Marcos wants Filipinos to remember 'change for better' under his term

When his term of office finally comes to a close, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wants his administration to be remembered as one that had an impact in improving the lives of Filipinos.

In an interview on the BBM Podcast episode released Saturday, Marcos spoke about the need to make "tangible changes" for his countrymen under his watch.

Asked about how he wants to be remembered, Marcos said: "We made a change for the better. This has been my guide in all the positions I've taken."

"So, I absolutely insist that in 2028, when I leave this office, there are significant and tangible changes for the better in the life of each Filipino," Marcos said.

Marcos is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Congress on July 28 at the halfway point of his six-year term.

The SONA has been a platform for presidents to highlight past accomplishments, and to rally support from Congress to pass priority pieces of legislation.

Marcos' fourth SONA will be held just two months after the 2025 midterm national and local elections. The President has expressed dismay with the poll results, saying these showed that Filipinos have grown tired of politics and that they do not feel government services.

Promptly after making the pronouncement, Marcos ordered the courtesy resignation of Cabinet secretaries to "realign" his administration "with people's expectations."

This led changes at the helm of multiple government agencies, with Malacañang saying officials under the Marcos administration will undergo periodic reviews.

"The worst thing that can happen is umupo ka doon sa posisyon mo, na nagsilbi ka, umalis ka, walang pinagbago," Marcos said.

(The worst thing that can happen is you took on your post, you served, you left, and nothing changed.)

West PH Sea

Marcos was also asked how he would like to be remembered with regard to the territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea.

He said, "We did not yield. We continue to protect the sovereignty of the Republic. We continue to defend the territory of the Republic. And we continue to protect and defend the people of the Republic."

Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, a vocal advocate of the Philippines' sovereignty, has described the issue as an "intergenerational struggle for Filipinos."

Marcos has taken a stronger stance against China compared to his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte. His administration has sought to forge stronger military alliances with key allies, but this has not deterred China from taking aggressive actions against Philippine vessels in the contested waters.

"Hindi naman tayo nakikipag-away. Pero huwag niyong binabangga 'yung mga mangingisda, hindi ba? Huwag niyo kaming hinaharang doon sa teritoryo namin. Iyon ipaglalaban talaga namin 'yan," Marcos said.

(We are not picking a fight, but don't ram the boats of our fishermen. Don't block us in our territory. We will really assert our rights with these things.)

"Because kung ibigay mo ‘yan, bibigay mo ng– (Because of you give that,) like they say: You give them an inch, they will take a mile. So, you cannot allow it even the one inch," the President said.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Manila refers parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. — VDV, GMA Integrated News