MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has drawn a clearer line between his governance style and that of his father, saying the demands of the modern presidency require approaches that were “not the same” as those used during the elder Marcos’ administration.
Speaking in the sixth episode of his podcast released Thursday, Marcos said the Philippines is operating in a “different world” that forces leaders to calibrate their strategies, even as he continues to apply values he learned from his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
“I think the basic thing that I learned from my father is: don’t stop. If you believe in something you’re doing for the country, for your people, do not stop. You will have to sacrifice,” he said. “Don’t stop. You will fail. You have to stand up again.”
Marcos acknowledged that inheriting the Marcos name shaped his path, calling himself “the luckiest” for being born into the political family and saying he has no regrets about it. But he stressed that the responsibilities of the presidency often feel overwhelming and require constant self-motivation.
“I’m here to serve. I’m not here for myself… I really think that there are many things that I could do. And I say to myself, ‘You’re not yet doing it. You haven’t finished. Go, go, go. Keep doing it. Keep working,’” he said, adding that the job often leaves him “sleepless.”
To manage stress, Marcos said he deliberately carves out hours for rest — spending time with his family, exercising, or listening to music. His firsthand exposure to his father’s 20-year presidency, he said, gave him an early understanding of how demanding the position can be.
“I’m fine. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to it. I have a big advantage because my father was president. So, for 20 years, I watched him. I know how difficult this job is. You have to learn to manage it,” he said.
Marcos also shared his method for dealing with major issues: “Ang sistema ko pag may malaking problema, my approach is always like this — learn everything about the problem, then go away and do something else, something completely different. When you come back, you usually have a new idea. That usually works for me.”
Asked about his parenting style, the President said he prefers to guide his children by example.
Looking ahead, Marcos said he hopes the reforms initiated under his administration will continue beyond his tenure.
“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, magtuluy-tuloy na,” he said./PN
