MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Contrary to an earlier report by GMA News, four –not two — Filipinas have been shortlisted among the first humans to set foot on Mars, after being chosen from a field of more than 200,000 candidates.

According to the Mars One astronaut selection process, the  short list has been narrowed down to 100 individuals who were chosen from a pool of 660 candidates, who in turn were selected from 202,586 applicants.

Here are the Filipino candidates included in the short list:

• Jaymee del Rosario, 27, CEO and founder of International Metal Source, which distributes raw material metals and exotic alloys to aerospace, defense and commercial industries since 2009. She is also co-owner of fitness equipment Bounce Core Platform, and said she is “very interested to be part of any outer space endeavor.” “I want to offer my life experience, knowledge and skills to the Mars One team to achieve the goal for preserving humanity,” she said on her profile page.
• Minerva Rañeses, 24, describes herself as an “intellectual wanderer” who seeks “growth in knowledge and philosophy.” “I don’t decide based on monetary or materialistic returns, but on the experience I will garner. As of now, career-wise, I’m a drifter. There is so much to learn, and keeping to a linear path seems a bit too constricting. I’ve been focusing in adventuring lately. As for my profession, I tell people I’m a writer,” she said. Her interests include philosophy, literature, and history, along with politics and religion, “and their cause and effect on society.”
• Nancy Binay, 41, is a junior senator and daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay. “I’m tired of being the butt of jokes here on earth and I want to live in a place where I will be judged not on the basis of my cluelessness but on the strength of my innocent character and passion for the unknown,” she said. “I want to bring honor to the Binay family of politicians by being among the first humans, and the first Filipino, to set foot on Mars.”
• Miriam Defensor-Santiago, 69, is the feisty senator and potential 2016 presidential candidate  who is known to be battling cancer. “I want to live in a place where I will only be dealing with intellectuals, not these good-for-nothing, self-absorbed and corrupt colleagues of mine in Philippine Congress.” “I want to spend the remaining years of my very fulfilling life in a place where I can utilize my expertise in law, commununications and humor to the fullest.  I believe that the planet Mars is that place,” she said.

If you had the opportunity to vote for one of these four Filipinas who you think deserves a spot on Mars One, who would you choose?  Respond to the poll below.