MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has called on future administrations to uphold and strengthen the structural reforms his government has initiated, warning that reverting to outdated governance approaches would undermine long-term national progress.
In the latest episode of the BBM Podcast released Thursday, Marcos said institutional changes must be designed to survive leadership transitions and remain intact even after he leaves office.
“My hope and the reason the structural change is important is because kahit wala na ako rito, sana ‘yung mga pagbabagong nasimulan namin o na tumatakbo na, magtuloy-tuloy na para hindi na matanggal,” Marcos said.
He stressed that reforms should be durable enough not only to last, but to improve under capable successors. “Do it (structural change) in such a way that it will continue, it will even get better, especially if we choose our presidents well,” he said.
Marcos also underscored that today’s governance environment demands innovation and constant recalibration, noting that old methods no longer meet current challenges.
“Every day, we spend hours with my advisers thinking, think out of the box. Stop thinking the same old way. It doesn’t work anymore,” he said.
When asked about lessons from his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the younger Marcos said perseverance remains his guiding principle in governance.
“I think the basic thing that I learned from my father is don’t stop. If you believe in something that you are doing for the country, for your people, do not stop,” he said.
Leadership, he added, requires endurance and repeated sacrifice. “You will have to sacrifice. Ganyan talaga ang trabaho. You will have to sacrifice. Masasaktan ka. You will have to make sacrifices, but don’t stop. You will fail. You have to stand up again. Don’t stop,” Marcos said./PN
