In parts oratory, public policy and history, this book tells the story of the sixteen men and women who ascended to and held the nation's highest public office. It reintroduces to contemporary readers the presidents of the Philippines-from Emilio Aguinaldo to Rodrigo Roa Duterte- providing essential information and insights on their lives and times, the challenges they faced and their achievements in a manner that enable readers and the public to meaningfully survey the past, make sense of the present, and hopefully help them plan a better future for the country.

First published in 2004 as... So Help Us God: The Presidents of the Philippines and their Inaugural Addresses and now on its second edition under a new title, this book puts readers in direct contact with the president's original visions as expressed during inaugural and the State of the Nation address at each year's opening of the sessions of Congress illustrate the power of vision and the spoken word in the life of the nation.