President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. honored his late father and namesake, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., during a commemoration of his 109th birth anniversary in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, on Friday, crediting the elder Marcos’s leadership principles with shaping his own approach to governance.
Addressing the gathering, Marcos Jr. reflected on key lessons regarding sacrifice, integrity, and national duty imparted by his father, noting that Marcos Sr. primarily chose to “teach by example and by leadership” rather than through formal instruction.
“So, one lesson – immediately that I remember – was he would ever say, ‘Do not ever take the easy way out. Do what is right, no matter how difficult that may be,’” Marcos said.
The President explained that his father’s guidance was not intended to groom him for political office, but rather to instill a foundational commitment to public welfare over personal ambition.
“But he taught me about public service, and he always would say that nothing worthwhile is achieved without great sacrifice,” Marcos said.
“Perhaps the most important lesson that I learned from him was public service must be above your country and your countrymen. It is a principle that guided him throughout his life, for this service, as a soldier to his years in public office, and eventually as president.”
Marcos Jr. emphasized that these foundational lessons continue to dictate his administration’s daily decisions and policy direction.
“I today carry the responsibilities of that office. But the same principles continue to guide me every single day. Because in every decision that we make, we must exercise judgment, put the national interest first, and ask what will best serve the Filipino people,” he said.
“Because what we do in service of our people is not for ourselves. It is for the country. It is for the people,” he added.
As part of the official event, the President laid a ceremonial wreath at the monument of Marcos Sr., who held office from 1965 to 1986.
The elder Marcos’s regime included the 1972 declaration of martial law—a period marked by documented human rights violations against political dissidents—and ended when the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution forced the family into exile.