Benigno Aquino Jr. Facts & Worksheets

Premium

Download the Benigno Aquino Jr. Facts & Worksheets

Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home.

Download This Worksheet

This download is exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!

Sign Me Up

Already a member? Log in to download.

Download

Edit This Worksheet

Editing resources is available exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members.
To edit this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start editing!

Sign Up

Already a member? Log in to download.

Edit

This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. Click the Edit button above to get started.

Benigno Simeon “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was a well-known Filipino politician and was recognized to be the most prominent and dynamic one of his generation.

See the fact file below for more information on Benigno Aquino, or you can download our 25-page worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

• Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr., most commonly known as Ninoy Aquino, was born on the 27th of November, 1932, in Concepcion, Tarlac.
• Ninoy Aquino came from a wealthy family of haciendas, and his father and mother were the original owners of Hacienda Luisita, a 6,453-hectare sugar plantation in Tarlac.
• Ninoy Aquino’s grandfather, Servillano Aquino, was a general in Emilio Aguinaldo’s revolutionary army and the first officially recognized President of the Philippines.
• At the young age of 17, Ninoy became the youngest correspondent to cover the Korean War. Ninoy covered the war for The Manila Times.
• Due to Ninoy’s journalistic feats, Ninoy received the Philippine Legion of Honor award, at the age of 18, from President Elpidio Quirino. 
• At the age of 21, Ninoy became a close adviser to then-defense secretary Ramon Magsaysay. 

EDUCATION

• Ninoy received his elementary education at the De La Salle College’s department of basic education. He, however, finished his elementary education at the Saint Joseph’s College of Quezon City’s basic education department.
• Ninoy then finished secondary education at the high school department of San Beda College.
• Ninoy attended Ateneo de Manila University to take his Bachelor of Arts degree, but his studies
  were interrupted.
• Ninoy then took up law at the University of the Philippines Diliman, but his studies got interrupted again to pursue a career in journalism.

POLITICAL CAREER

EARLY POLITICAL CAREER

• Ninoy was born into a political clan. His grandfather served under President Emilio Aguinaldo and held offices under President Manuel L. Quezon and President Jose P. Laurel. 
• In early 1954, Ninoy was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay to act as personal emissary to Luis Taruc, the Hukbalahap rebel group’s leader. Four months after negotiations between Ninoy and Taruc, Taruc finally surrendered. This achievement gave way to Ninoy’s second Philippine Legion of Honor award (the first one was given by President Elpidio Quirino). The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit of the United States of America, which aims to provide honor to both civilians and members of the military.
• A year after (1955), Ninoy became the mayor of Concepcion at the age of 23.
• Five years later, Ninoy was elected as a vice governor at the age of 27. 
• In 1961, Ninoy became the governor of Tarlac province.
• In 1966, Ninoy became the secretary-general of the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party (LP) is a liberal political party in the Philippines.

EARLY MARTIAL LAW YEARS

• In 1968, Ninoy became a senator. As a senator, Ninoy became known as a constant critic of the Marcos regime led by President  Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
• In 1972, Marcos Sr. declared martial law through Proclamation No. 1081.
  During this time, Ninoy was one of the first people to be arrested in line with the declaration. Ninoy was imprisoned in Fort Bonifacio based on charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms, and subversion.
• In 1975, Ninoy went on a hunger strike as a protest against the injustices of his military trial. 
• In 1977, Ninoy, along with NPA leaders Bernabe Buscayno and Victor Corpus, were charged guilty of all charges and were sentenced to death by firing squad. Marcos, however, commuted their death sentence because of international pressure regarding human rights.
• In 1980, Ninoy suffered from a heart attack and was transported to the Philippine Heart Center, where he suffered a second heart attack. Due to the complications between Ninoy and the seated President, a coronary bypass was not granted to him.
• Ninoy’s choices were either he gets treatment in the United States or he goes back to his cell and dies there.  
• Ninoy’s request was granted, and he flew to the United States together with his family.
• Rolando Solis, a Filipino-American cardiologist in Dallas, Texas, operated Ninoy. 
• In Massachusetts, Ninoy, together with his wife, Cory, and their children, started a new life. Ninoy continued to work on two (2) books and gave lectures while on fellowship grants from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  

RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES

• In 1983, upon hearing the news of the deteriorating political situation in the Philippines and the deteriorating health of the president, Ninoy decided to return to the country to present his rationale regarding the country’s democracy.
• Ninoy and his family, however, learned that there were orders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to issue any passports for them.
• This learning prompted them to formulate a plan to allow Ninoy to fly first to the Philippines, then the rest of the family following after.
• Ninoy was able to obtain a passport with the alias Marcial Bonifacio, marcial from martial law and bonifacio from Fort Bonifacio (where he was imprisoned). He later acquired a legitimate passport with the help of Roque Ablan Jr.
• On August 13, 1983, Ninoy left Logan International Airport and took a long route from Boston to Singapore via Los Angeles. From Singapore, he went to Hong Kong and Taipei, which became his last stopover before landing in the Philippines.
• On August 21, 1983, Ninoy was shot in the head as he was being escorted off the airplane. Gunshots were recorded by the news camera covering Ninoy’s arrival, but no actual footage of the shooting of Ninoy was caught due to exposure to the sun.
• After discovering Ninoy’s lifeless body, they also found another man known as Rolando Galman, who was the alleged assassin. 
• However, upon further investigation, a passenger named Rebecca Quijano testified that she saw a man in military uniform right behind Ninoy shoot him in the back of his head. A post-mortem analysis validated the claim of Quijano that Ninoy was indeed shot at the back of his head, close range.

PERSONAL LIFE

• Ninoy, on the 11th of October 1954, married Corazon Sumulong.
• Cojuangco or commonly known as Cory and had five (5) children:
• Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino (1955), Aurora Corazon “Pinky” Aquino (1957), Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III (1960), Victoria Elisa “Viel” Aquino (1961), and Kristina Bernadette “Kris” Aquino (1971).

LEGACY

• The airport where Ninoy was assassinated, which was previously known as the Manila International Airport (MIA), was renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
• Ninoy’s assassination transformed the small opposition into a massive one. Ninoy’s death caused a mass revolt, attracting worldwide media attention, which brought about a spotlight on the crisis being experienced by the country.
• The mass revolt trusted Ninoy’s widow, Cory, into the public eye, wherein Cory eventually became the presidential candidate of the UNIDO opposition party during the 1986 snap election. The election showed Marcos’ win but was dismissed as fraudulent. In the subsequent People Power Revolution, Cory became the president.

Benigno Aquino Jr. Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Benigno Aquino Jr. across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Benigno Aquino Jr, a well-known Filipino politician who was recognized to be the most prominent and dynamic one of his generation.

Download includes the following worksheets

1. Benigno Aquino Jr. Facts
2. Ninoy Aquino
3. Tick Tock
4. Aquino Family
5. Test Yourself
6. Let’s Go
7. His Words
8. High High High
9. Freedom!
10. Find and Use
11. To You

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Benigno Aquino Jr.?

Benigno Aquino Jr. was a Filipino politician and opposition leader during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. He was a leading figure in the People Power Revolution, which resulted in the peaceful overthrow of Marcos and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

Why was Benigno Aquino Jr. famous?

Benigno Aquino Jr. was famous for his opposition to the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos and for his role in the People Power Revolution that led to the restoration of democracy in the Philippines. He was also known for his advocacy of non-violent resistance and for his speeches and writings, which inspired the opposition movement against Marcos.

What was Benigno Aquino Jr.’s political background?

Benigno Aquino Jr. was the son of a former Philippine Senator and was politically active from a young age. He served as governor of Tarlac province and as a Senator in the Philippine Senate. He became an opposition leader during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos and was imprisoned for his political activities.

How did Benigno Aquino Jr. die?

Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated upon his return to the Philippines after three years of self-exile in the United States. An unknown assailant shot him as he was descending from a plane at Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983.

What was the impact of Benigno Aquino Jr.’s death on Philippine politics?

The death of Benigno Aquino Jr. was a turning point in Philippine politics. It galvanized opposition to the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos and sparked widespread protests and civil unrest. The People Power Revolution, which resulted in the peaceful overthrow of Marcos, is widely regarded as a direct result of Aquino’s death and the public outcry that followed. His death is remembered as a symbol of the fight for democracy and human rights in the Philippines.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Benigno Aquino Jr. Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 10, 2023