LESSON -4

TITLE: THE SPEECH OF CORAZON C. AQUINO

ACTIVITY

The students will watch a short video clip entitled President Corazon Aquino before the
US Congress and need to show evidences of their understanding following the guide questions
found after watching it. Type and search the link below for the video.https:
youtu.be/4ZnnvbKyNCQ

1. After watching the video describe the scene. How was the speech? How did the audience react
to her half-hour-long address?

Aquino constantly refers to her Catholic religiosity. Note that her speech does not reflect
a feminist perspective. Corazon Aquino presided over the transition of government from an
authoritarian regime to a democratic one and she did not express an interest in women’s issues.
After six years in office, she still focuses on her husband and his ideas. Though politically
prominent in her own right, Corazon Aquino was perceived to be the alter ego of her husband, a
Filipino hero.

2. What was in her speech that convinced the House of Representatives to grant two-hundred-
million-dollar emergency aid to the Philippines? What were the issues raised or views pointed
out in her address?

It was her first visit to the U.S. since becoming President, and everywhere she went
Corazon Aquino's reception seemed to get warmer and warmer. When her commercial Philippine
Airlines 747 touched down at San Francisco International airport, she was greeted by nearly
1,000 supporters shouting "Cory! Cory! Cory!" After switching to a special U.S. Government
aircraft for the cross-country flight to Washington, the Philippine leader charmed White House
officials with her simple, direct manner. A private meeting with President Reagan that had been
scheduled for 15 minutes stretched out to 45, and afterward Reagan declared, "I'm bullish on the
Philippines."

Aquino saved her most impressive performance for a speech before a joint session of
Congress, whose members greeted her wearing yellow ties and tossing yellow roses flown in
specially from Texas; the color has become Aquino's trademark. She defended her policy of
reconciliation with the Philippines' Communist insurgents and asked Congress for more financial
aid to rebuild the Philippines' shattered economy. "You have spent many lives and much treasure
to bring freedom to many lands that were reluctant to receive it," said Aquino. "And here you
have a people who won it by themselves and need only the help to preserve it."
 Later the House of Representatives voted, 203 to 197, in favor of $200 million in emergency aid
to her fledgling government. The vote, admitted Democrat Gerald Kleczka of Wisconsin,
amounted to "legislating with our hearts instead of our heads." Indeed, the measure only added to
a foreign-aid budget that is already likely to be deeply slashed by the Gramm-Rudman budget-
balancing mechanism. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate.
ANALYSIS

1. How did the speech affect you as a viewer?

Mrs. Aquino's cool and even tone, her advisers say, overshadows the stubbornness and
growing self-assurance that have put her in increasing command of their inner councils. The self-
assurance, they say, has been reinforced by the broad popular support that has continued to grow
for the woman who has styled herself almost the complete opposite of Mr. Marcos.

One Aquino adviser, Teodoro Locsin said By the end of the election she realized that
now she was speaking for the entire nation it's affected by my beliefs and hope to try to change
my country to change to better place

2. What did Corazon Aquino Mention in her speech pertaining to the aspiration of the Filipino
people?

Take to match our great freedoms with equally great progress and justice As you know,
we have no shortage in this country of wise people. And already they are saying that the
ratification of this draft will not finally solve all our problems. Who says it will? This
Constitution is not intended to solve our problems. It is intended to present the greatest challenge
our nation has faced. That challenge is how to achieve our aspirations of a just and progressive
country consistently with the democratic principles that Filipinos cannot live without The
Constitution lays down in great detail the basic rights that define the civilized society that
Filipinos