PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he hopes that the structural reforms launched under his administration will endure beyond his term, urging that these initiatives be strengthened and institutionalized to continue delivering benefits to the public.
Speaking with three college students from the University of the East, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and West Visayas State University in the latest episode of the PBBM Podcast released Thursday, December 11, 2025, Marcos said his goal is to ensure that key reforms continue.
“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.
(My hope—and the reason structural change is important—is that even when I’m no longer here, the reforms we have begun or are already underway will continue so they won’t be undone.)
“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 said the fast-changing global landscape demands new approaches to governance.
“It’s a different, different world,” he said, adding that leaders can no longer rely on strategies used in the 1970s or 1980s.
Marcos shared that he spends hours daily with his advisers brainstorming unconventional ideas to improve government performance.
“Think out of the box. Stop thinking the same old way. It doesn’t work anymore,” he said.
Asked whether he would have acted differently from his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., the President said many of the lessons he learned from his father continue to guide him—especially persistence.
“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. Don’t stop,” he added.
Unlike earlier podcast episodes, which featured sit-down interviews with journalists, the latest installment adopted a more informal format aimed at spotlighting the concerns and perspectives of young Filipinos. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)