His Excellency Fidel V. Ramos
12th President of the Philippines 2nd President of the Fifth Republic
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998
Vice President	Joseph Estrada
Preceded by	Corazon Aquino
Succeeded by	Joseph Estrada
Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines
In office January 22, 1988 – July 18, 1991
President	Corazon Aquino
Preceded by	Rafael Ileto
Succeeded by	Renato de Villa
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
In office 1986–1988
Preceded by	Fabian Ver
Succeeded by	Renato de Villa
Chief of the Philippine Constabulary
In office 1980–1986
Preceded by	Fabian Ver
Succeeded by	Cesar Nazareno
Personal details
Born	(1928-03-18) March 18, 1928 (age 84) Lingayen, Pangasinan, American Philippines
Political party	Lakas-Kampi-CMD (2009–present)
Other political affiliations	Lakas-CMD (1991–2009) LDP (1991)
Spouse(s)	Amelita Martinez
Children	Angelita Ramos-Jones Josephine Ramos-Samartino Carolina Ramos-Sembrano Cristina Ramos-Jalasco Gloria Ramos
Alma mater	United States Military Academy Ateneo de Manila University Mapúa Institute of Technology University of the Philippines High School Silliman University[1] National Defense College of the Philippines University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Occupation	Soldier Civil engineer
Religion	United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Signature
Website	Official website Office of the PresidentArchived
Military service
Nickname(s)	Eddie, FVR
Allegiance	Republic of the Philippines
Years of service	1951 to 1988
Rank
Commands	Platoon Leader, 2nd Battalion Combat Team (BCT), Counter-Insurgency against the Communist Hukbalahap, 1951 Infantry Company Commander, 16th BCT, Counter-Insurgency against the Communist Hukbalahap, 1951 Platoon Leader, 20th BCT, Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea, United Nations Command (PEFTOK-UNC), Korean War, 1951–1952 Duty, Personnel Research Group, General Headquarters, Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1952–1954 Senior Aide de Camp to Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1958–1960 Associate Infantry Company Officer at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 1960 Founder and Commanding Officer of the elite Special Forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1962–1965 Chief of Staff of the Philippine Military Contingent-Philippine Civil Action Group to Vietnam (AFP-PHILCAG), Vietnam War, 1965–1968 Presidential Assistant on Military Affairs, 1968–1969 Commander, 3rd Infantry Brigade Philippine Army, 1970 Chief of the Philippine Constabulary, 1970–1986 Command and General Staff of the Philippine Army, 1985 Acting Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1984–1985 Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1985–1986 Military Reformist leader during the People Power Revolution, 1986 Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1986–1988 Secretary of National Defense, 1988–1991 Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 1992–1998
Battles/wars	Hukbalahap Campaign Korean War, 1951–1952 (Hero of the Battle of Hill Eerie, May 1952) Vietnam War, 1965 to 1968 Battle of Marawi, 1972
Awards	Philippine Legion of Honor Commander, Legion of Merit Military Merit Medal United Nations Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal Légion d'honneur Distinguished Conduct Star (Philippines) United States Military Academy Distinguished Award Korean Service Medal Order of Dato Laila Utama (Brunei) Commander, Order of Dharma Pratana (Indonesia) Grand Order of Mugunghwa Collar, Order of Civil Merit Honorary Knight Grand Cross, Order of Saint Michael and Saint George Collar, Order of Isabella the Catholic[2] Order of the Crown of Malaysia Knight Grand Cordon, Order of the White Elephant Order of Nishan-I-Pakistan Collar, Order of Carlos III Collar, Order of the Merit of Chile

Fidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos, GCMG (born March 18, 1928), popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.

Prior to his election as president, Ramos served in the Cabinet of President Corazon Aquino first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and, later on, as Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991.

During the historic 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Ramos upon the invitation of then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, was hailed as a hero even though he was not part of the plan by many Filipinos for his decision to break away from the administration of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos and pledge allegiance and loyalty to the newly established revolutionary government of President Aquino, following the downfall of Marcos from power in February 1986. Previously, he was the AFP vice chief-of-staff, chief of PC/INP under President Marcos.

Under Ramos, the Philippines experienced a period of political stability and rapid economic growth and expansion, as a result of his policies and programs designed to foster national reconciliation and unity. Ramos was able to secure major peace agreements with Muslim separatists, communist insurgents and military rebels, which renewed investor confidence in the Philippine economy. Ramos also aggressively pushed for the deregulation of the nation's major industries and the privatization of bad government assets. As a result of his hands-on approach to the economy, the Philippines was dubbed by various international magazines and observers as Asia's Next Economic Tiger.

However, the momentum in the economic gains made under the Ramos Administration was briefly interrupted during the onset of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Nevertheless, during the last year of the term, the economy managed to make a rebound since it was not severely hit by the crisis as compared to other Asian economies.

He is the only Filipino to receive an honorary British Knighthood from the United Kingdom, the GCMG or the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. This was bestowed to him by Queen Elizabeth II in 1995 for services to politics and government.

To date, Ramos is the first and only non-Catholic President of the Philippines. He belongs to the Protestant United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

Early life and education[link]

Fidel Ramos was born on March 18, 1928 in Lingayen, Pangasinan. His father, Narciso Ramos (1900–1986), was a lawyer, journalist and 5-term legislator of the House of Representatives, who eventually rose to the position of Secretary of Foreign Affairs. As such, Narciso Ramos was the Philippine signatory to the ASEAN declaration forged in Bangkok in 1967 and was one of the founding fathers of the Liberal Party. His mother, Angela Valdez-Ramos (1905–1977), was an educator, woman suffragette and daughter of the respected Valdez clan of Batac, Ilocos Norte making him a second degree cousin to Ferdinand Marcos.

Ramos received secondary education at the Centro Escolar University in Manila. Afterwards he went to America and he graduated from the United States Military Academy with Bachelor of Science and University of Illinois, with masters degree in civil engineering. He also holds a master's degree in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines and a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Ateneo de Manila University.

Marriage[link]

He married to Amelita Martinez, on October 21, 1954. The couple had five daughters named Angelita Ramos-Jones, Josephine Ramos-Samartino (1957-2011), Carolina Ramos-Sembrano, Cristina Ramos-Jalasco and Gloria Ramos.

Military careers[link]

Early Military career[link]

Ramos went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and he graduated in 1950. Ramos, along with the Philippines' 20th Battalion Combat Team and his fellow West Point graduates of the 1950s, fought in the Korean War. Ramos was one of the heroes of the Battle of Hill Eerie,^[3] where he led his platoon to sabotage the enemy in Hill Eerie.^[4] He was also present in the Vietnam War as a non-combat civil military engineer and commanding officer of the Philippine Civil Action Group (PHILCAG). It is during this assignment where he forged his lifelong friendship with his junior officer Maj. Jose T. Almonte, who went on to become his National Security Advisor throughout during his administration from 1992 to 1998.

Ramos has received several military awards including the Philippine Legion of Honor, the Distinguished Conduct Star, Philippine Military Merit Medal, the United States Legion of Merit, the French Legion of Honor and the U.S. Military Academy Distinguished Graduate Award.

