan Uy with PEZA Spokesperson Atty. Lia Badilla-Crisostomo
As PEZA’s spokesperson
Now serving as the spokesperson of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Lia is emboldened to maximize her position to help her constituents. She speaks passionately about the myriad of opportunities in PEZA that not many know about. “The one percent know about PEZA, the billions of pesos, but how about the 99 percent who do not know what we contribute to the economy?”
She mentions that there are nine million workers under PEZA, yet nobody hears about the things that it does. “We give out jobs, we give out innovation hubs,” which provide tremendous value to the masses and the SMSE’s of the country.
When asked what is her true blue advocacy, as a female lawyer and mother, she confides that it’s still always most about helping women, mothers, and children. “My work is malayo (far) from my advocacy,” since PEZA is all about promoting investments and supporting enterprises in the eco-zone. “But talking to people is not,” says Lia who stays authentically herself in any position or situation that she is placed in.
At the end of the day, when Lia is able to reach out to businessmen and foreign investors, and get them to bet on the Philippines, “that helps the total ecosystem of the Philippines,” stretching beyond just the business landscape. “And when it helps the country, every Filipino benefits.”
With tribal kids during her charity drive for the locals while working as a corporate lawyer in Palawan.
Words she lives by
Lia has grown a lot since that turning point in January 2022. Lia resonates so much to a quote by the author Mark Manson, “We don’t always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us, as well as how we respond.” She says it’s how you act after terrible things beyond your control that creates character.
As a pandemic baby, aside from her son Alonzo’s traumatic Covid experience, Lia admits she struggles with Alonzo’s delayed speech. Her wish for her child is simple and straightforward. “As of now, it’s truly just wanting him to finally speak.” Whereas she used to blame herself for her son’s speaking delay, now she deals with it through early intervention with a speech therapist. “Again, it’s all about what you do in response to the things you can’t control.”
Answering the question about the impression she wants to leave her family, she says she wants them to be proud of her, “I want them to see that I made a difference.” She notes that it doesn’t have to be a big difference, but “small consistent differences in other people’s lives… As long as it makes an impact!”
Before 2022, Lia says she depended a lot on what she does on the opinions of other people. “I wanted to get their validation, their approval.” But after almost losing her son, she ultimately decided to live her life to the fullest. “I want to bring home an empowered and happy mom to my son.”
“Moms always give everything. That’s embedded in us as women,” Lia shares. But what we don’t realize is that “whatever you give is always already enough. You must always leave some for yourself. Otherwise, mauubos ka (you will be empty). And if you pour from a drained cup, wala ka na maibibigay (you have nothing to give).” Subsequently, she says if “you feel like you were destined to do something. You have to find ways on how to get it. As long as you don’t step on others, you do not aggravate other people, you do you!”
Regardless, she understands how giving comes so naturally to women and mothers that it actually takes intentional effort to not give too much. “You cannot force yourself to leave something for yourself if you don’t want to. Because that’s not your nature.” But Lia says, what other women and moms need to understand is that “if you leave nothing for yourself, you cannot expect other people to fill that.”
She concludes that just as women tend to be our own biggest critic: “We must also be our own biggest fan—only you can fill you!"