By Brian Campued
“I’m here to serve. I’m not here for myself.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. hopes that the next administrations will build on the structural reforms initiated under his leadership for the benefit of the Filipino people and the Philippines.
In the second part of the “BBM Podcast” Episode 6, which aired on Thursday, Marcos shared that he and his advisers continue to “think out of the box” when it comes to public service.
“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,” the President said during an interview with students from the University of the East (UE), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), and West Visayas State University (WVSU).
“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 added.
Marcos noted that governance in the present time is a “different, different world” compared to how past chief executives led.
“We don’t do things the same way anymore. You shouldn’t be doing the same things as you were doing in 1975 or 1980… Stop thinking the same old way. It doesn’t work anymore,” he said.
Nonetheless, the President said he has learned “many things” during the term of his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.—one of which was to keep going, even if it means making sacrifices for the sake of the nation.
“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.
“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,” he added.
He likewise acknowledged that the government’s efforts may fall short of expectations because a public servant’s work never ends.
“I really think that there are many things that I could do. And I say [to myself], ‘You’re not yet doing it. Hindi mo pa natatapos… Keep doing it. Keep working’,” the President emphasized.
When asked about how he deals with the stress and the lack of proper sleep that come from his heavy workload as the president, Marcos said that he takes a break for at least three hours, listens to music, spends time with his family, or exercises regularly.
“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.
“Ang sistema ko pagka may malaking problema, my approach is always like this… learn everything about the problem. Then go away and do something else. Do something completely different na hindi mo maiisip. You come back, usually there’s—you have a new idea. Usually that works for me.”
-av