Headed the Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police on 1972 when then President Ferdinand Marcos, who was elected on 1965 imposed martial law to stay in power and to establish a dictatorship in the country, Ramos, in his capacity, was responsible for the arrest of political personalities, media and activists etc., but he made efforts in order for them to be well-treated while in detention, despite abuses on some of them by few of his subordinates. Nine years later, martial law would be lifted on 1981 but Ramos' second cousin still retains strong absolute powers in governing the Philippines.

Due to his accomplishments, Ramos became one of the candidates to become the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on 1981, to replace the retiring General Romeo Espino. However, Marcos bypassed him and instead, appointed his trusted military officer and former driver, General Fabian Ver into the top military post.

Instead, Ramos was named to be the vice-chief of staff of the AFP on 1982, thus he became the military's second most powerful official after Ver.

When Ver was implicated in the assassination of Former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. who is also known as Ninoy on 1983, Ramos became the acting AFP chief of staff for a short time only because on 1985, Ver was reinstated after he was acquitted by the court on the charges against him with regards to the assassination of the Marcos regime's chief political enemy and renowned opposition leader.

On February 22, 1986, he alongside then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile protested the alleged fraud committed by Marcos in the country's snap presidential elections and therefore, withdrew their support from him and staged a non-violent People Power Revolution to overthrow him. The duo also declared their support to Corazon Aquino, the wife of the late Ninoy and Marcos' main election rival.

On February 25, the revolution reached its peak and conclusion when Marcos, along with his family, friends and some supporters fled the country into exile in the state of Hawaii on the United States, thus ending the 20-year Marcos military dictatorship and when Aquino took her oath as the new but first woman president of the Philippines.

Combat record[link]

When belittled by the press regarding his combat record, Ramos responded with trademark sarcasm (July 31, 1987):

I fought the communists as part of the battalion combat teams, I went up the ladder. Battalion staff officer. Company commander. Task Force commander. Special Forces group commander. Brigade commander. All in different periods in our country. Huk campaign. Korean War campaign. The Vietnam War, and I was the head of the advance party of the PHILCAG (Philippine Civil Action Group to Vietnam) that went to a tiny province at the Cambodian border – the so-called Alligator Jaw – War Zone Z where even Max Soliven said ‘The Viet-Cong will eat us up.’ Of course, we were physically there as non-combat troops. But you try to be a non-combat troop in a combat area – that is the toughest kind of assignment.

Korea – as a platoon leader. Recon leader. What is the job of a recon leader? To recon the front line – no man’s land. And what did we do? I had to assault a fortified position of the Chinese communists and wiped them out. And what is this Special Forces group that we commanded in the Army – '62–'65? That was the only remaining combat unit in the Philippine Army. The rest were training in a division set-up. We were in Luzon. We were in Sulu. And then, during the previous regime, Marawi incident. Who was sent there? Ramos. We defended the camp, being besieged by 400 rebels.

So next time, look at the man’s record, don't just write and write. You said, no combat experience, no combat experience. Look around you who comes from the platoon, who rose to battalion staff, company commander, group commander, which is like a battalion, brigade commander, here and abroad. Abroad, I never had an abroad assignment that was not combat. NO SOFT JOBS FOR RAMOS. Thirty-seven years in the Armed Forces. REMEMBER THAT. You’re only writing about the fringe, but do not allow yourself to destroy the armed forces by those guys. You write about the majority of the Armed Forces who are on the job.

That's why we're here enjoying our freedom, ladies and gentlemen. You are here. If the majority of the Armed Forces did not do their job, I doubt very much if you’d all be here.^[5]

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and Secretary of National Defense[link]

After Aquino assumed the Presidency, she appointed Ramos Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and later Secretary of National Defense. During this time, Ramos personally handled the military operations that crushed nine coup attempts against the Aquino government. During Ramos' presidency, the National Unification Commission was created, and its chairman Haydee Yorac, together with Ramos, recommended to President Aquino to grant amnesty to the rebel military officers of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) led by Col. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan.

1992 Presidential Election[link]

In December 1991, Ramos declared his candidacy for President. He however, lost the nomination of the dominant party Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) to House Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr. Days later, he bolted and did not respect LDP and cried foul and founded the Partido Lakas Tao (People Power Party), inviting Cebu Governor Emilio Mario Osmeña as his Vice President. The party formed a coalition with the National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD) of Senator Raul Manglapus and the United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (UMDP) of Ambassador Sanchez Ali. Ramos and Osmeña, together with Congressman (later House Speaker) Jose de Venecia, campaigned for economic reforms and improved national security and unity.

He won the seven-way race on May 11, 1992, narrowly defeating populist Agrarian Reform Secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago. Despite winning, he garnered only 23.58% of the vote, the lowest plurality in the country's history. The election results were marred by allegations of fraud, though cheating on a large scale has not been proven. However, his running mate, Governor Osmeña, lost to Senator Joseph Estrada as Vice President.^{[citation needed]}

Presidency[link]

At the time of his assumption into power, Ramos was the oldest person to become President of the Philippines at the age of 64. He is also the first Protestant President of the country and the only Filipino officer in history to have held every rank in the Philippine military from Second Lieutenant to Commander-in-Chief. The first few years of his administration (1992–1995) were characterized by economic boom, technological development, political stability and efficient delivery of basic needs to the people. During his time, he advocated party platforms as outline and agenda for governance. As in his case, he was the first Christian Democrat to be elected in the country, being the founder of Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats Party). He was one of the most influential leaders and the unofficial spokesman of liberal democracy in Asia.^[6]

Power crisis[link]

The Philippines then was experiencing widespread blackouts due to huge demand for electricity and antiquity of power plants, the abolishment of the Department of Energy and discontinuation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant during the Aquino administration. During his State of the Nation address on July 27, 1992, he requested that the Congress enact a law that would create an Energy Department that would plan and manage the Philippines' energy demands. Congress not only created an Energy Department but gave him special emergency powers to resolve the power crisis. Using the powers given to him, Ramos issued licenses to independent power producers (IPP) to construct power plants within 24 months. Ramos issued supply contracts that guaranteed the government would buy whatever power the IPPs produced under the contract in U.S. dollars to entice investments in power plants. This became a problem during the East Asian Financial Crisis when the demand for electricity contracted and the Philippine peso lost half of its value.

The country was considered risky by investors due to previous coup attempts by military adventurists led by Gregorio Honasan, and experienced blackouts at an almost daily basis lasting 4–12 hours during the term of President Aquino. The low supply of power and perceived instability had previously held back investments and modernization in the country. Under Ramos, the Philippines was a pioneer in the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme where private investors are invited to build certain government projects (i.e. tollways, powerplants, railways, etc.), make money by charging users, and transfer operation to the government after a set amount of time.

Economic reforms[link]

During his administration, Ramos began implementing economic reforms intended to open up the once-closed national economy, encourage private enterprise, invite more foreign and domestic investment, and reduce corruption. Ramos was also known as the most-traveled Philippine President compared to his predecessors with numerous foreign trips abroad, generating about US$ 20 billion worth of foreign investments to the Philippines. To ensure a positive financial outlook on the Philippines, Ramos led the 4th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Summit in the Philippines on November 1996.

