Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Born on April 5, 1947, San Juan, Philippines;

Filipino politician who was president of the
Philippines (2001–2010)
First Term (2001-2004)
• On January 19, 2001, People Power 2 ultimately prevailed. Estrada was forced from office, and
Macapagal-Arroyo was named 14th president of the Philipines on January 20, 2001, becoming the first
child of a former president to hold the post.
• On May 27, 2001, Islamic militants abducted 20 hostages at a resort in the province of Palawan, and
Macapagal-Arroyo was thrust into the ongoing battle between the Philippine government and the
rebel forces, known as Abu Sayyaf. Several other kidnappings by various criminal gangs followed
including the 2004 bombing of a ferry that killed more than 100 people. . Macapagal-Arroyo officially
adopted a hardline "no ransom" response to the rebels and launched military operations against
them.On the economic front, Macapagal-Arroyo developed a blueprint to lift the Philippines out of its
financial crisis.
• In 2002, looking back on her first year as president, she cited the country's economic survival as her
greatest achievement, although she remained well aware that much work lay ahead.
Second Term (2004-2010)
• Macapagal-Arroyo vowed to create up to 10 million jobs in the next six years, balance the budget,
improve tax collection, provide inexpensive medicine for the poor, and unite the country.
• Supports science and technology sector through a presentation dubbed “Alay Pasasalamat” at
Malacanang’s Heroes’ Hall.
• Signing into law on March 23,2009 of Republic Act No. 10055, otherwise known as the Technology
Transfer Act of 2009, which harmonizes all technology transfer activities in the country and expedites
the commercialization of government-funded research.
• The President’s efforts resulted in the accomplishment of five broad tiers of S&T programs that
included research and development, human resource development, scientific and technological
services, promotion and information services and scientific linkages and international cooperation.
• Four new Philippine Science High School campuses were established to provide the
environment for the youth to learn and hone their skills to become achievers.
• Strengthen scholarship program for engineers, scientist
• Student's Assistance Fund for Education for a Strong Republic (SAFE 4 SR) program which the
President launched in hte year of 2008 to provide interest-free loan to third and fourth year
college students to enable them to finish their schooling.
• Aincreased
National Scientist, pointed out that over 30 years, the budget for research and development
from 0.51 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) to 2.4 percent in 2007. She
expressed hope this will start a “logarithmic growth” of the budget for economic development
and cooperation.
• Recognizing the importance of research and development, the President has created the
PCCRD which will review and take charge of research and development projects of various
government agencies.
A. Gross Value Added in Agriculture (GVAA)
 During the Arroyo administration, the GVAA grew at an average of 3.41 percent
compared to the 2.52 percent and 1.49 percent during the Ramos and Estrada
administrations, respectively.
B. Value of Agricultural Production by Subsector
• For livestock, the output during the Arroyo administration was P39 billion. It was P28
billion and P34 billion during the Ramos and Estrada administrations.
• The poultry output during the Ramos, Estrada, and Arroyo administrations were P29
billion, P35 billion, and P44 billion.
• For fishery, the value of production were P45 billion, P48 billion, and P70 billion during
the Ramos, Estrada, and Arroyo administrations.
C. Volume of Production and Yield of Palay and Corn
For palay production, the annual production from 2001-2009 posted an average of 14.83
million metric tons (MMT). The yield, on the other hand, averaged 3.54 MT per hectare or
a
22% increase from the Estrada administration and 23% increase over the Ramos
administration. Despite the unfavorable weather conditions during the past years,
palay production still managed to increase through irrigation and the use of
high-yielding varieties.
 The annual corn production averaged 2.22 MMT while the yield grew by 5.66 MT per hectare during the
Arroyo administration. The average production increased by 31% relative to the Estrada administration
and 28% relative to Ramos administration. The yield, on the other hand, was 29% and 47% higher
compared to Estrada and Ramos administrations.
D. Retail Price of Rice and Corn
 During the period 2001-2008, the average price of rice was P16.28/kilo, at 1992 constant prices. On the
other hand, rice prices posted an average of P18.12/kilo during the Estrada administration and
P19.04/kilo during the Ramos administration.This shows that the average price per kilo of rice during the
Arroyo administration was 10% and 14% lower than the price during the Estrada and Ramos
administrations.
 In the same period, the average price for corn grains, which were primarily used as feeds, came to
P11.58/kilo. The price for corn grains during the Estrada administration was P12.58/kilo, while during the
Ramos administration,
it was posted at P13.36/kilo.
E. Agricultural Development
 The availability of irrigation systems enables farmers to maximize the benefits of high yielding varieties,
particularly hybrid seeds. During the Ramos administration, the total area for irrigation development
totaled 345,919 hectares. On the other hand, the total area developed during the Estrada
administration was 515,261 hectares. Finally, during the Arroyo administration, the total area
developed for irrigation was 1,620,867 hectares. This is 369% and 215% more than the area developed
during the Ramos and Estrada administrations.
HEALTH
• Implementing the enhanced “PCSO Greater
Medicare Access” Program
• Provided the funding for the program under
Executive Order No. 276, which she issued to finance
the government-subsidized universal health insurance
coverage of all Filipinos.
