Name: Subere, Julina

: Perino, Regine

C/Y/S: BSES-3A

Revisiting Pres. Corazon Aquino's Speech Before the U.S. Congress

Let us check first the background of the late President Corazon Aquino's Background. She wasas Maria
Corazon Sumulong Cojuanco on January 25 1933 - in tarlac - Philippines, she graduated from college of
Mount St. Vincent in New York in 1954, with Bachelor's Degree in both French and Mathematics. She
was a widow Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, the oppositionist of former President Ferdinand Marcos.
In addition, she was characterized as a loving mother to her children. And also, she held as the 11'th
President and the First female President of the republic of the Philippines. She was widely accredited as
the "Mother of Asian Democracy". She was restored in democracy after a long dictatorship of Ferdinand
Marcos. She was named as the time magazine's woman of the year in 1986. Presidential term: 6 years
(February 21, 1986 - June 30, 1992). She died on August 1, 2009 at the age of 76.

In September 21, 1972, President Corazon Aquino visited the United States and gave her speech before
the joined session in the U.S. Congress. She sought help in addressing the 26 billion dollars foreign debt
and a communist insurgency that grew from 500 armed guerillas to 16,000 during Marcos Regime. In
her speech, she called the Americans to help the Philippines in preserving the freedom and Democracy.
And also, she managed to influence the votes to favor 200 million dollars financial aid towards
rebuilding the Philippine Economy. The speech was written by foreign affairs Secretary Teddy "Boy"
Locsin, Jr.

In September 18, 19860, seven months since Cory bacame President, she went to the United States and
spoke before the joined session in the U.S. Congress. Cory was welcome with long applause as she took
the podium and addressed the United States about her presidency and the challenges face by new
republic.

Cory Aquino's speech was an important event in the political and diplomatic History of the country
because it has arguably cemented the legitimacy of the EDSA government in the international arena.
The ideology or principles of the new democratic government can also be seen in the same speech. Cory
also hoisted herself as the reconsiliatory agent afterore than two decades of a polarizing authoritarian
politics. Also, despite Cory's effort to hoist herself as the extract opposite of Marcos, her speech is still
revealed certain parallelism between her and the Marcos Government. Reading through Aquino's
speech, we can already take cues, not just on Cory's individual ideas and aspirations, but also the guiding
principles and framework of the Government that she presented.