MANILA: She was the first woman president in Asia. Her legacy was defined by restoring democracy to the Philippines and ensuring a less corrupt government during her six- year term.

But Corazon "Cory" Aquino was also remembered by the Chinese community as a president who openly appreciated her Chinese origin and the first head of state to embark on a "roots-tracing" trip to her ancestral hometown 21 years ago, Chinese-Filipino scholars said.

Aquino, the forth generation of Chinese immigrants, was seen in a rare photo speaking to a huge crowd in the tiny village of Hongjian in Fujian province in southeastern China. Clad in typical yellow-colored "Cory T-shirts", two dozen children in the front row raised their heads in awe to this English-speaking auntie, who was said to be a great-granddaughter from the neighborhood.