Under his administration, the Philippines enjoyed economic growth and stability. The Philippine Stock Exchange in the mid-1990s was one of the best in the world and his visions of 'Philippines 2000' that led the country into a newly industrialized country in the world and the "Tiger Cub Economy in Asia".^[7]

Philippines 2000 Five-Point Program:

• Peace and Stability
• Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
• Energy and Power Generation
• Environmental Protection
• Streamlined Bureaucracy

Death penalty[link]

While campaigning for the presidency, Fidel Ramos declared his support for reinstating the death penalty. Capital punishment was abolished for all crimes in 1987, making the Philippines the first Asian country to do so. In 1996 Ramos signed a bill that returned capital punishment with the electric chair (method used from 1923 to 1976, making Philippines the only country to do so outside U.S.) "until the gas chamber could be installed".^[8] However, no one was electrocuted nor gassed, because the previously used chair was destroyed earlier and the Philippines adopted the lethal injection. Some people were put to death by this means, until the death penalty was abolished again in 2006.

Peace with separatists[link]

Ramos, a military general himself, made peace with the rebel panels. He was instrumental in the signing of the final peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari in 1996.

Although he battled Communist rebels as a young lieutenant in the 1950s, Ramos made a bold move when he signed into law Republic Act 7636, which repealed the Anti-Subversion Law. With its repeal, membership in the once-outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines became legal.^[9]

Spratly Islands[link]

President Fidel V. Ramos troops the honor guards at the Pentagon with Secretary of Defense William Cohen during a State visit in 1998.

In early 1995, the Philippines discovered a primitive Chinese military structure on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Island, one hundred and thirty nautical miles off the coast of Palawan. The Philippine government issued a formal protest over China's occupation of the reef and the Philippine Navy arrested sixty-two Chinese fishermen at Half Moon Shoal, eighty kilometers from Palawan. A week later, following confirmation from surveillance pictures that the structures were of military design, President Fidel Ramos had the military forces in the region strengthened. He ordered the Philippine Air Force to dispatch five F-5 fighters backed by four jet trainers and two helicopters, while the navy sent two additional ships. The People’s Republic of China had claimed that the structures were shelters for fishermen but these small incidents could have triggered a war in the South China Sea.

Migrant Workers Protection[link]

One of the downturns of his administration was his experience in handling migrant workers protection. On the eve of his 67th birthday on March 17, 1995, Ramos was on a foreign trip when Flor Contemplación was hanged in Singapore. His last minute effort to negotiate with Singapore President Ong Teng Cheong and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong never succeeded and he was marred with protests after his return to Manila. The protests also caused the resignation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo and Labor Secretary Nieves Confesor from the Cabinet. He immediately recalled Philippine ambassador to Singapore Alicia Ramos and suspended diplomatic relations to Singapore. He created a special commission to look into the case and to try to rescue his sagging popularity. The commission was led by retired justice Emilio Gancayco.

As also recommended by the Gancayco Commission, Ramos facilitated the enactment of Republic Act 8042, better known as the Magna Carta for Overseas Workers or the Migrant Workers Act. The Migrant Workers Act was signed into law on June 7, 1995. Learning from the lessons of Contemplación case, Ramos immediately ordered UAE Ambassador Roy Señeres to facilitate negotiations after learning the death penalty verdict of Sarah Balabagan on September 1995. Balabagan's sentence was lowered and she was released August 1996. After tensions cooled off, Ramos restored diplomatic relations with Singapore after meeting Goh Chok Tong during the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in New York City.

Asian Financial Crisis[link]

The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which started in Thailand, was a major blow to the Ramos administration. The economy was hit by currency devaluation.^[10] The same was true for the Thai baht, Malaysia ringgit and Indonesia rupiah. Growth fell to about −0.6% in 1998 from 5.2% in 1997, but recovered to 3.4% by 1999. It also resulted to the shut down of some businesses, a decline in importation, rise unemployment rate and unstable financial sector.

Controversies[link]

Clark Centennial Expo Scandal

Supposedly, one of his notable contributions to the Philippines was the revival of nationalistic spirit by embarking on a massive promotion campaign for the centennial of Philippine Independence celebrated on June 12, 1998. However, charges of alleged massive corruption or misuse of funds blemished the resulting programs and various projects, one of which was the Centennial Expo and Amphitheater at the former Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga, supposedly Ramos' pet project. The commemorative projects, particularly those undertaken at the former Clark Air Base, were hounded by illegal electioneering and corruption controversies even years after the Centennial celebrations. A special report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) showed how the projects relating to the Expo site not only revealed the extravagance and inefficiency of the administration, but also served as convenient vehicle to effect election fund-raising for the LAKAS political party of Ramos at the expense of the tax-paying Filipinos and in violation of the Election Code. The Centennial Expo Pilipino project, intended to be the centerpiece for the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain, also earned extensive criticisms for being an expensive white elephant project that disadvantaged the government at the cost of P9 billion, or 1.7 percent of the country's 1998 national budget.^[11] Six ranking Ramos cabinet members and officials, headed by Chairman Salvador Laurel (former Vice-President) of the Centennial Commission were cleared by the Ombudsman and Sandigan Bayan (People's Court). Ramos appeared before a Congressional Committee in October 1998 to help exonerate said officials of any wrong-doing.

PEA-Amari Scandal

President Fidel Ramos was accused of corruption in the PEA-Amari deal. The controversial deal involved the acquisition of 158 hectares of reclaimed land on Manila Bay that was to be converted into so-called Freedom Islands. The deal was forged in April 1995 as part of the Ramos administration's Manila Bay Master Development Plan (MBMDP).

The PEA-Amari deal – in addition to other projects in Manila Bay - displaced over 3,000 fishing and coastal families in Manila Bay just to give way to what fisherfolk activists from Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) described as “an immoral, illegal and grossly unconstitutional state venture". The Ramos administration was accused of selling out the government's interests by favoring Amari Coastal Bay Resources and Filinvest Development—topping off a growing list of other corporate beneficiaries—over higher bidders in various lucrative real estate development schemes. Data obtained from Public Estate Authority (PEA) revealed that the property was sold to Amari for P1.9 billion or P 1,200 pesos per square meter although the value of properties in adjacent areas were pegged at P90,000 per square meter. The Senate in its inquiry in 1998 found a paper trail representing commissions paid to certain PEA officials amounting to P1.7 billion.[citation needed] Ramos denied accusations that the PEA-Amari deal was clinched to benefit members of the ruling Lakas-NUCD as alleged by opposition groups. However, ex- solicitor general Franciso Chavez filed a petition to nullify the PEA-Amari deal because the government stood to lose billions of pesos in the sale of reclaimed lands to Amari.

On April 25, 1995, PEA entered into a joint venture with Amari to develop Freedom Islands and on June 8 of the same year, Ramos okayed deal. On November 29, 1996, then-Senate President Ernesto Maceda delivered a privilege speech assailing the deal as the "grandmother of all scams".^[12]

Wikileaks Exposé

On August 30, 2011, Wikileaks exposed reports sent by the United States Embassy in Manila that contain detail that the Libyan government under Muammar Gaddafi allegedly contributed USD 20,000 to the presidential campaign of Ramos in 1992.^[13] The report said it was former House Speaker Jose de Venecia who brought Ramos to Gaddafi.^[14] Reports said that Ramos and De Venecia "had been engaged in shady dealings in both Libya and Iraq involving construction contracts for his firm, and had tried to "repay" his Libyan benefactors by acting as their front man and errand boy." The same report added that there was a lot of speculation when Ramos and De Venecia left for a secret trip abroad in middle of the 1992 campaign, and implied that this connection with the Libyan government was one of the objectives.

