The Philippine Embassy wishes to announce, with deep sorrow, that H.E. Corazon C. Aquino, former President of the Republic of the Philippines, passed away in the morning of 1 August 2009 after battling cancer.

The Philippine Embassy will open a condolence book at the lobby of its Chancery for all those who wish to send their sympathy messages starting Sunday, 2 August until Monday, 10 August from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon and from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. Pres. Aquino, the country’s first woman president, rose to power in 1986 after the “People Power Revolution,” a popular and peaceful revolt that toppled a widely perceived corrupt dictatorship by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Pres. Aquino restored the democratic system in the Philippines through reforms that included the adoption of a new constitution in 1987. In 1986, Time Magazine named her “Woman of the Year.” She was also named “Filipino of the Century” by Philippines Free Press in 2000. Her ties to South Korea were extensive; among others, she received an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from Hannam University in Daejeon in 1998 and an honorary Doctorate of Law from Hanyang University in Seoul in 1999. Pres. Aquino is survived by five children. She was the wife of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, a staunch critic of Pres. Marcos who was assassinated in 1983 at the Manila International Airport (now the “Ninoy Aquino International Airport”) shortly after his arrival from exile in the US.