• The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)
replaced the Medicare system and was created under
the National Health Insurance Act of 1995.
• All families and individuals covered by family health
insurance or PhilHealth "will be given either free or
subsidized hospitalization, depending on how big
expenses are, including rooms, doctors, laboratory,
medicines, x-ray (and) operations.
COMMUNICATION
I. Pursuing an ICT Development Strategy
DIGITAL NETWORKS
A. Development Strategies
• The succeeding strategy involved the solidification of appropriate policies and
setting fitting legal environments for serving as the foundation for growth.
• Central to the achievement of these strategies is the establishment of major
telecommunications and ICT systems, such as cellular mobile telephone service
(CMTS), wired and wireless telephones and internet service for serving all areas
of the country, as integral parts of the country's national infrastructure.
B. Unprecedented Developments
1. Rise in Connectivity
• The years of 2001-2010 marked a period of unprecedented developments in ICT
for the Philippines. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
indices, in 2007, there were about 4.48 fixed telephone lines per 100 inhabitants
and 58.88 per 100 inhabitants subscribed to mobile cellular phones. The
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density was about 63
telephones per 100 persons.
2. Jump in Broadband Subscribers
• The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) (among other
telephone-communication providers) has committed around P 20 billion per year
from 2008 to 2010 to improve its broadband connectivity.
C. The Cyber-Corridor Super Region
A concrete manifestation of the success of the ICT strategies was the laying of the
Philippine Cyber Corridor by the President in 2006, for the specific purpose of
reinforcing the country's global competitiveness in the business process
outsourcing (BPO) market.
II. Establishing Key Institutions and Organizations
A. The Commission on Information and Communications Technology
• The CICT serves as the primary policymaking and coordinating entity of the Philippine
executive branch for the promotion, development, and regulation of integrated and
strategic ICT systems and reliable and cost-efficient communication facilities.
B. Next Wave Cities
• In 2008, CICT, BPAP and DTI released the list of Top Ten Next Wave Cities to provide
potential IT-BPO investors with alternative locations to Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.
The Top Ten Next Wave Cities are Metro Laguna, Metro Cavite, Iloilo, Davao, Bacolod,
Metro Pampanga, Metro Bulacan, Cagayan de Oro, Central Bulacan and Lipa.
III. Pushing for a Global Powerhouse in Business Process Outsourcing
A. A Rapidly Growing BPO Industry
• The BPO industry includes call centers, back office operations, software development,
medical and legal transcription, engineering design, animation and game development,
among others .
B. International Recognition
• In 2009, the Philippines was named "Offshoring Destination of the Year" by the National
Outsourcing Association of the United Kingdom.
• International Data Corporation ranked Manila number three in its list of Top 10
Outsourcing Cities in Asia Pacific, next only to the two Indian cities of Bangalore and New
Delhi.
IV. Accelerating BPO Industry Promotion
Exploring New Markets
• IT-BPO investors were able to avail of investment incentives from the Philippines
Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), another agency under the DTI. PEZA provides fiscal and
non-fiscal incentives to export oriented businesses, which include IT-BPO operations,
located in PEZA-accredited locations.
V. ICT Education Investments
A. Enhancements in Secondary School
• Delivering computer laboratories to all of the nation's 6,650 public high schools and
simultaneously granting them access to the Internet, in spite of the Philippines'
archipelagic and Internet-unfriendly geography.
B. The 'iSchools' Program
• The iSchools program equips public high schools with computer labs and connects them to the
Internet, thus developing and helping to sustain an Educational Digital Network for the benefit of
students and teachers alike. These beneficiary high schools are the fortunate recipients of ICT
equipment, education, training and assistance from the more than 35 participating State
Universities and Colleges (SUCs) involved in iSchools.
C. The 'eSkwela' Project
• Like iSchools, it provides a computerized learning environment for Filipino youths. The difference
is in the details – while iSchools links SUCs and public high schools and encourages a community
effort, esKwela effectively digitizes the content and curriculum of the DepEd's Bureau of
Alternative Learning System (ALS) and encourages an inter-agency effort.
D. DepEd Internet Connectivity Project
• Launched in May 2009 in conjunction with the multi-sectoral program 'Gearing Up
Internet Literacy and Access for Students' (GILAS), the DICP's main purpose is to connect
all Philippine public high schools to the Internet. The program covers the Internet
subscription fee of beneficiary schools provided that the annual cost does not exceed
P48,000 per school.
VI. Enhancing Governance through ICT
A. E-government Fund
• In 2002, the government, through the Information Technology and E-Commerce Council
(ITECC), created the E-Government Fund to provide funding for government information
and communication technology projects to be prioritized by the ITECC.
B. Government Websites
• The establishment of government websites has also improved transparency in and
accessibility to public information. There is no more need to physically drop by the
offices of government agencies to ask for information as these are already available
online.To further make government services accessible through modern technology,
short message services (SMS) were likewise utilized to achieve this purpose.
C. ICT-related Legislation
• Two of the proposed measures were the creation of the Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT) and the passage of the Cybercrime Bill. The latter
was designed to address the increasing concern over the commission of cybercrimes,
providing for punishments and sanctions to perpetrators of these kinds of crimes
TRANSPORTATION