Name: Rusty L.

Padilla Grade and Section: BSTM-IT HAN 1

Revisit Corazon Aquino’s speech before the U.S. Congress during the joint session and
was delivered at Washington D.C. on September 18, 1986.

1. Read the transcript of her speech or you can also watch it as

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZnnvbKyNCQ [/youtube.

2. Write an ESSAY discussing the (1) importance of the text, (2) the background of the
author, (3) the context of the document, and (4) the text’s contribution to understanding
Philippine history.

Cory reflected on her astounding victory resulting from the people's struggle, and she
went on to detail experience as president of a freshly restored democracy. The text is significant
because it makes crucial contributions to the history of the Philippines. It has helped to increase
the credibility of the EDSA government on the international stage. Following a cruel and
polarizing regime that had been in place, she stated in her speech that she hoped to bring about
and facilitate reconciliation. As opposed to a "universal revolution," the EDSA Revolution, in
Cory's opinion, was significant because it was a "limited revolution that respected the lives and
freedom of every Filipino," rather than a "universal revolution."

Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuanco, better known as Cory Aquino, was born on January
25, 1933, in Tarlac Province. She came from a well and politically prominent family. In 1955,
she decided to skip additional studies to marry Benigno Simeon Aquino, Jr., who was then a
rising young politician. They were the parents of five children: four daughters and a son. Later
on, her husband became a famous opponent of Ferdinand Marcos, and as a result, he was
imprisoned for eight years during the Marcos regime (1972-1980). When Ferdinand Marcos
called for presidential elections in February 1886, Cory Aquino ran for the role of the
opposition's presidential candidate. Mrs. Cory Aquino was a Filipino politician who rose to
prominence after being elected President of the Philippines, making her the country's first
female leader in history. President Ferdinand E. Marcos' 20-year rule was brought to an end by
the People Power Revolution of 1986, in which she was the most notable figure to emerge. As a
result of her efforts, she was popularly regarded as the "Mother of Asian Democracy." In 1986,
she was named Time magazine's Woman of the Year, an honor she still holds today. Her
presidency spanned six years, from 1986 to 1992. She died on August 1, 2009, at the age of 76,
after being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008. Following her death, monuments to her peace
and democracy were erected in the Philippine city of Manila and in her native province of Tarlac,
respectively.

On September 18, 1986, she presented her speech to the Joint Session of the United
States Congress. Aquino's speech was inspired by her experiences both before and after the
death of her husband, Ninoy Aquino, who died in 2009. As a Filipino, she was equally
devastated by the status of the country after more than a decade of social and political
persecution, which she shared with the rest of the world through her writing. As she assumed
the presidency, she had made a significant impact on how her country and the rest of the globe
viewed women as capable of handling authority and power. Looking at her speech - the United
States of America assisting the Philippines - was a give-and-take relationship. Cory Aquino
appeared to have the tremendous amount of faith in the United States of America out of all the
countries globally, which is why she appealed to the United States Congress for assistance in
the restoration and protection of Philippine democracy. As a result of this favor from the United
States, the Philippines felt a sense of obligation to repay the favor, and the assistance provided
by the United States Congress during the Philippines' transition from dictatorship may have
appeared to be part of a strategic political plan at the time of the shift. However, Corazon
Aquino continues to be an inspiration to Filipinos because she was the one who took the
initiative in the fight for independence. As a result, she was a significant contributor to the
restoration of democracy in the country.

Understanding Philippine history, particularly the country's diplomatic and political

history, becomes more significant as the EDSA government's legitimacy is established
worldwide. In addition, this new democratic government's worldview may be found in the same
speech. The text also helped Filipino history by detailing the first move to reinstate democracy in
the Philippines, which had been abolished by the Marcos regime. This publication allows the
Filipino people to learn and to remember the difficult conditions during the Marcos dictatorship.
Finally, because Corazon Aquino was the first female president of the country, her speech
influenced the citizens of the Philippines and the international perception of women in positions
of authority.