ABARRIENTOS, Arnold J.

Jr
BS_TCM_1K1

CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS: SPEECH OF CORAZON AQUINO

1. AUTHORS BACKGROUND
• Maria Corazon was Cory Aquino's birth name. Sumulong Cojuangco was born in Tarlac on
January 25, 1933, North of Manila, in the province of Nueva Ecija. She came from a well-to-do
family with political clout. She earned a bachelor's degree in French and Mathematics from
Mount St. Vincent College in New York City in 1954.

• In 1955, she dropped out of school to marry Benigno Simeon Aquino, Jr., a promising young
politician at the time. They were the parents of five children, four daughters, and one son. Her
husband later became a vocal opponent of Ferdinand Marcos and was imprisoned for eight
years under the Marcos government (1972-1980).

• Cory Aquino was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th President of the Philippines,
becoming the first woman to hold that office. She was the most prominent figure of 1986
People Power Revolution, which ended the 20-year rule of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Due
to this, she was widely accredited as the “Mother of Asian Democracy”. She was named Time
magazine's Woman of the Year in 1986.

• As President, Aquino oversaw the enactment of the law. The 1987 Constitution, restricted the
powers of the president, the Presidency and restored the bicameral system Congress. Her
government was able to build a stable foundation. emphasis on civil liberties and care for them

• Human rights and peace discussions to end the conflict a long-running communist insurgency
and an Islamist insurgency splinter movements

• Her presidency lasted six years, beginning in 2005. from the 25th of February, 1986, to the 30th
of June 1992 She died on August 1, 2009, at the age of 76. In the year 2008, he was diagnosed
with colon cancer. Monuments to her peace and love were erected after her death.

• Democracy, both in Manila's capital and at omen They were established in the province of
Tarlac.

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENT

• Ninoy Aquino, Corazon's husband, had been an outspoken critic of Ferdinand Marcos'
administration and was widely expected to win the 1973 presidential elections because Marcos
was term-limited and so unable to run under the Constitution. On September 21, 1972,
however, Marcos declared martial law and repealed the Constitution, refusing to relinquish
power. As a result, Ninoy was imprisoned for eight years by Marcos, and Corazon accompanied
him to exile in the United States in 1980.

• When Marcos called for a presidential election in February 1986, Corazon ran as a presidential
candidate for the opposition, with Salvador Laurel as her vice-presidential running mate.
Corazon was a woman. Corazon and her supporters challenged the results, alleging extensive
electoral fraud. She was officially confirmed to have lost the election to Marcos. This sparked
the People Power Revolution, which saw Marcos deposed and replaced.
On February 25, 1986, Corazon was sworn in as president.

• Corazon Aquino visited America in September 1986, seven months after taking office, to deliver
a speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. In her speech, she asked for
assistance in dealing with the country's $26 billion foreign debt, as well as a communist
insurgency that swelled from 500 armed guerillas to 16,000 during Marcos' presidency. She also
urged America to assist the Palestinians. The Philippines is committed to preserving the
independence that the Filipino people have achieved.

• Her address, which she delivered in Washington, D.C., was written by her speechwriter Teddy
Locsin Jr. on September 18, 1986, managed to sway votes in favor of a $200 million financial aid
package to help the Philippines restore its economy.

3. CONTENT ANALYSIS: UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION

• Corazon Aquino's address was littered with references to her husband, former Senator Ninoy
Aquino, who had been designated as the anti-Marcos poster boy by the Filipino people.

• Senator Thurmond, the speaker, and the distinguished member of Congress were
acknowledged in the early half of her address. She expressed her anguish again when she
departed America three years before her presidency to bury her husband. She claimed to have
returned as the President of the Free People's Republic. She went into detail about her
husband's problems, how they affected their family, and how they affected the country. She
spoke about the first time she lost her husband, 14 years ago, when Marcos imposed martial
law, suspending the constitution and shutting down Congress, as well as how Marcos arrested
Benigno and hundreds of others who stood out for democracy.

• She also described how hard it was for her and her children to lose their home's basis - her
spouse and the father of their children - for good. Ninoy Aquino's death, on the other hand,
symbolized the Philippines' resurrection and the courage and faith with which its people could
once again be free.

