Former Philippines President Corazon Aquino has died at the age of 76, her family has said.
She had been suffering from colon cancer for more than a year and recently announced she was refusing further treatment.
Her family had said she was leaving her fate to God, prompting church services offering prayers for her health.
Mrs Aquino became president when the 1986 "people power" uprising deposed former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
"Our mother peacefully passed away at 0318 [1918 GMT Friday] of cardio-respiratory arrest," Mrs Aquino's son, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr, told the media.
"She would have wanted us to thank each and every one of you for all the prayers and the continuous love and support."
Mrs Aquino had recently been admitted to hospital suffering from a loss of appetite related to her condition.
The widow of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Mrs Aquino was catapulted from domesticity to run a country deeply divided after years of martial law and communist insurgency.
She battled several coup attempts against her rule, protected the country's fledgling democracy and freed political prisoners.
In recent years, she campaigned against former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, but then reconciled with him to join protests against incumbent President Gloria Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption.
She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 and later received several awards and citations for her work to promote democracy and human rights.
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