Section 95 of the Philippines' Omnibus Election Code enumerates prohibited sources of political contributions and one of them is " Foreigners and foreign corporations." In addition, "It shall be unlawful for any person to solicit or receive any contribution from any of the persons or entities enumerated herein," the Code said. Sec. 81 of the Code also states,"It shall be unlawful for any foreigner, whether judicial or natural person, to aid any candidate or political party, directly or indirectly, or take part in or influence in any manner any election, or to contribute or make any expenditure in connection with any election campaign or partisan political activity." The Wikileaks exposé makes Ramos administratively and criminally liable under the. If charged and convicted for this offense, he can be fined and imprisoned.^[15]

Midterm Elections

Legislative elections and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 8, 1995 - halfway through President Ramos' six-year term. Filipinos protected the ballot boxes with their lives and campaigned against traditional politicians who used bribery, flying voters, violence, election rigging, stealing of ballot boxes and etc. The Philippine National Police (PNP) had listed five dead and listed more than 200 hotspots before the election and during the election day listed 300 hotspots. Ramos' administration-coalition won 9 senate seats and a majority of the seats in the house.

Charter Change[link]

During his final years in office, Ramos tried to amend the country's 1987 constitution; a process popularly known to many Filipinos as Charter Change or the so-called "Cha-Cha". Widespread protests led by Corazon Aquino and the Catholic Church stopped him from pushing through with the plan. Political analysts were divided as to whether Ramos really wanted to use Cha-Cha to extend his presidency or only to imbalance his opponents, as the next presidential election neared.^[16] File:Imahen:FVRamos.jpg

Post-Presidency[link]

Activities[link]

EDSA II[link]

In January 2001, Ramos was instrumental in the success of the so-called second EDSA Revolution that deposed the properly elected Philippine president Joseph Estrada and placed then-Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the presidential seat^{[citation needed]}.

Ramos is currently the Chairman Emeritus of the Lakas CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) Party, formerly known as Lakas NUCD-UMDP or the Partido Lakas Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats-Union of Muslim Democrats of the Philippines.

Hello Garci Scandal[link]

At the height of the election-rigging scandal in July 2005, Ramos publicly convinced President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo not to resign from office.^{[citation needed]} Ramos, who was also hounded by charges of electoral fraud during the 1992 elections which were never proven in the Supreme Court, repeatedly stated that the scandal is nowhere as grave as that of People Power Revolutions of 1986 and 2001, citing factors such as the stagnant Philippine economy in the final years of the Marcos regime as well as the allegedly massive corruption of the Estrada administration.

Advocacies[link]

Ramos also unveiled his proposals for constitutional change of the country. Citing the need to be more economically competitive in the midst of globalization and the need to improve governance for all Filipinos, Ramos suggested that government should start the process of Charter Change with a set deadline in 2007 (by which time the new charter and new government will take effect). Ramos supports the transformation of the country's political system from the Philippine presidential-bicameral-system into a unicameral parliament in transition to a federal form.

He is currently representing the Philippines in the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group, tasked to draft the Charter of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). He was also a member of numerous international groups and fora, and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (also one of the co-founders of BFA) and Co-Chairman of the Global Meeting of the Emerging Markets Forum (EMF). Ramos was heavily recommended for the position of the United Nations envoy to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) in June 2006. He is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, an organization which works to promote good governance around the world.^[17] Ramos is also a member of the Club de Madrid, an organization of more than 80 former Presidents and Prime ministers of democratic states. The Club de Madrid works to strengthen democratic governance and leadership.^[18]

He served as the Carlyle Group Asia Advisor Board Member until the board was disbanded in February 2004. At present, as a private citizen, Ramos is engaged in various private sector advocacies where he plays prominent roles. These include: Chairman, Ramos Peace and Development Foundation; Chairman, Boao Forum for Asia; Trustee, International Crisis Group (ICG); Member, Advisory Group, UN University for Peace; Honorary Director, General Douglas MacArthur Foundation; Founding Member, Policy Advisory Commission, World Intellectual Property Organization (PAC-WIPO); Honorary Member, World Commission on Water for the 21st century; Member, International Advisory Council, Asia House; Patron, Opportunity International (Philippines); Global Advisor, University of Winnipeg; Honorary Chairman, Yuchengco Center, De La Salle University; Member, Advisory Board, Metrobank; Honorary President, Human Development Network (HDN) Philippines; Lifetime Honorary President, Christian Democrats International (CDI); and Chairman Emeritus, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) Party.

Ramos is also a firm backer of the proposed Philippine Reproductive Health bill. During a meet-up with fellow RH bill supporters last May 2011, he urged President Benigno Aquino III to certify the RH bill as urgent, saying it is the "right thing" to do.^[19] During his administration, the Department of Health under Juan Flavier launched an intense drive to promote family planning. Asiaweek reported in August 1994 that under Ramos, "family planning funding has quintupled." They also noted that President Ramos "has gone the farthest of any administration in opposing the Church's positions on contraception and abortion."^[20] At present, Ramos is listed by the Forum for Family Planning and Development as one of its Eminent Persons.^[21] The Forum is a non-governmental organization working to advance "national policies on population management, health, and family welfare."^[22]

Ramos Peace and Development Foundation[link]

He founded the Ramos Foundation for Peace and Development (RPDEV) with offices located in the Urban Bank Building (now ExportBank Plaza). The Ramos Peace and Development Foundation, Inc. (RPDEV) is a non-partisan, nonprofit, non-stock organization dedicated to the promotion of peace and development in the Philippines and in the larger Asia-Pacific region. RPDEV supports Philippine national interests and people empowerment. Operating as a network of individuals and institutions inside and outside the country, it will serve as a catalyst of constructive change, a medium for fostering unity, stability and progress, and a force for mutual understanding.

Criticisms[link]

Ramos in 2004

Ramos was accused of condoning human rights violations due to his role in the declaration of martial law during the Marcos era^{[citation needed]}; he was the commanding officer of the Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police, and one of the most trusted and favored generals of Marcos, as well as a cousin.^{[citation needed]}

Like many Philippine presidents, Ramos was also accused of profiting from or orchestrating irregular government projects. The PEA-AMARI Manila Bay reclamation deal, the conversion of the military base in Fort Bonifacio for private development, the Centennial Expo project and the Benpres-North Luzon Expressway are alleged to have been conducted dishonestly^{[citation needed]}. An inquiry by the Senate later produced testimonies showing how P1.7 billion in bribe money sealed the Amari deal with the Public Estates Authority and Malacañang under Ramos. Accusations were not proven to the level of Ramos but the Supreme Court ultimately voided the PEA-AMARI sale for being unconstitutional, and in early August 2008, the Sandiganbayan suspended four government auditors and five PEA officials for their role in the anomalous deal^{[citation needed]}. In February 1999, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of the 11th Congress recommended the prosecution of ex-President Ramos and eight others for “technical malversation or misapplication of public funds” in connection with Centennial Expo scam, a recommendation not approved by the Senate, but pursued in the Sandigan Bayan against 6 of his high-ranking officials who were eventually exonerated^{[citation needed]}. Ramos was eventually cleared by Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, a Ramos appointee who refused to inhibit himself from hearing the high-profile case^{[citation needed]}.

