De Lima was born in
Iriga,
Camarines Sur, into a family of public servants, which includes Senator
Leila de Lima. She was a delegate elected to the
Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971, representing
Camarines Sur's 2nd district. She was trained in law and followed a career in government until 1995. She was then invited to serve as PEZA's first Director-General, responsible for promoting and regulating foreign investments in the country's economic zones, a post she held until 2016. In 2006, de Lima was awarded the
Order of the Rising Sun (2nd Class) by the Emperor of Japan for her work with PEZA. ==References==