MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. called on Filipinos to use the Christmas season as a period of “national emotional reset” after a year marked by strong typhoons, economic anxieties, and corruption probes—saying the country needs moments of pause and reflection as much as it needs policy action.
Speaking at Malacañang’s annual Christmas tree lighting at the Kalayaan Grounds, Marcos framed the holidays as an essential breather for a nation navigating multiple pressures.
“What a joy it is to be reminded that we are now in the Christmas season,” he said.
The President, however, downplayed the notion that he personally feels any strain from the mounting challenges faced by his administration, joking that the pressure rests elsewhere.
“No matter how heavy the loads that we feel sometimes in the work that we do… Hindi ako ‘yan. ‘Yung mga Cabinet Secretaries ko ‘yung may ganyan. Ako, walang nararamdaman na ganun… I don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Marcos urged the public to seize the holidays as a moment to realign priorities and reconnect with family, describing it as a necessary pause in a country that has been “constantly moving from one crisis to another.”
“We examine our lives… and maybe put down what we are carrying and spend more time with family,” he said.
He added that the Christmas break should prepare Filipinos to return to 2026 with renewed perspective, creativity, and resilience.
“We come back refreshed. We come back with new ideas… something that will contribute to what we are doing,” he said./PN