Role in EDSA 2 ouster of President Joseph Estrada

A longstanding criticism of Ramos was whether his role in the Estrada ouster was motivated by his fear of being prosecuted in connection with the Centennial Expo and other scams. When Estrada was given executive clemency after having been found guilty of plunder by the special Sandiganbayan court in September 2007, Ramos heavily criticized Arroyo's decision. Estrada's son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, retaliated by asking Ramos to first "come clean" on the alleged multi-billion-peso anomalies involved in the PEA-AMARI, IPP and other deals negotiated during his term.

Unsound Economic Policies

Leftist groups have also criticized Ramos for his economic reforms such as privatization, deregulation and trade liberalization, claiming that the economic growth posted during his presidency was "artificial." They blamed him for the slowdown of the Philippine economy during the 1997 East Asian financial crisis.^[23] The sale of 40% of Petron to Aramco is specifically criticized for resulting in the loss of the government's effective leverage on domestic oil prices.

In 1998, Ramos hesitantly admitted that, contrary to what his government earlier claimed, the economic fundamentals of the country may actually be unsound. His admission came following the discovery of a secret memorandum issued by the National Economic Development Authority director-general uring the president to tell the Filipinos the truth about the state of the economy and that they ought to prepare for worse. According to former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo, Ramos "has done nothing to reverse or slow down the implementation" of the harmful IMF-imposed structural reforms.^[24]

Ramos House marker

1995 Ramos House (Primicias St., Poblacion), Lingayen, Pangasinan (rented family house of Narciso Ramos & Angela Valdez, where Fidel & Leticia Ramos-Shahani were born).

Ancestry[link]

References[link]

Inline

General

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Fidel V. Ramos

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fidel V. Ramos

• Fidel Ramos Curiculum Vitae
• Westpoint Distinguished Graduate Award: DGA Fidel Ramos
• Zaide, Sonia M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All Nations Publishing. ISBN 971-642-071-4. 
• Bardos, Phil, Cold War Warriors: The Story of the Achievements and Leadership of the Men of the West Point Class of 1950, (United States, 2000)
• Bowring, Philip. "Filipino Democracy Needs Stronger Institutions.", January 22, 2001. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved August 24, 2008: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/22/opinion/22iht-edbow.t_3.html
• "Church, elite, Ramos ousted me, says Estrada." SunStar Network Online. (June 1, 2006). Retrieved August 24, 2008: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2006/06/01/church.elite.ramos.ousted.me.says.estrada.html
• Fernandez, Butch. "Ramos told to come clean before hitting Palace pardon for Erap." (November 2–3, 2007). Business Mirror. Retrieved August 24, 2008: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/1102&032007/nation01.html.
• Florentino-Hofilena and Ian Sayson. Centennial Expo: Convenient Cover for Election Fundraising. (June 14–16, 1999). Retrieved August 24, 2008 from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism: http://www.pcij.org/stories/1999/expo.html.
• Johnson, Bryan, Four Days of Courage: The Untold Story of the Fall of Ferdinand Marcos, (Toronto, Canada, 1987)
• Cal, Ben, FVR Through the Years, (Washington D.C., USA, 1998)
• Hamilton-Paterson, James, America's Boy: The Marcoses and the Philippines, (Granta Books, London, Great Britain, 1998)
• Lazaro, Isagani L., Mga Dakilang Lider na Pilipino, 5th Edition, (National Book Store, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, 2004)
• Mendoza, Jr., Amado. Study 2a-The industrial anatomy of corruption: Government procurement, bidding and award of contracts. Retrieved August 24, 2008, from the Transparent Accountable Governance website: http://www.tag.org.ph/pdf/PCPS-Study2a.PDF
• More electricity rate hikes to come: Sale of energy assets to have long-term shocking effects on the people – Bayan Muna. (2007, August 21). Bayan Muna.
• Mydans, Seth. "Expecting Praise, Filipinos Are Criticized for Ouster." The New York Times. (February 5, 2001). Retrieved August 24, 2008: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/05/world/05FILI.html?ex=1219723200&en=abf1881ac23d0c2e&ei=5070
• Mydans, Seth. "Manila Journal; People Power 2: A Sleeping Giant Is Awakened." The New York Times. (September 22, 1997). Retrieved August 24, 2008: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/20/world/manila-journal-people-power-2-a-sleeping-giant-is-awakened.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
• Rimban, Luz and Samonte-Pesayco, Sheila. Trail of Power Mess Leads to Ramos. (August 5–8, 2002). Retrieved August 24, 2008, from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism website: http://www.pcij.org/stories/2002/ramos.html
• Chŏnsa Pʻyŏnchʻan Wiwŏnhoe, The history of the United Nations forces in the Korean War, Volume I-VI, (Seoul, Ministry of National Defense, Republic of Korea, 1972–77)
• Ramos Presidential Center, Makati City
• Senate, Republic of the Philippines. COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 30. Eleventh Congress. Retrieved August 24, 2008, from the Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel official website: http://www.nenepimentel.org/cgi-bin/build.pl?section=bluerib;id=CRF-30
• Uy, Jocelyn. "9 in PEA-AMARI deal ordered suspended." Philippine Daily Inquirer. (August 13, 2008). Retrieved August 24, 2008: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080813-154468/9-in-PEA-Amari-deal-ordered-suspended
• Villasanta, Johnny F., 20th Battalion Combat Team (Leaders), The Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (1950–1955), http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/peftok/20thbct.html&date=2009-10-26+00:22:05, (August 26, 2006)

External links[link]

• Fidel V. Ramos Official Website
• The Philippine Presidency Project
• Fidel Ramos Community Forum
• Dark legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime
• Department of National Defense
• International Crisis Group
• Woman gets wish to meet "boyfriend" FVR in the flesh

v t e PRESIDENTS OF THE PHILIPPINES First Republic Emilio Aguinaldo Commonwealth Manuel L. Quezon • Sergio Osmeña • Manuel Roxas Second Republic José P. Laurel Third Republic Manuel Roxas • Elpidio Quirino • Ramon Magsaysay • Carlos P. Garcia • Diosdado Macapagal • Ferdinand Marcos Fourth Republic Ferdinand Marcos Fifth Republic Corazon Aquino • Fidel V. Ramos • Joseph Estrada • Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo • Benigno Aquino III

Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga performing at Makati City
Background information
Birth name	Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga[1]
Also known as	Lea Salonga-Chien
Born	(1971-02-22) February 22, 1971 (age 41)
Origin	Angeles City, Philippines
Genres	Pop, OPM, R&B
Occupations	Singer, actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Atlantic, Arista , Capitol, EMI Philippines, Musiko, Sony Music Philippines, WEA, Walt Disney
Website	www.leasalonga.com

Lea Salonga-Chien^[1] (born February 22, 1971) is a mezzo-soprano singer, actress, and Disney Legend from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon,^[2] for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.^[2][3]

