Marcos on his legacy: Food to eat, well-educated people, best English speakers
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —Screengrab from Bongbong Marcos/Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to improve social programs, push for quality education, and make the Philippines the best English-speaking country in Asia before his term ends in 2028.
He said this in Part 2 of Episode 5 of the BBM Vlog released on Tuesday, when asked what he would like to be remembered for as the 17th president of the Philippines.
READ: Education’s success lies in moral conviction, not in intelligence – Marcos
“First of all, the social programs are important. People have to have a good healthcare system. People have to have food to eat. People have to have shelter as much as possible. People have to have—they must be able to survive,” Marcos responded.
“Once you’ve achieved that, for me, the next thing you should do is education. So, I’m putting a great deal of my attention and the government’s focus on education. That is the most important thing that you can do,” he continued.
According to Marcos, the success of a society depends on how well-educated its people are.
Moreover, he said he wants the country to become the number one English-speaking nation on the continent.
”Remember when we were the best English speakers in Asia? We had the highest literacy rate in Asia. Let’s get back there. We need to get back there,” the president emphasized.
A quick review showed that the Philippines has consistently ranked second to Singapore among Asian countries with the best English speakers, based on the EF English Proficiency Index.
“And again, there are so many good people here. They just don’t have the means. They don’t have the support. They don’t have the funding. That’s what we need to do,” he said.
“We have to make sure that the generations to come are well-educated. They’re well-able to compete among themselves in the Philippines and internationally because Filipinos can do that,” he added.
Marcos is currently on the second and final half of his six-year term, which began in 2022. /apl
