TIME Magazine has named President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2024.”
According to the magazine, by trying to repair his family name, “the son and namesake of the late dictator may reshape his country too.”
Time’s annual list also includes famous Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, creator of beloved animated films such as “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” and “Whisper of the Heart.”
Other influential people in the list are American businessman Mark Cuban, the current minority owner of basketball team Dallas Mavericks; Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny; and William Lai, the incoming president of Taiwan who is not pro-Beijing.
As for Marcos, Time Magazine mentioned that his “dictator father plundered billions of dollars from state coffers and stood accused of grievous human rights violations until his ouster in 1986.”
“Bongbong’s rise to the Philippine presidency in 2022 was owed to whitewashing this family legacy through clever manipulation of social media,” it said.
“Yet Bongbong’s desire to rehabilitate the Marcos name has resulted in other shifts. He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage,” it added.
Time also noted the President’s “steadfast” stance against the aggressive China.
Malacañang, in a statement, states that the President’s inclusion in the Time 100 list “reflects his brand of leadership that puts the national interest and the welfare of every Filipino above all else.”
“Under his administration, the Philippines has experienced robust economic growth and recovery, exceeding expectations and instilling confidence in the country’s economic outlook,” it said. (KAL)