Benigno Aquino III

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) is a Filipino politician who served
as the 15th President of the Philippines from 2010 until 2016. Aquino is a fourth-generation politician
and the chairman of the Liberal Party from 2010 to 2016.

On September 9, 2009, shortly after the death of his mother, Aquino officially announced he would
be a candidate in the 2010 presidential election. He was elected and on June 30, 2010 was sworn
into office as the fifteenth President of the Philippines at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park,
Manila, succeeding Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He ended his term on June 30, 2016, succeeded
by Rodrigo Duterte.

Benigno Aquino III joined the House of Representatives and the Senate before his presidency. He is
the first president who is a bachelor; he is unmarried and has no children.

Contributions and Achievements:

 created the no "wang-wang" (street siren) policy

 appointed statesman Jesse Robredo to serve as secretary of Interior and Local Government
in 2010, where Robredo served until his death in 2012
 initiated K-12 education in the Philippines
 renamed the Office of the Press Secretary to Presidential Communications Operations Office
and appointed new officers
 suspended allowances and bonuses to Government Owed and Controlled Corporation and
Government Financial Institution board members
 oversaw 7.1% growth of the Philippine economy in 2012
In the past three years, the Philippines has undergone a radical transformation: From a
having a government that institutionalized corrupt practices, to one that provides public
service founded on the principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity; from
being home to a citizenry clamoring for change, to nurturing a nation empowered and
actively working together for greater opportunities for inclusive growth.

The bedrock of this transformation likewise remains as the driving philosophy behind
the Aquino administration’s reform agenda: If we can rid the country of the culture of
corruption, then we can alleviate poverty and collectively move forward to secure an
equitably progressive Philippines.

To sustain the country’s momentum, the Aquino administration has been continuously
improving upon the good governance reforms it has established, which includes
strengthening the mechanisms necessary for the swift and efficient delivery of services
to Filipinos. The government has reformed its procurement and budgeting processes to
promote efficiency and reduce opportunities for corruption, preventing the waste of
billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money. This, in turn, has allowed the national government
to channel funds to the most immediate needs of the public—into programs that include
massive investments in social services, health, and education, in order to enhance and
empower our human capital, which then encourages expansive, equitable growth.

The reforms are already bearing fruit. In 2012, the Philippines recorded one of its
strongest years for growth, surpassing all expectations; the first quarter GDP of 2013,
recorded at 7.8%, further raised the bar among the community of nations and exceeding
even our growth trend. Lead credit ratings agencies have placed the Philippines at the
investment grade level, even as they predict continued favorable economic prospects
for our future. And these gains of good governance are being translated into the
improvement of the quality of the life of all Filipinos, particularly the poor and the
vulnerable. Social services continue to receive the highest share of the national budget,
with social intervention and protection programs at the core of our poverty reduction
thrust.

All these changes we have established in the past three years, and all that we have
achieved from them, make up the mere foundation. The gains of good governance and
sustained investment in the welfare of our citizens will build on the Philippines’
momentum, to beyond the end of President Aquino’s term come 2016.
 José P. Laurel

José Paciano Laurel y García, CCLH (March 9, 1891 – November 6, 1959) was
a Filipino politician and judge. He was the president of the Second Philippine Republic,
a Japanese puppet state when occupied during World War II, from 1943 to 1945. Since
the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal (1961–1965), Laurel has been
officially recognized by later administrations as former president of the Philippines.
Contributions and Achievements:
 since the early 1960s, Laurel considered a legitimate president of the Philippines
 organized KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas, or
Association for Service to the New Philippines), a provisional government during
Japanese occupation
 declared Martial Law and war between the Philippines and the U.S./United
Kingdom in 1944
 with his family, established the Lyceum of the Philippines

The presidency of Laurel understandably remains one of the most controversial in

Philippine history. After the war, he would be denounced by the pro-American sectors as
a war collaborator or even a traitor, although his indictment for treason was superseded
by President Roxas' Amnesty Proclamation. However, despite being one of the most
infamous figures in Philippine history, he is also regarded as a Pan-Asianist who
supported independence. When asked if he was pro-American or pro-Japanese, his
answer would be pro-Filipino.
To view Laurel’s administration in proper perspective, the conditions of the Philippines in
late 1943 have to be examined. First of all, the Second World War was brewing in
Europe and Asia. The Japanese military presence dominated the Japanese-occupied
Philippines, and even though independence had been declared, the Laurel government
had to sign a pact of alliance with Japan. Part of the pact stated in no uncertain terms
that “the Philippines will afford all kinds of facilities for military actions to be undertaken
by Japan; the Philippines and Japan will closely

cooperate with each other to safeguard the territorial integrity and independence of the
Philippines. As if to dramatize the situation, Japanese garrisons and outposts ringed
Malacañang Palace. In September 1944, some 10,000 Japanese servicemen
surrounded the palace and some 100,000 armed Japanese occupied the whole of
Greater Manila. In mid-1944, no less than the Commanding General of Japan’s
Southern Army—which covered not just the Philippines but the whole of Southeast Asia
and New Guinea—made Manila his headquarters. Laurel had only 300 Presidential
Guards to defend the palace.

To make matters more difficult, the peace and order situation was deteriorating rapidly,
with the guerrilla movement gaining more adherents and sympathizers daily. In addition
to the guerrillas, there were criminal elements and others posing as guerrillas, but were
actually bandits. Within the government itself were some unscrupulous and corrupt
persons, which gave government a bad image to the public.Above all this, most people
felt that the government was a puppet government, and while the people understood the
position and ideals of Laurel, many did not take the republic seriously.Laurel was aware
of all these, and said to a friend, “This independence we have is an independence
which is not independence. You have the {Japanese} Navy on one side, the {Japanese}
Army on the other, the guerrillas, the Embassy and my own government. Five in all!

The Second Republic effectively ceased to function with the departure of President
Laurel from Manila, although skeleton government offices continued to operate until
February 1945. With the re-establishment of the Commonwealth government and
Laurel’s subsequent forced departure for Japan, the republic existed only on paper, and
was finally officially dissolved by Laurel upon the Japanese surrender to the Allied
powers, on August 17, 1945.