Republic of the Philippines - Stamps & Postal History
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Se-tenant Blocks of Four (125,000)
Maria Corazon Sumulong "Cory"
Cojuangco Aquino (January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) a Filipina
politician who served as the 11th President of the Philippines, the
first woman to hold that office, and the first female president in Asia.
Aquino was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People Power
Revolution, which toppled the 20-year authoritarian rule of President
Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy to the Philippines. She was
named Time magazine's "Woman of the Year" in 1986. She was born on January 25,
1933, in the province Paniqui Tarlac to Jose Cojuangco, Sr and Demetria
Sumulong. Her siblings were Pedro, Josephine, Teresita, Jose, Jr. and
Maria Paz. She attended school in Manila until the age of 13, and then
finished her education in the United States, first in Philadelphia and
later in New York City. She graduated from the College of Mount St.
Vincent in New York in 1953, with a bachelor's degree in both French and
mathematics. When she return in the Philippines, she enrolled in a law
school in Manila where she met Benigno Aquino, Jr., son of the late
Speaker Benigno S.Aquino, Sr. and a grandson of General Servillano
Aquino. They married in 1954, and have five children- one son and four
daughters. A self-proclaimed "plain
housewife", she was married to Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., the number
one critic of President Marcos. She emerged as leader of the opposition
after her husband was assassinated on August 21, 1983 upon returning to
the Philippines from exile in the United States. In late 1985, Marcos
called for snap elections, and Aquino ran for president with former
senator Salvador Laurel as her Vice-President. After the elections were
held on February 7, 1986, the Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and
his running mate, Arturo Tolentino, as the winners amidst allegations of
electoral fraud, with Aquino calling for massive civil disobedience
actions. Defections from the Armed Forces and the support of the local
Catholic Church led to the People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos
and secured Aquino's accession on February 25, 1986. Aquino oversaw the
promulgation of the 1987 Constitution, which limited the powers of the
Presidency and re-established the bicameral Congress. Her administration
gave strong emphasis and concern for civil liberties and human rights,
and on peace talks to resolve the ongoing Communist insurgency and
Islamist secession movements. Her economic policies centered on
restoring economic health and confidence and focused on creating a
market-oriented and socially responsible economy. Aquino faced several
coup attempts against her government and various natural calamities
until the end of her term in 1992. In 1996, Cory took an active
interest in painting under the tutelage of artist Jeffrey Consumo. Next
to prayer, painting became a favored mode of keeping her mind active and
her sense of humanity intact. Although she has participated in a joint
exhibit with friends and has sold some of her works to raise funds for
her advocacies, she does not profess to be a professional painter. She
likes to paint flowers and women, usually in oil or acrylic on canvas.
She was succeeded as President by Fidel V. Ramos, and returned to
civilian life while remaining public about her opinions on political
issues. On March 24, 2008, Aquino's family announced that Corazón had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Upon her being earlier informed by her doctors that she had only three months to live, she pursued medical treatment and chemotherapy. A series of healing masses for the devout Catholic former president were held throughout the country. In a public statement made on May 13, 2008, during a healing mass for her, Aquino said that her blood tests indicated that she was responding well to the medical treatment being administered to her. Aquino's hair and appetite loss were apparent. By July 2009, Aquino was reported to be in very serious condition, suffering from loss of appetite, and was confined to the Makati Medical Center. Later on, it was announced that Aquino and her family had decided to cease chemotherapy and other medical interventions for her. On August 1, 2009, the 76-year-old Aquino died peacefully at the Makati Medical Center at 3:18 a.m., of cardio respiratory arrest.
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