Hon. Esperanza A. Icasas Cabral is the current Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines. Secretary Cabral took office in February 2006.

She has served at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine as a professor of medicine and pharmacology. She was once the Director of the Philippine Heart Center and Chief of Cardiology of Asian Hospital and Medical Center. She also served as Commissioner for Science and Health on the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women.  During the administration of Pres. Corazon Aquino, Secretary Cabral was also a consultant of the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health. She authored and co-authored more than 85 scientific papers on hypertension, cardiovascular pharmacology and clinical and preventive cardiology. She appeared on public TV as a host in shows such as "HeartWatch" on IBC Channel 13 and "InfoMedico" on RPN Channel 9.

Secretary Cabral has received numerous awards from the Department of Science and Technology (National Outstanding Young Scientist for Medicine Award, 1981); the Philippine Society of Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology's Achievement Award (1982), and the Outstanding Woman in the Nation’s Service for Medicine (1986). She also received the first Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award from the Philippine Medical Association in 1991, was named Most Distinguished Scientist by the Philippine Heart Association in 1993, Outstanding Alumnus for Research for 1993 by the UP College of Medicine, and the Distinguished Researcher for 1998 by the Philippine College of Physicians.

Secretary Cabral earned her medical degree at the UP and completed her training in Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Clinical Pharmacology at the Philippine General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Joslin Clinic in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is married to Dr. Bienvenido Cabral, an ophthalmologist.