The 14th

President of
the
Republic of
the Maria Gloria
Philippines Macagal-
Arroyo
 Biography
Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
was born on 5th of April, 1947 as
María Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal.
Her parents are
Diosdado Macapagal 
and Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal.
She was in a family of Politician.
She is the sister of
Dr. Diosdado "Boboy" Macapagal, Jr
& Cielo Macapagal-Salgado.
She spent the first years of her life
in Lubao, Pampanga.
(Arroyo’s actual signature)
 In 1961, Arroyo then studied
when Arroyo was just 14 for two years at Georgetown
years old, her father was University's Walsh School
elected as president. of Foreign Service in
She moved with her family Washington, D.C. where
into Malacañang Palace she was a classmate of future
 in Manila. She attended  United States President 
Assumption Convent  Bill Clinton and achieved
for her elementary and high consistent Dean's list
school education, status.  She then earned her
graduating valedictorian  Bachelor of Arts degree in
in 1964. Economics from Assumption
College, graduating
magna cum laude
 in 1968.
 In 1968, Arroyo married
lawyer and businessman  She pursued a
Jose MiguelArroyo  Master's Degree in
of Binalbagan, Negros Economics
Occidental, whom she at the Ateneo de Manila
had met while still a University
teenager.They had three  (1978) and a Doctorate
children, Juan Miguel  Degree
(born 1969), in Economics from
Evangelina Lourdes the University
(born 1971) and of the Philippines
 Diosdado Ignacio José María  (1985).
 (born in 1974).
 In 1987 she was invited by
President Corazón
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
growth of the garment
industry in the late 1980s.
As a Politician
 SENATOR
Arroyo entered politics
in the 1992 election,
running for senator.
At the first general
election under the 1987
Constitution, the top Arroyo ranked 13th in
twelve vote-getting the elections, earning a
senatorial candidates three-year term. She
would win a six-year was re-elected in 1995,
term, and the next topping the senatorial
twelve candidates elections with nearly
would win a three- 16 million votes.
year term.
 As a legislator,
Arroyo filed over 400
bills and authored or
sponsored 55 laws
during her tenure as
senator, including the
Anti-Sexual
Harassment Law, the
Indigenous People's The 1995 Mining Act, which
Rights Law, and the allows 100% foreign
ownership of Philippine
Export Development
mines, has come under fire
Act. from left-wing political
groups.
 Vice Presidency
Arroyo considered a run for
the presidency in the 1998
election, but was persuaded
by President Fidel V.
Ramos and leaders of the
administration party Lakas-
Christian Muslim Though the latter lost to
Democrats to instead seek  Erap, Arroyo won the vice
the vice-presidency as the presidency by a large
running mate of its margin, garnering more
presidential candidate, than twice the votes of her
House Speaker José de closest opponent, Estrada's
Venecia, Jr. running mate Senator
Edgardo Angara
 Arroyo resigned from the
Arroyo began her term
cabinet in October 2000,
as Vice President on June
distancing herself from
30, 1998. Historically, she President Estrada, who
was the first and only to was accused of corruption
date female Vice by a former political
President of the supporter, Chavit Singson,
Philippines. She was Governor from Ilocos
appointed by Estrada to Sur. She had initially
a concurrent position in resisted pressure from
the cabinet as Secretary allies to speak out against
of Social Welfare and Estrada, but eventually
Development. joined calls for Estrada's
resignation.
PRESIDENCY
First Term (2001-2004)
Succession
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
being sworn in as president by
Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
in January 2001.
The last quarter of 2000 up to
the first week of January 2001
was a period of political and
economic uncertainty for the
Philippines. On January 16,
2001, the impeachment trial
has also taken a new direction.
 Private prosecutors walked
out of the trial when pro-
Estrada senators prevented
the opening of an evidence (a
brown envelope) containing
bank records allegedly
owned by President Estrada.
With the walk out, the
impeachment trial was not
completed and the Filipinos
eventually took to the street
to continue the clamor for
President Estrada's
resignation.
 Thousands of protesters
demanded the release of
Estrada. Eventually, they
also called for the ouster of
Arroyo and the
reinstatement of the former.
On May 1, 2001, they
marched towards
Malacañang to force Arroyo
to give in to their demands.
Violence erupted when the
protesters attempted to
storm the presidential palace
and the military and police
were forced to use their arms
to drive them back.
Arroyo declared a state
of rebellion because of
the violence and
prominent political
personalities affiliated
with Estrada were
charged and arrested.
The so-called EDSA III
was the first serious
political challenge to
the Arroyo presidency.
 2004 Presidential Election
Article VII Section 4 of Although Arroyo falls
the 1987 under this category, she
Constitution explicitly states initially announced on
that the president of the December 30, 2002 that she
Philippines can only serve for will no longer seek the
one term. However, the same presidency. She
provision also implicitly emphasized that she will
states that a president's devote her remaining
successor who has not served months in office to serving
for more than four years can the people and improving
still seek a full term for the the economy of the
presidency. Philippines.
As predicted by SWS exit On June 23, 2004, Congress
polls, Arroyo won the proclaimed Arroyo and Noli
election by a margin of de Castro as president and vice
over one million votes president, respectively.
against Poe. However, the
congressional canvassing
was quite contentious as
opposition lawmakers in
the National Board of
Canvassers argued that
there were many
discrepancies in the
election returns and that
insinuations of cheating
were raised.
 Second Term (2004-2010)
2004 Presidential Election
rigging allegations   
Arroyo taking her Oath of Office
for a full term as president
in Cebu City on June 30, 2004.
On June 30, 2004, in a break with
tradition, Arroyo first delivered
her inaugural speech at
the Quirino Grandstand in
Manila. She then departed Allegations of cheating
for Cebu City for her oath taking, against Arroyo gained
the first time that a Philippine momentum one year after
president took the oath of office the May 2004 elections.
outside of Luzon.
In a press conference held on
June 10, 2005, Samuel Ong,
former deputy director of According to Ong, the
the National Bureau of recordings allegedly
Investigation (NBI) claimed proved that Arroyo
to have audio recordings of ordered the rigging of
wiretapped conversations
the national elections
between Arroyo and an
official of the Commission on for her to win by
Elections(COMELEC).  around one million
Virgilio Garcillano, a former votes against Poe.
COMELEC commissioner,
would later be identified as
the official talking to Arroyo.
“I am Sorry.”