President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he would not choose a different family, describing himself as “the luckiest person” for the upbringing that shaped him despite the political baggage of the Marcos name.
“Oh my gosh! Would I want to have been born into another family? Absolutely not,” Marcos told students in the latest episode of his BBM Podcast.
“Parang ang tingin ko sa sarili ko, ako na ang pinakasuwerteng tao na kilala ko… Wala na akong kilala na tao na masuwerte pa sa akin dahil ganyan ang naging ama ko, ganyan ang naging mother ko, ganyan ang naging experience ko.”
He reflected on the lessons learned from his life as a Marcos, noting, “Kasi lahat naman ng experience kahit hindi ka nage-enjoy, may natututunan ka eh, ’di ba?”
After the Marcos family fled to Hawaii following the 1986 People Power Revolution, Marcos returned to the Philippines and entered public service, serving as Governor of Ilocos Norte, Congressman, Senator, and eventually President. Despite his political path, he said politics was never part of his original plan.
“At saka medyo nadidismaya na sa akin ’yung magulang ko kasi you know ako ang lalaki eh, iisa akong lalaki. Pero ayaw na ayaw ko, ayaw na ayaw ko… Sabi ko, nakita ko ’yung magulang ko, ang hirap ng buhay nila, ang daming sakripisyo. Sabi ko, ayaw ko na ’yung tahimik lang na buhay. That’s why I went to business school.”
Marcos said he has no regrets about the life he has led.
“Kaya dito ako napunta. Not that I regret anything of it. I do not regret one day,” he said, joking that the hardest part of public life is sleep deprivation.
“Mahirap matulog. Mahirap buoin ’yung tulog… ’Pag gising mo, ang hirap nang bumalik sa tulog kasi papasok na naman sa isip mo ’yung mga kailangan gawin,” he added.