16. THE TRIUMPH OF TRUMP

THE TRIUMPH OF TRUMP

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

21 January 2017

The whole world is focused on their television set to witness the inauguration of the oldest and wealthiest person inaugurated as president of the United States of America. Donald John Trump, a businessman and television personality born on June 14, 1946, is sworn in as the 45^th president and the first without prior military or government service experience to hold office. The event was the 58^th presidential inauguration with the official theme “Uniquely American” held at the West Front of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

As I witness on TV the historic oath, I tried counting sequentially the U.S. presidents who served since I was born on April 19, 1974, a total of nine from Nixon to Trump. I browsed the book entitled Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times by David Rubel given to me by my host when I was sent to the United States (Maryland & Washington, D.C.) in 2004 by the Rotary International as Ambassador of Goodwill & Understanding. I was curious and made some researches on U.S. presidents who stepped on Philippine soil.

An article by Boying Pimentel posted in 2014 at @inquirerdotnet on “Ten US Presidents Who Visited the Philippines and What They Said” gave me a bird’s eye view on their short stay in the Islands. Seven incumbent US presidents visited country. The 34^th president, Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969), was on a state visit to the Philippines from June 14 to 16, 1960 and met with President Carlos P. Garcia.

The 36^th president, Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), attended the Manila Summit Conference on the Vietnam War from October 24 to 26, 1966 and also visited Los Baños, Laguna and Corregidor Island. The 37^th president, Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994), was on a state visit in Manila from July 26 to 27, 1969 and met with President Ferdinand Marcos.

The 38^th president, Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.; July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006), was on an official visit in Manila from December 6 to 7, 1975 and met with President Ferdinand Marcos.

The 42^nd president, William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III; August 19, 1946) was on a state visit in Manila from November 12 to 13, 1994 and met with President Fidel V. Ramos and also visited Corregidor Island. President Clinton went back to Manila from November 24-25, 1996 to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Subic, Zambales.

The 43^rd president, George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946), was on state visit in Manila from October 18 to 19, 2003 and addressed a joint session of Congress and met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The 44^th president, Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961), was on state visit in Manila from April 28 to 29, 2014 and met with President Benigno Aquino III. He was conferred the Order of Sikatuna, met with U.S. and Philippine troops and delivered remarks at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City and laid a wreath and toured the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. President Obama returned to Manila from November 17 to 20, 2015 to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and met again with President Benigno Aquino III. He toured the BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15) and announced the U.S. government's donation of the research vessel RV Melville and the USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) to the Philippine Navy. The president participated in the APEC 2015 CEO Summit.  

Three other U.S. presidents visited the country before they became presidents. William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 - March 8, 1930) served as the first Civil American Governor-General of the Philippines from July 4, 1901 to December 23, 1903 before he was elected as the 27^th president of the United States.

Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 33^rd Governor of California (January 2, 1967 – January 6, 1975) when he visited the Philippines in 1969 as special guests at the opening of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on September 8, 1969 before he was elected as the 40^th president of the United States.

George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 43^rd Vice President of the United States (January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989) when he visited the Philippines in 1981 before he was elected as the 41^st president of the United States.

One president never had a chance to visit the Philippines when he was president but visited the country after his term. Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is the 39^th president of the United States and visited the Philippines in 1999 to build affordable homes as part of the Habitat for Humanity campaign.

From March 23 to 31, 2004, I stayed in Washington, D.C. and was able to visit the White House on March 25. U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson (Republican; 2^nd District South Carolina) escorted me and the rest of the Rotary International District 3770 five-man team at the presidential official residence and principal workplace. During the guided tour, I was able to imagine how the presidents of this great nation influenced Philippine governance thru its policies since the time of the 25^th president William McKinley up to the incumbent George W. Bush.

As we witness the official start of the Trump administration, I remember a famous quote from the 1^st American president, George Washington; “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”