The Philippines is halfway through the second Marcos presidency. Philippine politics make people think that life remains unbearable for millions, but we have always survived and our present predicament we are in should not be any different. But this should not mean we must simply accept things. The underlying narrative is apparent and pronounced. It is the political conflict between the House of Marcos and the House of Duterte. But before we fall into this kind of oversimplification, let’s look into policy changes and the more substantive issues that should define the state of affairs in the country today.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took a different course of action on foreign policy. Former President Rodrigo Duterte pivoted towards China. In contrast, President Marcos chose a “friend to all, enemy of none” approach, although with the provocative actions of China lately, President Marcos had no choice but to align himself with the US. The country, however, cannot fall into the trap of being engaged in a future proxy war should a conflict in the Pacific erupt.
The country, nevertheless, continues to grow economically. Our economic fundamentals helped us in this respect, although much is to be desired when it comes to equitable growth and better wages. Inflation is high. This has something to do with policy and the seeming lack of input on agricultural production. The emphasis has been on imports to mitigate the impact of the food shortages on the price of basic commodities. Three years should have meant improved yields. The Philippines, however, maintained its economic growth at 5.4% in 2024.
Infrastructure development is again a missed opportunity. Reports of corruption on flood-control projects are amplified by the bad situation many suffer from during calamities. When it comes to infrastructure development, the Mindanao Railway is a case in point.
President Marcos is yet to announce a major infrastructure that is to commence during his term. Many major projects like the Manila Subway or even the Samal Bridge was initiated by his predecessors. The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, the longest in SE Asia, hopefully will begin construction in 2025.
On the country’s rising debt, a distinction has to be made. The country’s debt during President Duterte’s time rose, but there was a pandemic. People were out of jobs. Mobility was a problem and the global economy was on a stand still. In addition, the former President had a “Build, Build, Build” program that ushered many infrastructure projects, especially in Mindanao. The current General Appropriations Act, meanwhile, is used to finance dole-out programs and has a zero budget for PhilHealth.
Peace building efforts in the Bangsamoro is the biggest legacy of President Duterte. The Marcos administration should help sustain the process by ensuring that the same will not be hijacked by powerful political clans who are already positioning themselves in the forthcoming Bangsamoro elections. Postponing the political exercise may be a step in the right direction. But more importantly, the democratization in the Bangsamoro will require strengthening grassroots political parties and inclusive policies.
The problem is a question of leadership. President Marcos could have asserted himself, tell Congress to focus on important legislation, and concentrate on reforms. The impeachment case has lost its momentum after the big rally of the Iglesia ni Cristo in early January, calling for national unity. The opposition cannot even muster a tenth of the number of people that assembled when they countered the move of the INC. That should tell Marcos something. VP Sara Duterte remains to be the person to beat in 2028. Even the opposition admits that she is “a heartbeat away” from the presidency.
People outside the Duterte and Marcos camps accuse the former of disruption. They want to pin down the Dutertes because they think that it can weaken President Marcos. But that is far from happening. The end to the Marcos-Duterte alliance is a part of the perils of the political. Nothing is certain in life as well as Philippine politics. If anything, the same only proves the contested nature of politics in the country. President Marcos can still make that fix but this means he has to salvage the value of the remaining years of his office.
