MANILA, Philippines — With her death on Friday, Dec. 19, Maria Catalina Cabral closed a career in public service that spanned decades and ended amid intense investigation over corruption in government infrastructure projects. Born on May 23, 1962 in Manila, Cathy Cabral, a civil engineer, was a career official who rose through the ranks of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). A licensed civil engineer, she proved herself in a profession and sector traditionally dominated by men, becoming the first woman to lead the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, which was established in 1973. READ: Preserve Cabral’s gadgets, […]... Keep on reading: Who was Cathy Cabral, former DPWH official who died in alleged fall?