Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III

         Benigno Aquino III (born February 8, 1960, Manila, Philippines—died June 24, 2021, Manila) was a Filipino politician who served as president of the Philippines (2010–16) and was the scion of a famed political family.

         He was the son of Corazon Aquino, who served as president of the Philippines (1986–92), and political leader Benigno Simeon Aquino, Jr.—themselves the children of politically connected families. The elder Benigno, an opposition figure to Pres. Ferdinand Marcos who was imprisoned when the younger Benigno was a child, was released and allowed to go to the United States in 1980. The following year the younger Benigno, after graduating from Ateneo de Manila University with a bachelor’s degree in economics, followed his family to Boston. His father returned to the Philippines in 1983 intending to challenge Marcos for the presidency but was assassinated immediately on arrival. The family nevertheless returned to the country soon afterward, and there the young Aquino worked for companies including Philippine Business for Social Progress and Nike Philippines.

         He became vice president of his family’s Best Security Agency Corporation in 1986, the same year that his mother was named president of the Philippines after her opposition party successfully charged incumbent President Marcos with voting fraud. Aquino left the company in 1993 to work for another family-owned business, a sugar refinery. Finally, in 1998, he made the move to politics as a member of the Liberal Party, serving the constitutional maximum of three consecutive terms as a representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province. During this time he also served as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (2004–06), but he resigned from the post in advance of joining other Liberal Party leaders in making a call for the resignation of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–10), who was accused of corrupt dealings including the rigging of the 2004 presidential election. From 2006 Aquino served as vice-chairman of the Liberal Party, and in 2007, at the end of his final term in the House of Representatives, he made a successful bid for a Senate seat.

         In September 2009 Aquino announced his candidacy in the 2010 presidential race. His mother, to many a symbol of democratic rule in the Philippines, had died the previous month, an event that heightened Aquino’s profile and served as a catalyst for his seeking higher office. Though his opponents for the presidency included such seasoned politicians as Joseph Estrada, who had previously served as president of the Philippines (1998–2001), Aquino was considered the front-runner from the time that he entered the race. In the elections held on May 10, Aquino won the presidency by a wide margin.

         Aquino’s chief domestic accomplishment was the conclusion of a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in October 2012. The deal promised a significant amount of autonomy to a Muslim-majority region of southern Mindinao and seemingly concluded four decades of deadly conflict. Economic growth in the Philippines was strong during Aquino’s administration, but unemployment remained high, and opposition politicians argued that the benefits chiefly accrued to the country’s elite. Aquino also faced criticism over his government’s slow response to Super Typhoon Haiyan, which killed some 8,000 people and displaced more than 800,000 when it hit the Philippines in November 2013. The most significant foreign policy issue of Aquino’s term in office was China’s increasingly assertive posture in the South China Sea. The Philippines sought a judgment from the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague to clarify the ownership of a reef that was claimed by China despite the fact that it lay within Philippine territorial waters. Although the court later ruled that China had no claim to the reef and that China’s actions had constituted a violation of the Philippines’ sovereignty, China dismissed the decision. Limited to a single six-year term, Aquino supported Manuel (“Mar”) Roxas to succeed him in 2016. Roxas, the grandson of Pres. Manuel Roxas, represented the mainstream political establishment at a time when voters were clearly frustrated with the status quo, and he finished a distant second to inflammatory populist Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte succeeded Aquino as president on June 30, 2016.

Contributions and Achievements of Benigno Cojuangco Aquino

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

         Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the 15th President of the Philippines, served from 2010 to 2016. His presidency is noted for several key contributions and achievements:

Economic Growth
         

Economic Performance: Under Aquino's leadership, the Philippines experienced robust economic growth. The country's GDP growth rate averaged around 6.2% during his tenure, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia at the time.
         

Investment Grade Status: The Philippines achieved investment-grade status from major credit rating agencies, which was a testament to improved fiscal management and economic reforms.

Anti-Corruption Efforts
         

Good Governance: Aquino's administration focused on transparency and accountability, famously adopting the slogan "Daang Matuwid" (Straight Path). Efforts to combat corruption were a central theme, leading to the prosecution of high-profile politicians and officials.
         

Pork Barrel Scam: His government pursued legal action against those involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, a major corruption scandal.

Peace Process
         

Bangsamoro Peace Agreement: One of Aquino's significant achievements was the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014. This aimed to establish peace in the conflict-ridden region of Mindanao by creating an autonomous political entity known as the Bangsamoro.

Infrastructure Development
         

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): Aquino's administration promoted infrastructure development through public-private partnerships, which led to the initiation of several key infrastructure projects aimed at improving transportation and logistics.

Education and Social Services
         

Education Reforms: The implementation of the K-12 education reform extended the basic education system from 10 to 12 years to align with international standards.
         

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps): The expansion of this conditional cash transfer program aimed to alleviate poverty by providing financial assistance to the poorest families, contingent on meeting health and education requirements.

Foreign Policy
         

South China Sea Arbitration: Aquino's administration took a strong stance against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, resulting in the Philippines filing a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In 2016, the court ruled in favor of the Philippines, although China did not recognize the ruling.

Challenges
         

Response to Natural Disasters: Aquino's administration faced criticism for its handling of natural disasters, particularly the response to Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013, which was one of the strongest typhoons on record.
         Overall, Noynoy Aquino's presidency is remembered for its focus on anti-corruption, economic growth, and efforts towards achieving peace in Mindanao, despite facing significant challenges along the way.