Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

A Filipino academic and politician, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo currently serves as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. She served as the Philippines’ 14th president from 2001 to 2010. Read on to learn more about Gloria’s background, education, and early career. You might be surprised to learn that she’s also a former lawyer, author, and international development aid expert.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Political career

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is a Filipino politician and academic. She is the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 2001, she was the 14th president of the Philippines. She served in that role until 2010 and is currently serving as the House Deputy Speaker.

Arroyo was born into a family of politicians. She studied economics at Georgetown University, where she formed a friendship with future U.S. President Bill Clinton. She later graduated from Assumption College in Manila in 1968. She then earned a master’s degree in economics from Ateneo de Manila University and a doctorate in economics from the University of the Philippines.

Arroyo entered the government in 1987, and served as an undersecretary in the Department of Trade and Industry. She later became a senator from 1992 to 1998. She was nominated for vice-president under President Joseph Estrada in 2000, but later resigned her cabinet position as Secretary of Social Welfare and Development. She subsequently joined the opposition to Estrada, and on 20 January 2001, she was sworn in as President of the Philippines.

Following her election as a senator in the Philippines, Arroyo worked for the Department of Trade and Industry. As an assistant secretary, she was later promoted to undersecretary. While she was there, she helped pass several laws and regulations. Among these were the anti-sexual harassment law and crop insurance law. In addition, she was also instrumental in passing the Magna Carta for Scientists.

After joining the government, Arroyo was elected to the Senate in 1992, earning a six-year term in her first attempt. In 1995, she was re-elected, earning a three-year term. During her time as a senator, she authored 55 laws.

As a woman, Macapagal-Arroyo served as President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2009. She is the second woman to hold that position in the country after Corazon Aquino. She was also the country’s Vice-President. Her political career continues to flourish.

The Hello Garci scandal also triggered a series of protests against Arroyo. Several key members of her cabinet resigned in the wake of the scandal. While she admitted to improperly speaking with a COMELEC official, she denied any influence over the election results.

The mutiny at Oakwood in the Philippines in 2003 was the result of 321 armed soldiers called Bagong Katipuneros led by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV. The purpose of the mutiny was to expose the corruption of the Arroyo administration. In 2003, martial law was declared in the country.

Education

President-elect Gloria Macapagal Arroyo studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she studied economics. While there, she was a classmate of future US President Bill Clinton. Arroyo also earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Assumption College in Manila. After graduating from Georgetown, she worked as a teacher in the Philippines and later became a senior lecturer at the UP School of Economics.

Arroyo was born into a politically active family and went to Assumption Convent. After graduating in 1964, she studied at Georgetown University for two years. She then finished her Bachelors degree in Economics at Assumption College, graduating with magna cum laude. Later, she pursued her Masters and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University. After her doctorate degree, Arroyo was appointed chairperson of the Economics Department at Assumption College.

Arroyo was re-elected as President of the Philippines in May 2004. She has since returned to the political arena. She has been a staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte. She is currently the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Her education is impressive, but it does not guarantee her election.

Arroyo started her political career in 1992 as an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Trade and Industry. She was then promoted to Undersecretary two years later. In the 1992 senatorial elections, Arroyo won the election with 16 million votes. While she was a senator, she also authored 55 laws of great economic importance.

Arroyo’s education was based on a strict academic schedule. She was able to complete her bachelor’s degree while attending the University of the Philippines. She later earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. As president, Arroyo was the second woman to hold a political office in the Philippines.

Early career

Born in the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She later studied at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. She was a classmate of the future United States President Bill Clinton. After completing her education, Arroyo returned to Manila and began her professional career as a teacher. After a few years, she became an assistant professor at the Ateneo de Manila University and assistant professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics. She eventually became a senator.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was born on April 5, 1947, in San Juan Manila. She is the daughter of Diosdado Macapagal and Evangelina Macaraeg. Her father was a politician, and she also had two older sisters. She attended the Assumption Convent and Georgetown University and was on the Dean’s List for four years. After graduating from Georgetown University, she enrolled in a program in economics at Assumption College in Manila, earning an AB in economics in 1968. She later completed her MA in economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1978, and then went on to earn her PhD from the University of the Philippines School of Economics in 1985.

Before being elected as President of the Philippines, Arroyo first served as the nation’s vice president. She also served two terms in the Philippine Senate. Her most notable achievements include being the country’s first female vice president and a former vice president. Her two terms in office in the highest office in the country made her a highly popular figure worldwide.

After her second term, Arroyo decided to return to politics. She was elected as a senator in 1992, and re-elected two years later. In office, she authored and passed several bills. These included the anti-sexual harassment law, the crop insurance law, and the Magna Carta for scientists.

Macapagal-Arroyo was born to former Philippine king Diosdado Macapagal. When she was a young girl, she began dating a man, who would later become a president of the United States. The two were married in August of 1968. They have three children together. Juan Miguel was born on April 26, 1969; Evangelina Lourdes was born on June 5, 1971; and Diosdado Ignacio was born in September 1974.

After working in business and the public sector, Arroyo entered political life. She served as a senator for six years and co-authored many landmark pieces of legislation. In 1998, she ran for president, but instead chose to run for vice president. She was elected vice president and served as vice president of the Philippines. In the following year, she became the first female vice president. She later served as secretary of social welfare and development in the Estrada cabinet. During her tenure in the Senate, Arroyo was implicated in corruption charges against the former president Joseph Estrada.

During the 1998 presidential election, Arroyo was the frontrunner. She won over 13 million votes, which were the highest number in history. She then became vice president and received the post of secretary of social welfare and development.