In Arroyo 's 9-year administration , the economy experienced a phenomenal growth of 4-7 % averaging at 5.33 % from 2002 to 2007 with the completion of infrastructure projects like Line 2 in 2004 and managed to avoid the Great Recession . By comparison , the Philippines has been growing an average of 3.6 % from 1965 to 2001 or 3.5 % ( 1986-2001 ) if we include only those years when democracy was already achievement in the Philippines on 1986 . The improvement of the Philippine annual growth rate from her predecessors ( since Marcos Regime to Estrada Administration ) was around 1.7 – 1.87 % . And this jumpstart from a sluggish economy for almost 5 decades that left it behind by its neighbors in the 1960s would prove to be the Philippines rise from being the sick man of Asia to become one of the " Tiger Cub Economy " for the next decade after her administration . Nevertheless , it was tied with graft and political scandals like the Hello Garci scandal pertaining to the alleged manipulation of votes in the 2004 presidential elections . On November 23 , 2009 , 34 journalists and several civilians were massacred in Maguindanao
massacred
Maguindanao massacre
Philippines