She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.^[4] She also provided the singing voice of two official Disney Princesses: Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004).^[5] Salonga was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work with the company.^[6]

Career[link]

1978–1988[link]

Salonga made her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven in the musical The King and I by Repertory Philippines.^[5] She became the lead star of Annie and joined other productions such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon and The Fantasticks.^[7]

She began her recording career at the age of ten with her first album, Small Voice, which received a gold certification.^[7][8] A song on the album, the duet "Happiness", marked her first recording collaboration with her younger brother Gerard Salonga, who would, years later, work with her as musical director or creative director in her concerts and recordings.^[9][10] Her second album, Lea, was released in 1988.^[11]

In addition to performing in musical theater and recordings, Salonga hosted her own musical television show, Love, Lea,^[7] and was a member of the cast of German Moreno's teen variety show That's Entertainment. She acted in films, which included the family-oriented Tropang Bulilit,^[12] Like Father, Like Son,^[13] Ninja Kids,^[14] Captain Barbell,^[15] and Pik Pak Boom.^[16] She also opened for international acts such as Menudo and Stevie Wonder in their concerts in Manila in 1985 and in 1988, respectively.^[8]

As a young performer, Lea Salonga received a Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination (the Philippine equivalent of an Oscar nomination) for Best Child Actress.^[17] and three wins from the Aliw (literally, "entertainment") Awards as Best Child Performer.^[7]

1989–1992[link]

Salonga was selected to play Kim in the musical Miss Saigon in 1989.^[2] Unable to find a strong enough East Asian actress/singer in the United Kingdom, the producers scoured many countries looking for the lead role of this major British production.^[18][19] For her audition, the 17-year-old Salonga chose to sing Boublil and Schönberg's "On My Own" from Les Misérables and was later asked to sing "Sun and Moon" to test the compatibility of her voice quality with the songs in the musical.^[20][21] The members of the panel were impressed with Salonga's rendition of the songs, noting that from Salonga's very first note, they already knew they had a potential Kim.^[20][21] Salonga competed with childhood friend and fellow Repertory Philippines performer Monique Wilson as they were tested with songs from the musical, which included "Too Much for One Heart", a number replaced by the duet "Please" just before the musical opened.^[20][21][22] Salonga was offered the lead role, with Wilson as her understudy (who was given the role of the bar girl named Mimi).^{[20][21][23][24]}

For her performance as Kim, Salonga won the Olivier for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for the 1989–1990 season.^[25] From its original London home, Miss Saigon moved to Broadway in April 1991.^[26] Salonga subsequently won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and the Theatre World Awards for the same role.^[2][25] Between 1993 and 1996, she was asked periodically to play Kim on Broadway to boost ticket sales.^[27] In 1999, she was invited back to London to close the musical, and in 2001, at the age of 29 and after doing the Manila run of the musical,^[28] Salonga returned to Broadway to close the Broadway production.^[29]

In 1990, Salonga performed in a homecoming concert in Manila entitled A Miss Called Lea.^[30] She also received a Presidential Award of Merit from Philippine president Corazon Aquino.^[3]

1993–1996[link]

In 1993, upon completion of her initial stint as Kim on Broadway, Salonga played the role of street waif Éponine in the Broadway production of Les Misérables,^[31][32] and later flew to Los Angeles to perform the song "A Whole New World" of Disney's Aladdin with Brad Kane at the 65th Annual Academy Awards,^[33] where the song won an Oscar.^[34] That same year, she released her self-titled international debut album with Atlantic Records, which had modest sales in the USA but went platinum in the Philippines and sold 3 million copies worldwide.^[35]

In 1994, Salonga played in various musical theater productions in the Philippines and Singapore.^[2][5] She starred as Sandy in Grease,^[36] as Sonia Walsk in They're Playing Our Song,^[37] and as The Witch in Into The Woods.^[38]

Back in the U.S. in 1995, Salonga played the role of Geri Riordan, an 18-year-old adopted Vietnamese American child in the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie Redwood Curtain, which starred John Lithgow and Jeff Daniels.^[39] She then flew back to the Philippines to star with Filipino matinée idol Aga Muhlach in the critically acclaimed film Sana Maulit Muli,^[40] which gave her a second Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination, this time for Best Actress.^[41] She accepted an invitation from Sir Cameron Mackintosh to play the role of Éponine in his 10th anniversary production called Les Miserables in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Salonga performed along with Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Judy Kuhn, and Philip Quast.^[42][43]

In 1996, Salonga was in Les Misérables once again. She played Éponine in the London production of the musical, then continued on to do the role in the musical's U.S. national tour in Hawaii.^[2]

1997–2003[link]

From 1997 to 2000, Salonga did recordings and concerts in the Philippines and another engagement in London, in addition to her periodic returns to Miss Saigon in London and on Broadway. In 1997, she released I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing (recordings from her childhood days) to gold sales in the Philippines.^[44] That recording was followed by Lea... In Love in 1998^[45] and By Heart in 2000, with both albums reaching multiple platinum status in the Philippines.^[8] In addition to the release of these albums, she participated in the tribute concert to Sir Cameron Mackintosh in London called "Hey Mr. Producer: The Musical World of Cameron MacKintosh", where she did numbers from several of his musicals.^[46][47][48] She also performed in four concerts: The Homecoming Concert, The Millennium Concert, The Best of Manila and Songs from the Screen – the last two being benefit shows.^[30] Salonga returned to Manila in Miss Saigon, staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines at the end of 2000.^[49]

After Miss Saigon's closing on Broadway in 2001, Salonga recreated the role of Lien Hughes originally played by Ming-Na Wen in the soap opera As the World Turns. After completing her contract that year, she was asked to return to the role in 2003.^[50][51] She guested on Russell Watson's The Voice concert, narrated for the television special My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States, and appeared on the Christmas episode of the TV medical drama ER, playing the role of a patient with lymphoma.^[30][52]

In 2002, Salonga returned to Broadway to play the role of a Chinese immigrant in a reinterpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song opposite Jose Llana.^[32] This was after the reinvented musical had a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2001 with Salonga playing the lead role^[53][54][55] and with the show garnering multiple wins and nominations, including Lead Actress in a Musical for Salonga, from the Theatre Los Angeles Ovation Awards.^[56][57] The show, given a brand new libretto and considered one of the 10 best plays on Broadway in 2002 by Time magazine,^[58] garnered Tony Award nominations for Best Book, Best Costume Designer, and Best Choreographer,^[59] and earned nominations from the Outer Critics Circle,^[60] the Drama League,^[61] the Astaire Awards,^[62] and Broadway.com's Audience Awards and Broadwayworld.com's Fans' Choice Awards as well.^[63] The Salonga-led Broadway revival cast album was also a top contender at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Musical Show Album.^[64] While Salonga's performance was received positively by theater critics such as Matthew Murray, Heather Cross, Patrick Purdon, and John Simon, among others, she was not nominated at the Tony Awards for her brief stint on Broadway that season, although she did get nominations for Distinguished Performance from the Drama League, for Favorite Lead Actress in a Broadway Musical from Broadway.com's Audience Awards, and for Best Lead Actress in a Musical from Broadwayworld.com's Fans' Choice Awards.^[63] Between the 2001 Los Angeles and 2002 Broadway productions of Flower Drum Song, she performed in a non-musical theatrical production for the first time, playing the role of Catherine in the stage play Proof in Manila.^[2] This was followed by a major concert, The Broadway Concert,^[65] at the Philippine International Convention Center. She also sang with Harry Connick, Peter Gallagher, and Michelle Lee in a tribute number for Richard Rodgers at the 56th Tony Awards.^[66]

