Marking his father’s 108th birth anniversary, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led a wreath-laying ceremony in Batac, Ilocos Norte where he urged Filipinos to remain worthy of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s legacy.
Speaking before local leaders, relatives, and supporters at the former strongman’s hometown, President Marcos said his father’s life was defined by a deep commitment to public service and national dignity.
“It is a legacy of service. It is a legacy of sacrifice,” the president said.
“If you are going to be a good Ilocano, if you are going to be a good Filipino, then you must be willing to sacrifice everything, including your life, for the Philippines,” he added.
The president, who was joined by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and former first lady Imelda Marcos, recalled lessons he said he learned from his father, including the value of doing the “right thing” despite difficulties.
“He would constantly say, ‘Never take the easy way out,’” Mr. Marcos said.
“Sometimes the most honorable thing to do is the hardest thing that you have to do,” he added.
The younger Marcos added that the challenge for his generation was to be “worthy inheritors” of his father’s legacy, stressing that it required a life of service rather than isolated acts of good.
“We must ask ourselves, are we worthy of such a great legacy?” the president said. “We will only be that if we can say that we have given our lives to the service of the Filipino,” he added.
The commemoration in Batac drew local officials from Ilocos Norte and neighboring provinces, along with political allies of the Marcos family.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr. served as the country’s 10th president from 1965 to 1986, the longest-serving leader in Philippine history. His administration is remembered for both large-scale infrastructure projects and the declaration of martial law, which lasted from 1972 to 1981.