• She mentioned Archibald MacLeish, who said, "Democracy must be defended by arms when it
is opposed by arms, and by the truth when it is assaulted by lies," and then she talked about
how he didn't explain how it would be won.

• "Even so, we battled for honor, and if just for honor, we shall pay," she said, emphasizing that
the war they started was not in vain. That they, the Filipinos, fought the administration
valiantly.

• Furthermore, she mentioned in her address what happened during the presidential elections in
1986, and how Filipinos came together to oppose the Marcos administration, which had
oppressed them for more than a decade - it was a declaration that the country and its people
had finally earned freedom.

• "The task has fallen on my shoulders to continue presenting our people the democratic
alternative," she said. She accepted responsibility for safeguarding and fighting for the country’s
freedom.

• However, even after defeating Marcos' tyranny, the Philippines were still dealing with the
consequences of his administration's actions. This includes a total of $26 billion in foreign
exchange. debt, and a communist insurgency that rose from 500 armed guerillas to 16,000 under
Marcos' presidency. The country was only beginning its long journey to recovery. As a result, by
describing the current state of the Her statement to Congress included a request for support or financial
assistance in restoring full constitutional government and reviving the country's economy.

4. CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS: WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES MIGHT HAVE IMPACTED THE AUTHOR’S DECISION
TO WRITE THE DOCUMENT?

• The circumstances in the country after Marcos' reign affected Corazon Aquino's speech. For more than
a decade, the country has been in a state of oppression. This caused the Filipino people to be left with a
debt that Marcos incurred during his presidency and from which they received no benefit.

• The dust had only just settled after the declaration of martial law, but the Philippines were still dealing
with the effects of Marcos' government. This included a total foreign debt of $26 billion and a
communist insurgency that rose from 500 armed guerillas to 16,000 under Marcos' presidency. The
Philippines lacked the necessary resources. As a result, Corazon petitioned the US Congress for financial
assistance to pay off the debt.

• Furthermore, because the Filipino people had battled hard against the administration to free the
country and themselves, Corazon wished to protect the freedom that Filipinos had gained. As a result, in
her speech, she also made an appeal for financial assistance to the Philippines on its path to
constitutional and economic independence. recuperation. She gave a historic statement, swaying the
vote for an emergency $200 million aid appropriation in our favor.

• The document is significant in Philippine history, particularly diplomatic and political history because it
arguably established the EDSA government's legitimacy in the international arena. Furthermore, the
new democratic government's worldview may be seen in the same speech.

5. WHAT IS THE DOCUMENT’S SIGNIFICANCE/CONTRIBUTION TO PHILIPPINE HISTORY?

• Furthermore, this publication contributed to Philippine history by tracing the country's first steps
toward restoring democracy after the Marcos dictatorship was declared illegal. This document gives you
the ability to People in the Philippines should be aware of and remember the brutal reality of the
Marcos regime.

• Finally, as the country's first female president, Corazon Aquino's speech had a significant impact not
just on the country but also on the world's opinion of women in positions of power.
6. WHAT ARE YOUR GENERAL THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS OF THE PRIMARY SOURCE?

• Corazon Aquino's speech was inspired by her experiences both before and after her husband, Ninoy
Aquino's death. It was also founded on the fact that, as a Filipino, she was horrified by the country's
plight after more than a decade of social and political persecution.

• As she assumed the presidency, she influenced her country and the rest of the world to see women as
capable of handling authority and power. She has been dubbed the "mother of Philippine democracy" as
well as the "housewife who led a revolution" as a result of this.

• In my opinion, when I consider her words from today's perspective, I can see what happened in the
past. It was a give-and-take relationship between America and the Philippines. Cory Aquino appeared to
have the greatest faith in America of all the countries in the world, which is why she petitioned the US
Congress for assistance in the recovery and preservation of Philippine democracy. As a result of this
favor from America, the Philippines felt obligated to repay the favor. As a result, the help provided by
the US Congress during the Philippines' transition from dictatorship may appear to be a purposeful
political plan.