In 2003, Salonga did her first "all-Filipino" concert in Manila called Songs from Home, which later won a second Aliw Award as Entertainer of the Year; she also won the previous year.^[67][68] Upon her return to the U.S., she performed in several shows at the Mohegan Sun in Montville, Connecticut. This was followed by a Christmas concert in the Philippines called Home for Christmas at the end of the year, which was nominated for the 18th Aliw Awards,^[69] and performances at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in Marlton, New Jersey the following year, in 2004.^[70] Later that year, she played Lizzie in the Manila production of the musical Baby, which earned her another nomination from the Aliw Awards.^[69][71]

2004–2007[link]

In 2005, Salonga played her first US concert tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlantic City, and Chicago.^[72][73][74] Concert dates in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia followed.^[75] Later that year, Salonga performed with a 26-piece ensemble to a sold-out crowd at the Isaac Stern Hall in Carnegie Hall for the benefit of Diverse City Theater Company.^{[76][77][78][79][80]} Between her concerts, the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) bestowed her with the Golden Artist Award at the 53rd FAMAS Awards in honor of her international achievements.^[81][82] She performed during the grand opening of Hong Kong's Disneyland^[83] and recorded two songs on tenor Daniel Rodriguez's In the Presence CD.^[84] That same year, Salonga did voice work for Disney's English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro as Mrs. Kusakabe. Salonga's other Disney film credits include the singing voice of Princess Jasmine for Aladdin in 1992 and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II in 1998 and in 2004, respectively.^[5]

In 2006, at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Salonga concluded the closing ceremony with the song "Triumph of The One" before an audience of 50,000 people at the Khalifa Stadium.^[85][86][87]

In 2007, Salonga released her first studio album in seven years called Inspired, which has been certified platinum,^[88] and finished another stint in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway, this time as Fantine.^[89][90] She was scheduled to appear in a number of musical events scheduled in different countries until 2008.^{[91][92][93][94]}

Salonga received the Order of Lakandula Award from Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in recognition of her excellence in her craft and for using her talents to benefit Philippine society.^[95] It was also announced that she would return to Broadway in the musical Les Misérables, replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine on March 6.^[89][96] Her tenure started, however, on March 2, four days earlier than planned.^[97][98] Her casting on the show has been credited with boosting the musical's ticket sales on Broadway.^[99][100] On September 27, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was in New York, watched Salonga in her new role in the musical, whose cast that night included Filipino Americans Adam Jacobs as Marius and Ali Ewoldt as Cosette.^[101][102] Her contract with the musical ended on October 21, 2007 and she was succeeded by Broadway's original Cosette Judy Kuhn.^[103][104] For her performances in this revival, Salonga received rave reviews and made it again to the short list of Broadway.com's Audience Award favorites—this time for Best Replacement for her new role as Fantine.^{[100][105][106]} During her stint on Broadway this season, she appeared on Broadway on Broadway 2007^[107] and Stars in the Alley 2007,^[108] spoke at the Broadway Artists Alliance Summer Intensives,^[109] guested on the Broadway musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,^[110] and participated in Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS' 12th Annual Nothing Like A Dame event to benefit the women's health initiative of The Actors Fund.^[106][111] Right after doing Les Misérables, she performed in two events: at the US Military Academy Band's concert in West Point where she sang four songs and an encore^[112] and in her own concert at the Tarrytown Music Hall in New York.^[113]

As of November 2007,^{[dated info]} a number of performances were scheduled for the rest of the year and for 2008, including a Christmas presentation in Manila,^[91][114] concerts in other parts of the Philippines and in California, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Guam^{[92][93][115][116][117][118][119][120]} and Broadway Asia Entertainment's international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, where she plays the lead.^[94][121]

2008–present[link]

On 3 July 2008, Salonga became a columnist in the Philippine Daily Inquirer with her column "Backstory" (Entertainment section), "Introducing: Lea Salonga, writer".^[122] She performed in "Global Pop" at the Music Center on July 11, 2008. It was presented by The Blue Ribbon a group founded by Dorothy Chandler in 1968.^[123] Backed by an orchestra of 19 musicians, Salonga received a standing ovation for her solo concert on July 11 at Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall. Salonga also performed part of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "There's Music in You", as preview of her coming show Cinderella at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 29.^{[124][125][126]} That same year she received a special citation from Awit Awards, the Philippines' version of Grammys.

From late July 2008 to mid-2009, Salonga played the title role in the 30-week Asian tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, opening in Manila and continuing to China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. According to Billboard.com, Salonga was scheduled to perform in Nevada, Washington, California, Indiana, New York, Hawaii and more in 2009 and was also asked to dance the Filipino novelty dances "Ocho-ocho" and "Spaghetti".^[127]

In July 2009, Salonga agreed to advertise the Avon Products line of anti-aging skin care products Anew Rejuvenate in the Philippines.^[128]

Also in the same month, Salonga was invited to sing at the 95th Anniversary Special of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). She was given a standing ovation after her first song, which was an original composition by the Church arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.^[129]

At the Requiem Mass for former President Corazon Aquino on 5 August 2009, Salonga sang the patriotic Bayan Ko as the recessional before Aquino's casket was brought out of Manila Cathedral.^[130]

Salonga celebrated 20 years of Miss Saigon by performing in a concert called "Lea Salonga...Your Songs", at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall on December 11 and 12, 2009. She conducted an online poll via www.LEAyoursongs.com where fans could request songs they wanted to hear. The concert had crooner Richard Poon, the award-winning dance group Philippine All Stars and Concert Comedy Queen Ai-Ai de las Alas as special guests. "Lea Salonga...Your Songs" was under the musical direction of her brother, Gerard Salonga along with the FILharmoniKA.

From 23 July to 22 August 2010, Salonga played the role of Grizabella in the Manila run of the Asia-Pacific tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She returned to Les Misérables on October 3 in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables as Fantine, fifteen years after appearing in the 10th Anniversary as Eponine.^[131][132]

In 2010, Salonga joined forces with Avon as a celebrity judge for Avon Voices,^[133] Avon's first ever global, online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for men and women. Instantly, she become part of Miss Universe history because of her winning final question which won by Miss Angola Leila Lopes.

Salonga was honoured as a Disney Legend on 19 August 2011.^[134]

She was chosen to serve as one of the judges in the 60th Miss Universe 2011 Beauty Pageant in São Paulo, Brazil on 12 September 2011. ^[135]

Salonga will star in the Broadway-bound musical, Allegiance, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego from 6 September – 20 October 2012.^[136]

Education and personal life[link]

Lea Salonga is the daughter of Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan and spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila.^[7]. She is not related to former Senator Jovito Salonga. She has a brother named Gerard Salonga who is an orchestral conductor.

