Who is Corazon Aquino?
● Became the 11th president of the Philippines around 1986-1992, and the first woman to
become a president in Southeast Asia.
● A wife of Ninoy Aquino Jr., who was a senator and an opponent of Ferdinand Marcos.
● She led the people power revolution aka Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA)
Revolution in Manila.
● Cory Aquino became the 11th president of the Philippines and made history as
the first woman to hold the presidency in Southeast Asia.
● In 1986, she was named Woman of the Year by Time magazine, and later
recognized as one of the 20 most influential Asians of the 20th century.
● Her leadership in the peaceful People Power Revolution was significantly
driven by the assassination of her husband, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was
a major political opponent of Ferdinand Marcos.
● There was this snap election to prove Ferdinand Marcos’ legitimacy, and he won
the election due to fraud. Now because of the revolution, Marcos fled to another
country, leaving Cory Aquino to be the winner of the presidential election.
● Passed away on August 1, 2009
Speech of Corazon Aquino
● On February 18, 1986, Cory Aquino delivered a speech to the U.S congress. She
told them all about the struggles that our country had been through.
● She spoke about her husband’s sacrifice, Ninoy’s unwavering spirit to withstand
Marcos’ dictatorship.
● She expressed her gratitude to the U.S for the support that the Philippines have
received in order to fight for democracy.
● Lastly, she was once again asking for assistance to help our country recover from
the problems like, poor employment management that was caused by the
regime.
Challenges Faced by President Cory Aquino
● Political Instability- Her governance was still unstable because there were a lot
of people who did not really support her, especially some militaries. Some people
were still loyal to Ferdinand Marcos and in fact, there have been several attempts
to overthrow her from her presidency. The country was proven to be divided after
Marcos’ dictatorship.
● Economic Problems - the Philippine economy was in a really bad shape when
she became the president after the reign of Marcos.
● Threats to Security - During her presidency, several problems including the New
People’s Army/COmmunist Party of the Philippines, and Moro Separatists had to
be dealt with by the president.
The Speech Matters Because:
1. This speech not only marked the start of our country’s recovery from dictatorship,
but it also showed us the importance of democracy and the struggle for freedom.
This speech has served as an inspiration not only to our people, but also to other
countries who are facing the same issues.
2. The speech also strengthened the relationship between the Philippines and the
US by expressing gratitude for the US government’s support.
3. The speech also represented the resilience and determination of the FIlipino
people in overcoming oppression.