Joseph Estrada

Was it the time? Are the Philippines that susceptible to the glamour of Hollywood and the film industry in the Philippine? Joseph Estrada, the 13th president of the Philippines, seems to share several key notes with the former first lady Imelda Marcos.

On June 30, 1998, Joseph Estrada was sworn in as president of the Philippines. He won with a wide margin of votes in his favor. Joseph Estrada gained popularity, leading to widespread support with his entrance into politics, by first being a famous movie actor. The margin of victory in this free election is the largest in the history of the Philippines.

Joseph Marcelo Ejercito was born on April 19, 1937 in Tondo, the poorest part of Manila. His father, Emilio Ejercito, was a government engineer, setting his family upper middle class. Joseph Estrada attended the Mapua Institute of Technology in hopes of following in his fathers footsteps, but eventually dropped out to become an actor. His family forbad him from using the family name, so he picked up the name Erap Estrada. Joseph Estrada played over one hundred lead roles, usually portraying the tough valiant guy who defended the poor against corrupt establishments.



In 1968, Joseph Estrada entered politics by running for mayor of San Juan. In 1968 he lost his bid for mayor but by 1969, after he won an electoral protest, he became the mayor. As mayor, Joseph Estrada built schools, parks, and a modern police station. While his contributions to building monuments to testify his legacy as the mayor of San Juan, I question whether he was inspired by the Edifice Complex that plagued Imelda Marcos.

In 1975, Joseph Estrada co-founded, with Dr. Guillermo De Vega, the first Metro Manila Film Festival. This was the same festival that is linked to stories of a collapsed building, ghosts, and Imelda Marcos’s decree to continue building.

In 1992, Joseph Estrada meant to run for president, but decided to join Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and run as the Vice President. Cojuangco Jr. lost the election for presidency, but Joseph Estrada won the vice-presidency. Estrada was appointed head of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission.

During Joseph Estrada’s run for presidency, the Roman Catholic Church refused the support Joseph Estrada because he had admitted to having fathered four children by women other than his wife. However, Imelda Marcos, then a member of Congress, gave him her support. He also had a devoted following among the country's poor, who often associated his image to the roles that he played.

While I documented the major moments of Estrada’s political achievements, his legacy is littered with corruption and embarrassment. In looking through Joseph Estrada’s biography, political timeline, and major moves, it is difficult to type cast him. Initially, I saw Joseph Estrada sharing many parallels to Imelda Marcos. However, the main distinction is the financial crisis in Asian in 1998. As president, he seemed to have strong understanding of the economy and a better grasp of the needs of the people that Imelda ever did.

In my opinion, the Philippines suffer most from the mental colonization imposed my the United States. Although I am part of the community directly, the vibe of the Philippines that classmates give is that the Philippines is heavily influenced by American pop culture. While there is the beginnings of a rise in nationalist pop culture, for the most part the airwaves and silver screen are dominated by Amerika still. This kind of history of devotion leads people to sway their political leanings with those that they are familiar with-- allowing many different pop culture icons to enter politics.

After thought: In May 2009, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, the son of former Philippine superstar, ex-president and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada, delivered a speech to the Senate, asking that the management of the Metro Manila Film Festival be given to the Philippine film industry itself.


-GY