Corazon Aquino became the first female president of the Philippines in 1986 after the People Power Revolution ousted Ferdinand Marcos. She faced immense economic and political challenges rebuilding the country including coup attempts by Marcos supporters. Subsequent presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada made efforts towards economic recovery and alleviating poverty, though Estrada's term was cut short by corruption allegations. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo succeeded Estrada but also faced controversies and impeachment attempts during her two terms as president. Benigno Aquino III was elected president in 2010.

2.  The world‟s eye was on the Philippines after it successfully
toppled down almost a decade of dictatorship rule
through a peaceful demonstration tagged as the EDSA
People‟s Power Revolution.
 After the widowed wife of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy"
Aquino, Sr. was elected into office, President Corazon
Cojuangco-Aquino faced both economic and political
problems of the country. Her rule as president began on
February 25, 1986 after taking oath at the Club Filipino in
San Juan, Metro Manila.
 She was the 11th president of the Philippines and the first
woman to become president of the country. She was
tasked to put together a nation devastated by the rule of
her predecessorFerdinand E. Marcos. It was not an easy
task since the country‟s economic condition was in its
worse state since 1982. Filipinos living below the poverty
line is alarmingly increasing in number.

3.  Aquino also struggled with Marcos‟
supporters in the Armed Forces of the
Philippines who attempted to remove her
from power.
 The group of soldiers, who called
themselves members of the „Reform the
Armed Forces Movement‟ or RAM, staged
seven coup attempts against the Aquino
administration.
 The attack held in August 28, 1987, which
killed at least 53 people and injured more
than 200 others, was the most serious attack
the government experienced. These
attacks worsened the economic condition
of the Philippines as investors became wary
about Aquino‟s ability to rebuild the
country.

4.  The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and
the United States also forced the government to fulfill its
obligations to pay an estimated $27.2 billion worth of debt
Aquino inherited from the previous administration.
 To be eligible for IMF‟s rehabilitation programs, Aquino
instigated reforms towards a freer economy. These reforms
ended monopolization of the agricultural industry of the
country, reduced tariffs and lifted import controls in
the Philippines.
 The political condition of the country at that time did not look
any better. To resolve the issue, Aquino commissioned a
referendum that would be the framework for the new
government. It tackled various issues from shifting the
government from presidential to parliamentary, to economic
reforms involving foreign participations. Due to its immediate
necessity, details of the referendum were left to the legislature
to determine. Released in February 1987, the new charter
easily won the approval of the public.

5. President Fidel V.
Ramos
 The rule that followed Aquino‟s
presidency established steadier
governance of the Philippines. Fidel
V. Ramos took office in 1992 and
immediately worked on the
country‟s recovery. Ramos initiated
the Social Reform Agenda or SRA
that was geared towards alleviating
poverty. The Gross National
Product reached an average of 5
percent annually, which translated
to a growth in the average family
income of the Filipinos.

6.  He undertook the implementation of Build-
Operate-Transfer (BOT) law which improved
public infrastructure and deregulated several
industries to help liberalize the economy.
 The country also saw improvements in its
relations to secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation
Front or MNLF as Ramos achieved a peace
agreement with the group.
 Ramos bagged the first UNESCO Peace Award
yet given to an Asian for this effort. He also
came to be known as the „Centennial‟
President for his successful supervision of the
100th anniversary of the country‟s
independence from the Spanish
rule celebrated in June 12, 1998.

7.  A film actor, Joseph Ejercito
Estrada, succeeded Ramos as
president in 1998. He was the
previous mayor in the municipality
of San Juan, Metro Manila and vice
president of Ramos, Estrada was
placed into office by a wide
margin of vote.
 He gained support in the election
for his promise to begin a pro-poor
administration that his predecessors
failed to promote in their respective
platforms. This support dwindled
down as his administration was
rattled by corruption.

8.  Critics accused him of failing to live up to his promises
due to the resurfacing of cronyism in the
government. Efforts made by Ramos to resolve
political conflicts in Mindanao were also threatened
as Estrada launched an all-out war against the
Islamic group in Mindanao called the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front in March 21, 2000.
 In the same year, Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit”
Singson accused Estrada of receiving Php 400 million
from him as payoff from illegal gambling profits. The
revelation led to Estrada‟s impeachment in
November 12, 2000 and his ouster from presidency in
January 20, 2001. Then Supreme Court Chief Justice
Hilario Davide, Jr. swore-in vice-president, Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo as president the same day.

9.  Critics accused him of failing to live up to his promises
due to the resurfacing of cronyism in the
government.
 Efforts made by Ramos to resolve political conflicts in
Mindanao were also threatened as Estrada launched
an all-out war against the Islamic group in Mindanao
called the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March
21, 2000.
 In the same year, Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit”
Singson accused Estrada of receiving Php 400 million
from him as payoff from illegal gambling profits. The
revelation led to Estrada‟s impeachment in
November 12, 2000 and his ouster from presidency in
January 20, 2001.
 Then Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr.
swore-in vice-president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as
president the same day.

10.  The Philippine Constitution allows the president
to ran for a second term if he/she was sworn
into office by succession and served in less than
4 years, otherwise the president is limited to one
term of office.
 Arroyo was qualified to ran for another term.
Indeed, she did. In the 2004 Philippine General
Election, Arroyo declared her presidential
candidacy and she was seated into office for
the second time.
 Arroyo promoted a “Stronger Republic” under
her rule, which was geared toward vigorous
economic reforms. However, her administration
was bombarded with several controversies and
impeachment attempts in the last five years.
Hence, as she announced her disinterest to
extend her term or run for office in the 2010
elections, critics expressed their apprehensions.

11.  Once, Arroyo had broken the people‟s trust when she
declared that she was not interested to run in the
2004 elections. Protesters express their
disappointment every so often rallying at the streets
calling against the Charter Change (Cha-Cha) and
now the Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), which is
currently promoted by the Arroyo‟s supporters in
Congress when the Cha-Cha attempt has become
improbable receiving critical disapproval.
 The representatives in the lower house
of Congress were said to have made the move
independently to pass the Con-Ass however, many
are skeptic of the true agenda of the Arroyo
administration as the 2010 election countdown nears.
Supporters of Arroyo are pushing for a change of
government from a Presidential to a Parliamentary
form. This will enable Arroyo run for parliament and
become prime minister.

12.  On the May 10, 2010 general elections, Arroyo
run and won for congresswoman for the 2nd
district of Pampanga province. Making her the
first president to hold a lower office after
occupying the highest office of the land. On
her first day as congresswoman, Arroyo filed a
resolution calling for Congress to hold a
Constitutional Convention to amend the
constitution.

 On June 30, 2010, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco
Aquino III, a.k.a Noynoy Aquino, was
proclaimed as president of the republic
together with Jejomar Cabauatan Binay as
vice-president.
