President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marks his 65th birthday today, Sept. 13, 2022. This would perhaps be one of his most memorable birthdays as this is his first time as chief executive. This day comes exactly four months after his decisive election victory, which saw him garner an electoral majority with more than 31 million votes.
Popularly known as Bongbong or with his initials BBM (now PBBM), he was born in 1957 in the town of Batac, Ilocos Norte. An influential force in Philippine politics, his family’s bailiwick in Ilocos Norte was where the young Marcos started his political career.
“When the people of Ilocos Norte gave Bongbong their mandate and elected him governor, his term was marked by a greater importance placed on improving the province’s agriculture; support for the establishment and operation of cooperatives that promote better market opportunities to local farmers; the construction of numerous agricultural processing and storage facilities; and a policy environment that encouraged and promoted greater investments in sustainable development and renewable sources of energy,” according to the presidential website.
Aside from governor, he also served as representative of the 2nd district of the province, where he advocated for the establishment of a special economic free port zone in Ilocos Norte to help spur economic growth and foreign investment.
“Bongbong, having already established himself as a strong advocate for the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources and alternative or renewable sources of energy, filed House Bill No. 8617 on the establishment of a National Institute for Clean Energy Research. The bill aimed to provide Filipino scientists and engineers an environment that would support further training, research, and development of indigenous technologies that use renewable sources of power.”
The website further added that due to his strong support and active push for sustainable sources of energy, this led to the development of Southeast Asia’s first wind farm – the Bangui Windmills. This “established the province and the region as a leader and champion for a broader shift to renewable energy and the sustainable use of the country’s natural resources.”
The President’s stint as a senator was also marked by a series of accomplishments in the aspect of OFW welfare and rights, local governance (being chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government), climate change, renewable energy, PAGASA modernization, among others.
The recent election season saw Marcos as a “unity” candidate, which he felt is something urgently needed by this nation as we recover economically from the scourge of the long pandemic. And in his inauguration speech and State of the Nation Address (SONA), the President further echoed his call for unity not only as a tool for recovery, but also as a way to move forward.
In one of the President’s statements, he implored this request to the nation, “I ask you all, pray for me, wish me well. I want to do well because when a president does well, the country does well, and I want to do well for this country.” On his 65th birthday, the nation prays for him, wishes him well, because his success ultimately benefits our nation and our people, especially the next generation of Filipinos.