[1][3] In 1942, Aldaba completed her PhD at the University of Michigan, becoming the first Filipina to earn a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
[1][3] In 1971, Aldaba-Lim became the first woman cabinet member in the Philippines when she was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).
In 1979, she became was the first woman to become Special Ambassador to the United Nations, with the rank of assistant secretary general during the UNICEF—UNESCO International Year of the Child.
She received the United Nations Peace Medal that year from Secretary General Kurt Waldheim.
On March 7, 2006, at age 89, Aldaba-Lim died of leukemia at her home in Manila, Philippines.