Take a boq P/SGMA

But justifiablv, the economic6 class - c:redits Arrovo as House Soeak-

Supreme Court, voting the Aroyo presidency for er rn the l/th uongress
11-4, dismissed the establishing a record pe- was no less productiye.
charges against her. riod of continuous quar- The Iegislative priorities
In effect, the high terly growth even ai the of the Duterte adminis-
court ruled that she did heieht of the 2008 slobal tidtion- identified in the
not pocket P50 million of fiaancial crisis when oth- last SONA - were all
PCSO fuads as alleged. br economies floundered.passed. Amonq them
She did not pocket P1 During her I year were the Banlsamoro
million. She did not even presidency, the poverty Organic Law (BOL),
pocket a single peso. rate dropped 13 p€rcent oeasures helping coco-
Compared to both her
predecessors and her percent- - from 39 percent to 26 nut farmers and fisher-
folks, the second tranch
succesaor6. Ar:rovo
- is the Incoming House Ma- of the tax reform law .'r.
least popular. jority Floorleader Martin the Tlabah;r bill, and ihe
ly lclllGlo But she delivered Romualdez attributes expanded PhilHealth
where it counted most. this to Anoyo's pro-poor coverage.
[[TYT Being only the second projects like the afford- Arguably, her career
GLORIA Macapagal economist to be elected able housing units and is ending orr a high note.
Arroyo has many Presideot fher father 'conditional cash transfer I had the privilege of
'formerst in her col- P.esident Diosdado program for the poorest serving as her Press
odtrl reaumet: former Macapagal was the first), of the poor. Secretarv/Presidential
academician, former she was laser-focused on Analysts attribute Ar- Spokespeison for alfiost
govefnment techao- growjng the economy royo's achievements to six years. My terure was
crat, former senator, and in significantly re'- her bold, dbeit unpopu- longer than the average
former Vice President duging t!9 countrYs pov- lar, fisial reforms. shelf life of a cabin;t
cum Cabinet member. 'Even her harshest The principal of tbese member in that high-
former President. was the implementation pressure job. At one
former Forbes Maga- critics will fuld it difrcult of the EVAT which pro- time- I even eerved ss
zine 4th most Dower- to dispute these nunrbers vided the wherewithal Acting Executive Secre-
ful woman ii the lthich my good fri en d which allowed he! admin- tary.
world, former detain- Tony Lopez of BizNews- istration to in\rest in hu- Up close and person-
ee, former Ilouse Asia likes to hishlisht- Eian and physical infra- al,I had the opportuniw
Speaker. During her tinuie as structure. to observe and admire
She is onlv the secoad President, Lopez asserts. Good macro-econom- her best tiaits - hard
woman to be-come Pres- Anoyo nearly tripled the ic fundamentals eventu- $ork, discipline,
ident of the Pbiliooines- size of the Philippine ally resulted in an invest- ness, and deep
But she is the first'dnd so economy from g?4 bilion ment grade rating for the faith-
far the onlv female in 2001 to more than country. The improved Good luck, Mrs. Pres-
SDeaker of th; House of 9200 billion in 20lo rating, in tur'l, has made ident/Mn. Speaker. God
Representatives. Governor/Congress- the Philippines more at- speed.
She is onlv -to the sec- man Joey Salceda -- a ttactive alrd rDore com- Notc: You n aa .oi,sh to
ond President be .r_im- former student to whompetitive in the global ehare the f6regoing
inally charged and de- the President save thestage. via Fa,ceboob andlor
tained- highest marks- in her The one-year stint of T\Ditten p%g'-