Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Biography

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was born on April 5, 1947, in San Juan, Philippines. Her father, Diosdado Macapagal, served as the country's ninth president from 1961 to 1965. This political background put her in a unique position, as she later became the first president whose father had also held the office. Growing up surrounded by public service and governance influenced her academic and career goals early on.

Arroyo pursued her education seriously, attending Assumption College San Lorenzo and later studying at the University of the Philippines. She completed her undergraduate degree in economics at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in the U.S. Here, she met fellow student Bill Clinton, who later became the 42nd U.S. president. She then returned to the Philippines, furthered her studies at Ateneo de Manila University, and started teaching economics there. Her students included Benigno Aquino III, who would follow her as president of the Philippines.

She began her government career in 1987 in the Department of Trade and Industry under President Corazon Aquino, serving as assistant secretary and later undersecretary. She moved into electoral politics, winning a Senate seat in 1992 and serving until 1998. That year, she became the 10th vice president of the Philippines under President Joseph Estrada, marking the first time a woman held that office. When Estrada faced serious corruption charges, Arroyo resigned from her cabinet role as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and sided with the opposition. After the Second EDSA Revolution in January 2001, Estrada was ousted, and Arroyo was sworn in as president by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on January 20, 2001, becoming the second female president and the 14th overall.

Arroyo's presidency lasted nearly a decade, from 2001 to 2010, making her the longest-serving president since Ferdinand Marcos. Her time in office was marked by challenges like the Oakwood mutiny of 2003, ongoing accusations of electoral fraud in the 2004 presidential election, and political instability. Despite these issues, her administration also saw periods of economic growth and infrastructure improvements. After her presidency ended in 2010, she stayed active in public life, being elected as the representative of Pampanga's 2nd congressional district later that year and continuing to serve in the House of Representatives. She also served as Speaker of the House from 2018 to 2019, becoming one of only two Filipinos, along with former president Sergio Osmeña, to have held at least three of the country's four highest offices.

Throughout her career, Arroyo received many international awards. These include the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic from Spain in 2007, the Order of the Star of Romania, the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum from Japan, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice from the Vatican, and an honorary doctorate from Tsinghua University in China in 2001. She remains married to Jose Miguel Arroyo and continues to be active in Philippine politics.