Norma Olizon-Chikiamco 
Maria Orosa Freedom Fighter [PDF ebook] 
Scientist and Inventor from the Philippines

‘As a food scientist, she sought to reduce the Philippines’ dependence on imported food, pioneering new ways to use local products. And that was before she became a war hero.’ –New York Times
This delightful children’s book follows the life of Maria Orosa–a pioneering woman scientist who studied food science in the United States then returned to a war-torn Philippines and created super-nutritious foods to help her nation in a time of crisis.
A champion of native products from her homeland, Orosa is celebrated for her daring war exploits as well as her scientific inventions. Today she is honored and remembered for:

• Sneaking food into World War II internment camps concealed in hollow tubes of bamboo


• Working as an undercover agent in the underground forces fighting the Japanese occupation


• Developing new ways to preserve seasonal products in a time of grave food shortages, including making vinegar from pineapples, flour from cassava and ketchup from bananas– all now staples on Filipino tables


• Transforming vitamin-rich rice bran, previously a waste product, into tasty disease-preventing desserts


• Organizing rural-improvement clubs, inventing the palayok or clay oven and developing delicious recipes for coconuts, soybeans and a range of native plants, vegetables and herbs

Circa l’autore