Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is the 14th President of the Philippines and the 2nd womyn to

become a President in our country. President Arroyo, was also the daughter of the former
President Diosdado Macapagal in 1961 to 1965. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was a known
“Economist” finishing her master’s degree in Ateneo de Manila.
It is evident that my report will highlight some of her economic policies.
Her tenure as President, spanned for nine years since 2001- 2010. She became the
President after former President Joseph Estrada was forced to step down in EDSA II
People Power Revolution, due to controversial issues and corruption.
She subsequently became the constitutional successor of ERAP and assumed the
presidency in 2001. In 2004 election, she ran for a second term as president.
This election has also ignited a controversial issue which was the “Hello Garci” scandal
2004 election. (A phone conversation between GMA and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio
Olivar Garcillano)
Although her presidency is marred with various controversial issues and military coups
(Oakwood Mutiny), and facing domestic and global economic challenges President
Arroyo implemented policies that potentially benefitted the Philippine Economy.
It's important to note that Arroyo's presidency was shaped by the context of her time,
including succeeding President Estrada during a crisis and navigating through the 1997
Asian Financial Crisis and the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.
POLITICAL INITIATIVES
As an economist her initiatives revolved around how to stabilize the economic growth of
the country which includes addressing poverty and unemployment. She then
implemented the Executive Order No. 783 which provides employment interventions to
save and create jobs as part of the Economic Resiliency Plan. It is stated in the section
1 of the Executive order regarding emergency employment hence, establishing the
“Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program” which aims to create jobs
and provide livelihood for over 375, 000 unemployed, displaced and vulnerable workers.
In addition, about P13 Billion was invested in public workers and enterprise development
projects.
President Arroyo has also ventured in investment in healthcare such as the expansion of
the National Health Insurance Program and the enactment of the Cheaper Medicines Act
of 2008 (R.A. 9502). In addition, the president also enhance the productivity in the
agricultural sector like the R.A. 9281 which strengthens the Agriculture and Fisheries
Modernization Act. Although, President Arroyo also invested in infrastructure projects it
created controversial issues such as the Northrail Project which faced challenges such
as the funding issues, construction progress and allegations of corruption leading to
discontinuation of the project.
Another is during her tenure, a movement for charter change was stirring in 2003. This
movement aimed to transition the government to a parliamentary system, which gained
support from political sectors to the civil society. In late 2003, before running for president
in 2004, President Arroyo expressed her support for Charter change. She was the sole
presidential candidate advocating for it. While many senators opposed amending the
Constitution, the majority in the House believed they had enough support to propose the
amendments with a three-fourths majority of all members of Congress.
However, President Arroyo suffered from loss of trust and support, she accumulated
criticism and oppositions in various sectors of society. Controversial issues and scandals
emerged like the Oakwood mutiny (In July 2003 some 300 armed soldiers staged the
Oakwood mutiny alleging corruption in President Arroyo’s administration.) and the most
controversial issue was the Hello Garci scandal which led to impeachment complaints.
Still President Arroyo, still pursues the charter change and issued Executive Order 453
on august 19 2005, this was the creation of consultative commision to propose revision
in the 1987 Constitution. (President only pushed one amendment which was to change
our presidential government with a bicameral congress to a parliamentary government
that would be unicameral)
ECONOMIC POLICIES
First of, is the EVAT Law, was enacted in March 2005, which aims to address the the
fiscal deficits by increasing government revenues and stabilizing the budget and
mitigating the effects of the global financial crisis. The law raised the value added tax
from 10% and was later increased to 12% in 2006. Although the law face oppositions
that it could lead to potential inflation and will cause a huge impact on low-income
households.
However, the law addresses several issues which includes; Broadening Tax Base, which
helps regenerate additional revenue for the government and reduce dependency on
income tax as the primary source of revenue. reducing tax evasion, addressing inequality
and stimulating economic growth, the revenue generated from the EVAT can used to
fund public services and projects, that could improve the overall welfare of the population.
The next one is the, MSME Law, which provides financial support to small businesses,
which contributed to resilience of Philippine economy during global financial crisis. The
law aims to promote their growth and development by offering access to financing,
training, and other resources.
