President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. was born with significant expectations of him. As the second child and only son of the late Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. and former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, the public anticipated him to live up to their legacy.
He was born on September 13, 1957 in Santa Mesa, Manila. As he aged, Marcos Jr. worked down a political path that aimed to rehabilitate his family’s name to the public and prove that he was indeed born to lead.
Marcos Jr. has been serving as a political leader in the Philippines for more than 25 years. Throughout the years, he developed his leadership skills to prepare himself for the presidency after landing an estimated 31 million votes during the 2022 elections.
When he was young, Marcos Jr. went to the Institución Teresiana and La Salle Greenhills for his kindergarten and elementary education, respectively. His parents insisted that he grow up grounded without being overwhelmed by his family’s stature. They knew that this value will allow the then-young Marcos Jr. to thoroughly connect with the people he will serve.
Eventually, Marcos Jr. was sent to England to live and study in an all-boys’ Benedictine abbey, Worth School. He also pursued other educational programs overseas before cutting his studies short to return to the Philippines because he was elected Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte in 1981. He was just 23 at the time. Afterwards, he succeeded as the province’s governor from 1983 to 1986.
After his family’s return from exile in 1992, he served as Congressman in the Second District of Ilocos Norte. While in position, he authored the landmark law establishing the Philippine Youth Commission. His initiative as a political leader was also instrumental in advancing the cause that organizes cooperatives of teachers and farmers in his home province by contributing most of his Country Development Fund (CDF).
Many of his constituents saw how efficient Marcos Jr. was in holding a government position. By 2007, he was re-elected in Congress and appointed as Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. During his term, he penned the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law (Republic Act No. 9522).
In 2010, Marcos Jr. won a seat in the Philippine Senate, placing seventh overall.
Knowing he can do more as a leader, Marcos Jr. tried for the Vice Presidential position in 2016, but lost. Little did he know that his fate lies in the highest seat in the Philippine government. Today, he serves as the 17th President of the Philippines.
Yet throughout his fight to claim the seat of power, Marcos Jr. and his family faced criticism from the public, with some more intense than what his family faced throughout the years since People Power I.
Despite the attacks, he remained unfazed, set his sights on his goal, and eventually grabbed the opportunity to clear his family’s name and show his leadership skills.
As the President, Marcos Jr. wasted no time and laid out specific legislative measures he hoped that Congress would pass. His list includes a long-delayed bill to regulate the use, management, and development of land and water resources.
One of his priority bills is the establishment of the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippine. He wants the virology institute as an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology and all functions related to virology will be under its jurisdiction. For two years, the Philippines suffered the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. His promise during the campaign period was to uplift Filipinos, hence his desire to create an institute that could help strengthen the country’s health defense.
He also emphasized similar priority bills, such as the Medical Reserve Corps and National Disease Prevention Management Authority, to further protect citizens from illnesses.
Speaking of defense, he also wants to amend and update the National Defense Act of 1935. He hopes that it could “provide for a change in the military structure of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that is more responsive to current and future non-conventional security threats to the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”
Marcos Jr. also set his sights on signing pending bills since before former Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Among them is the National Land Use Act, which “provide for a rational and holistic management and development of country’s land and water resources” and compel land owners and local government units to ensure sustainable development on their land.
His regard for the country’s natural resources is also evident in another primary bill, specifically, the enactment of an enabling law for the natural gas industry. Marcos Jr. said it “primarily seeks to foster the development of the Midstream Natural Gas Industry in a bid to strengthen Philippine energy security by diversifying the country’s primary sources of energy and promoting the role of natural gas as a complementary fuel to variable renewable energy”
On the other hand, he also seeks to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to improve the implementation of the law’s provisions and enhance its efficiency in addressing high electricity costs, insufficient market supply, and other issues.
Marcos Jr. also eyes restructuring the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) to foster accountability and improve the commission’s government system to ensure consumer safety and enhance the competitive operation of the electricity market.
It’s only been several months since Marcos Jr. took on the daunting role of President of the Philippines, and people still expect to see more from him while he’s seated in position. Prioritizing several bills is only the beginning of what he plans to show as the country’s leader.
The years were both kind and challenging for the incumbent Philippine President. It seasoned him as a leader and he remained steadfast through it all. Today, he celebrates his 65th birthday with great hopes for the future.
As with many well-wishers on his special day, we at Manila Standard send our warmest greetings of “Happy Birthday” to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.