She studied and finished her secondary education in 1988 at the O. B. Montessori Center in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila,^[137] where she was a Bergamo 1 Student and an active participant in school productions. She also attended the University of the Philippines College of Music's extension program aimed at training musically talented children in music and stage movement. A college freshman at the Ateneo de Manila University when she auditioned for Miss Saigon,^[138] she later took two courses at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus while in between jobs in New York.

On January 10, 2004, Salonga married Robert Charles Chien, a Chinese-Japanese managing director of an entertainment software company in Los Angeles, California, whom she met while doing Flower Drum Song.^[3][139] They have a daughter, Nicole Beverly, who was born on May 16, 2006, named after Salonga's late mother-in-law, Beverly.^[140] She is also an avid video game enthusiast, and has mentioned her love for the hobby in several of her print articles.^[141]

On October 15, 2010, Lea Salonga was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Discography[link]

• Small Voice (1981)
• Lea (1988)
• Miss Saigon (Original London Cast) (1990)
• The King And I (Hollywood Studio Cast) (1992)
• Little Tramp – The Musical (1992)
• Aladdin (soundtrack) (1992)
• Lea Salonga (1993)
• Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert (1995)
• Hey Mr. Producer: The Musical World of Cameron MacKintosh (1997)
• I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing (1997)
• Mulan (soundtrack) (1998)
• By Heart (1999)
• Lea... In Love (1999)
• Lea Salonga Live Vol. 1 (2000)
• Lea Salonga Live Vol. 2 (2000)
• Lea Salonga: The Christmas Album (2000)
• Making Tracks (2001)
• Songs from The Screen (2001)
• The Broadway Concert (2002)
• Flower Drum Song (2002)
• 100% Lea Gives Her Best (2003)
• Songs from Home: Live Concert Recording (2004)
• Mulan II (2005)
• The Ultimate OPM Collection (2007)
• Inspired (2007)
• Shelldon (soundtrack) (2008)
• The Journey So Far - Recorded Live at Cafe Carlyle (2012)

Filmography[link]

• Tropang Bulilit (1981)
• Like Father, Like Son (1985)
• Captain Barbel (1986)
• Ninja Kids (1986)
• Pik Pak Boom (1989)
• Dear Diary (1989)
• The heat is on in Saigon (1989) – the making of Miss Saigon
• Aladdin (1992) – singing voice of Princess Jasmine
• Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992) – Sandy
• Sana Maulit Muli (1995) – Agnes
• Redwood Curtain (1995) – Geri Riorden
• Les Misérables: The 10th Anniversary Concert (1995) – Éponine
• Mulan (1998) – singing voice of Fa Mulan
• As the World Turns (2001) – Lien Hughes (also reprised role in 2003)
• My Neighbor Totoro (2004) – voice of Mrs. Kusakabe in the Disney English language version
• Mulan II (2004) – singing voice of Fa Mulan
• Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams (2007) – singing voice of Princess Jasmine
• Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert (2010) – Fantine

See also[link]

• Kuh Ledesma
• George Canseco
• Pilita Corrales
• Martin Nievera
• Gary Valenciano

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Lea Salonga at the Internet Broadway Database
• Lea Salonga at the Internet Movie Database
• Lea Salonga at the Disney Legends Website
• FAO Goodwill Ambassador website

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2009)

Cheche Lazaro, (born Cecilia Lim in 1945 in Los Angeles, California), is an acclaimed Filipino broadcast journalist and the founding President of Probe Productions Inc.

Profile[link]

In 1966, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and drama at the University of the Philippines. She continued her studies at the University of Michigan and obtained her Master's degree in Radio-Television in 1968.

She has been married to a Filipino businessman named Delfin Lazaro for almost 40 years, and together they have two children (Lisa and Carlos) and a grandchild.

Career[link]

Cheche Lazaro started her career working as a reporter for ABS-CBN. Between July 1986-December 1987, she became director/manager of network's Public Affairs department. This allowed her to be appointed Team leader/Reporter for the network's coverage of President Corazon C. Aquino's visit to Singapore and Indonesia.

Lazaro soon left her position in ABS-CBN in 1988 to create her own production company, Probe Productions, with the help of fellow journalists, Luchi Cruz-Valdez and Maria Ressa. This led her to produce several documentary programs such as 5 and Up for ABC 5 (now TV5), The Probe Team, I-Witness, and Cheche Lazaro Presents for GMA Network, which eventually became her home network.

There, she was able to produce award-winning documentaries, particularly one involving the Doña Paz. The relationship with the network, however, was put to a test in 2003 when GMA-7 refused to air a Probe segment about a lifestyle check on PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino. The network saw the story as a half-baked job that would unjustly ruin the subject's reputation. Lazaro saw it as censorship.

The rift was played out in media. After 16 years of good relations with GMA-7, the network pre-terminated the contract of Probe.

Despite this setback, she was able to return to the limelight when Probe began reairing on ABC in June 2004. After a year's stay, she decided to go back in 2005 to her channel of origin, ABS-CBN.

Between 1992 to 1995, Lazaro was also the chairman of the broadcast department at the University of the Philippines.

Currently, she is a member and board adviser for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Lazaro as a host has obtained various awards from Philippine award-giving bodies. She has been awarded 'Best News Magazine show host' nine times by the Star Awards. The Probe Team, the first Filipino investigative news magazine for television, has won both local and international recognition. It has received 'Gawad CCP Para sa Telebisyon "10 Best TV Programs of the Philippine Television" ten times.

Then, Cheche Lazaro makes a new Program come from Probe Production, Named Probe Profiles. This program is the last Program of Cheche Lazaro and the team. In exactly July 1, 2010, Wednesday makes their last episode containing the story of President Benigno Aquino III way back from the candidacy, his struggles and the achievement of Pilipino to be President of the Philippines.

Notable awards[link]

References[link]

• CCP Continues Tradition of Recognition of Filipino Artists and Cultural Workers
• http://blog.probetv.com/2010/06/30/probe-signs-off-after-24-years-on-philippine-television/

External links[link]

• ProbeTeam Profile
• ABS-CBN Entertainment Feature - The Probe Team

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Ces Orena-Drilon (born July 8, 1962) commonly known as Ces Oreña-Drilon is an award winning Filipino broadcast journalist. She graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree of Bachelor of Arts major in Communication Research. She has presented several news and public affairs programs for the News and Current Affairs division of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, which she had joined in 1989.

She was the recipient of the highest honor given by the KBP Golden Dove Awards which is the "Ka Doroy Broadcaster of the Year" which was held last November 25, 2010 during the 19th KBP Golden Dove Awards and also included on the Top 7 mothers honored by Working Mom Magazine as today's most exemplary career women.

Personal life[link]

Ces Oreña-Drilon is married to painter Rock Drilon, a nephew of former Senate President Franklin Drilon; they have four children.^{[1][dead link]}

Career[link]

Ces Orena-Drilon began her career in television journalism in 1985 when she joined the Maharlika Broadcasting System (later renamed People's Television 4) as a news reporter.^[1] Her reporting on the capture of Army renegade Col. Gregorio Honasan caught the attention of ABS-CBN Network, which hired her in 1989 to cover the Philippine Senate.^[2] Ces would appear regularly on The World Tonight as the program's business correspondent.