Maria Teresita Vicenta Pardo Hontiveros-Lichauco (August 11, 1927 – October 11, 2020), also known as Nita or Tata, was the Founder and President of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society.

[1] She was the wife of economist, lawyer, writer and Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971 Representative Alejandro Lichauco and the daughter of Senator Jose M. Hontiveros.

However, after a doctor asked her if she could dissect anything and realizing that the answer was no, she decided to pursue music instead[3] and completed an Associate in Arts degree at the University of Santo Tomas.

[5] After Muriel Jay left the Philippines for her home country of England, followed by the departure of her fellow founding members who are mostly expatriates, the organization slipped into dormancy.

Together with a few volunteers who served as the first PAWS Board of Directors, Nita lobbied for the passing of the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.