Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was born on April 5, 1947 in San Juan Manila and daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal and Dr. Evangelina Macaraeg Macapagal.
She spent her primary and secondary education at the Assumption Convent graduating high school valedictorian. From 1964-1966 she was always in the Dean’s list at Georgetown University where she took up AB Economic and continued to pursue the same course at Assumption College, graduating as Magna Cum Laude in 1968. Took up her MA in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1978 and her Ph.D in Economics at UP School of Economics in 1985.
Senator Macapagal Arroyo began her professional career as an assistant professor at Ateneo de Manila University from 1977 to 1987 and professor at UP School of Economics in those same years. She chaired the Economic Department of Assumption College from 1984 to 1987 before assuming the post of Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry from 1989-1992.
She then decided to follow her father’s footstep by trying politics. Macapagal Arroyo was elected Senator in 1992 and was re-elected in 1995. Together with other Senators, Senator Macapagal Arroyo was instrumental in the passage of the following bills into laws; loans for women and micro-enterprises; the Bank Entry Liberalization Law; the Thrift Bank Act; the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law; the Crop Insurance Law; and the Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and Science and Technology Personnel in government.
On May 11, 1998, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ran for the position of the Vice President and she won overwhelmingly over the other vice presidential candidates, then appointed as secretary of Social Welfare and Department. She was sworned in as President of the Republic in January 2001 as a result of the EDSA II Revolution which was triggered by the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada.
She is married to lawyer-businessman Jose Miguel Tuazon Arroyo and have three children.