FOREIGN RELATIONS POLICY
Basically the Magna Carta of Women in 2009 provides a set of rights for women that
aligns with international law. It establishes the government's duty to safeguard and
advance women's human rights, following the definition of discrimination outlined in the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
It also acknowledges the human rights guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Some key provisions of the Magna Carta of Women include:
Protection against Discrimination: The law prohibits gender-based discrimination in
employment, education, and other areas. It promotes equal opportunities for women in
all aspects of life.
Elimination of Violence against Women: The law addresses various forms of violence
against women, such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, and trafficking. It
provides for protective measures, legal remedies, and support services for victims.
Women's Health and Reproductive Rights: The law ensures access to reproductive
health services, including family planning, maternal healthcare, and prevention of
sexually transmitted infections. It recognizes women's right to make informed decisions
about their reproductive health.
Gender-Responsive Governance: The law promotes gender-responsive governance by
requiring gender mainstreaming in government policies, programs, and budgets. It
encourages the participation and representation of women in decision-making bodies.
The Magna Carta of Women is a significant step towards gender equality and women's
empowerment in the Philippines. It serves as a legal framework to protect and promote
the rights of women, and to address the challenges they face in society.
ISSUES
2007-2009 Global Financial Crisis
The Global Financial Crisis also affected the Philippine economy. The country's GDP
growth decelerated considerably in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first half of 2009.
However, unlike the 1997 crisis, the financial sector of the Philippines remained fairly
stable during the 2007-2009 crisis. The crisis led to volatility in asset prices, but the
country managed to avoid a total collapse of its financial system.
President Arroyo, responded to the fallout by implementing the Economic Resiliency Plan
wherein October 2008, the president signed in the Memorandum Circular No. 168,
Directing the Cabinet to Implement Pro-Poor Programs in All Regions, in preparation for
the impending impact of the crisis.
In addition, the implementation of the CLEEP or Comprehensive Livelihod and
Emergency Employment Program, which is a component program of the ERP (Economic
Resiliency Plan). A series of Executive Issuances have been put into motion to implement
CLEEP. Among these issuances are the EO No. 782, 783 and 794.
Due to this ERP Unemployment and displacement have begun to decrease. The
unemployment level dropped from its peak of 2,855 in January to 2,830 in April. This is
notable because April often sees a surge in job seekers due to graduation season.
Moreover, unemployment in April 2009 was lower in absolute terms compared to April
2008 (2,914,000), before the Global Crisis. In April 2009, unemployment was at 7.5%,
which is 0.5 percentage points lower than April 2008.
Hello Garci!
The issue regarding electoral controversies during the Arroyo administration was the
allegation of electoral fraud and irregularities in the 2004 presidential election. The main
controversy revolved around the "Hello Garci" scandal, which emerged from a series of
wiretapped conversations allegedly involving President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and a
high-ranking election official. These conversations suggested attempts to manipulate the
election results in her favor.
The scandal raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the
credibility of the election outcome. It led to widespread protests, calls for Arroyo's
resignation, and impeachment attempts. The issue of electoral controversies during this
period highlighted the importance of ensuring fair and transparent elections, as well as
the need for electoral reforms to address these concerns and restore public trust in the
democratic process.
After the electoral controversies, several electoral reforms are implemented to enhance
the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, which includes Automated Voting
System, to minimize human error, Voter Registration and Verification, Campaign and
Finance regulations and strengthening election monitoring bodies specifically the
COMELEC.
NBN-ZTE
The Philippine National Broadband Network controversy involves allegations of
corruptuion in the awarding of a $329-M construction contract to ZTE for the proposed
government managed project. The NBN deal wth the ZTTE Corporation called for the
installation of a telecommunications network linking govenrment offices throughout the
country. The issue raised allegation of irregularities and bribery.
The Arroyo administration addressed this issue by amending the section 5 of the RA
3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) by imposing an absolute prohibition on
certain relatives of the President of the Philippines, the Vice-President of the Philippines,
the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives to intervene,
directly or indirectly, in any business, transaction, contract or application with the
Government. Another is the, amendment of the E.O. 230 (Reorganization Act of the
National Economic Development Authority).