Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo is the 14th and current
president of the
Philippines. She is the country's second female president after
Corazon Aquino. She is the daughter of former President
Diosdado Macapagal.
Prior to becoming president, Arroyo was the country's first female
vice president. She was launched into the presidency in 2001 by the
EDSA Dos that ousted
Joseph Estrada from power amid accusations of widespread corruption. Arroyo
was elected to a six-year term in 2004, defeating
actor Fernando Poe, Jr.
Encyclopedia
Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo is the 14th and current
president of the
Philippines. She is the country's second female president after
Corazon Aquino. She is the daughter of former President
Diosdado Macapagal.
Prior to becoming president, Arroyo was the country's first female
vice president. She was launched into the presidency in 2001 by the
EDSA Dos that ousted
Joseph Estrada from power amid accusations of widespread corruption. Arroyo
was elected to a six-year term in 2004, defeating
actor Fernando Poe, Jr.
In 2005, Arroyo was selected as the fourth most powerful woman in the world by
Forbes magazine.
Early life
Arroyo was born Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal to parents, politician
Diosdado Macapagal and his wife, Evangelina Macaraeg Macapagal. She spent the first years of her life in
Lubao, Pampanga with her two older siblings from her father's first marriage. At the age of four, she became jealous of her newborn brother and she chose to live with her maternal grandmother in
Iligan City. She stayed there for three years, then split her time between
Mindanao and
Manila until the age of 11. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Assumption College, graduating magna cum laude in 1968.
In 1968, Arroyo married lawyer and businessman
Jose Miguel Arroyo of
Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, who she had met while still a teenager. From 1977 to 1987, she held
teaching positions in different schools, notably the
University of the Philippines and the
Ateneo De Manila University. She also became chairperson of the Economics Department at Assumption College.
In 1987 she was invited by President
Corazon Aquino to join the government as Assistant Secretary of the
Department of Trade and Industry. She was promoted to Undersecretary two years later. In her concurrent position as Executive Director of the Garments and Textile Export Board, Arroyo oversaw the rapid decline of the garment industry in the 1980s.
Senator
Although her father served as president of the Philippines, Arroyo did not enter politics until 1992, twenty-seven years after her father left office. She was elected to the
Philippine Senate in 1992. She was re-elected in 1995, topping the senatorial elections with nearly 16 million votes, the highest number of votes received by any politician for any position in Philippine electoral history. expressed concern over the sharp rise in vigilante killings of militant activists and community workers in the Philippines. There have been 52 extrajudicial executions of activists and journalists since 1986.
Many of these violations are alleged to have been committed against left-leaning organizations and partylists including BAYAN, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis. These organizations accuse the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Military for the deaths of these progressives and political opponents. Arroyo has condemned political killings "in the harshest possible terms" and urged witnesses to come forward.
The Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing claims that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has raised the possibility of blacklisting the Philippines government due to an under-reporting of the human rights situation since 1992.
General Palparan who retired Sept. 11, 2006 has been appointed by President Arroyo to be part of the Security Council. This has alarmed some left-leaning political parties about the potential for human rights violations.
Trivia
- In a series of 100-peso bills, her name was misspelled "Arrovo"; some bills were released, but most were withdrawn from circulation.
See also
- List of female heads of state
References
External links
- Official Website
- Forum
- Fan page
