PBBM: One year down, five to go

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) was sworn in as the 17th president of the Republic of the Philippines on June 30, 2022. Indeed, the year passed quickly since the overwhelming tally of votes that swept him to office. Much has happened but, for me, it is what did not happen that matters more. It will be recalled that the campaign for President was, at times, heated. Camps of the major candidates were seen to exchange pointed barbs. Head counts of campaign rallies were contested. Debates were contentious because of non-engagement as much as engagement. It was, well, a vigorously fought election. In the aftermath, however, tensions seemed to have ebbed rather quickly. Respect for the ballot was upheld and the will of the people was held inviolate. The transition of power was smooth despite undercurrents about party alliances. Level-headedness prevailed and the interests of the country and the people were placed above the bickering and squabbles. There were no unruly post-election rallies, to my knowledge. There were no confrontations or violent contests. Political barbs on social media continued but faded in short time. The transition from President Duterte to President Marcos was, for all intents and purposes, a non-event. It was as it should be. This being my first on-the-ground Philippine national election after working in Singapore for 18 years and four previous elections, I was struck by how much the demeanor of the nation had changed, for the better. It was a very pleasant surprise. To my mind, the experience of the last election was a clear indication of a maturing electorate. What was impressive to me was that Filipinos seem to have genuinely made their choices based on their aspirations. They were voting with a sense of hope – whoever their candidate was. The increased participation of the youth helped  bolster my sense that the election was about a desire for a better future. Of course, there are still those that voted based on popularity, name recall or patronage politics. But I have now come to realize that this is not unique to the Philippines, just degrees of separation in one nation compared to another.  For a country that has spent a good part of our history being a colony of Spain, Japan and the United States, I suppose getting used to deciding our own fate will take longer than most. I think, though, that we are already on the ascent. Perhaps, the Filipino youth – with an average age of 26 years – is a driving force in our transition to a more confident and responsible electorate. They have a more defined sense of self and are more vocal about their views. They grew up in a globalized, more connected world. They have not experienced the  years of subjugation and repression that previous generations have, shedding fears of recrimination for speaking – and voting – their mind. As well, education and the access to information has allowed for more informed choices, though social media also carries the not-so-pleasant downside of trolling and fake news. So, yes, I am very much encouraged by the post-election things that did not happen but which I was expecting would. However, that is not to mean that things that did happen have not been encouraging as well. I was pleased at how PBBM’s administration was able to hit the ground running, almost from day one. Surely, there was a little of the afterglow moment, deservedly so in my mind. PBBM and his team, though, had a clearly well thought out plan and a path towards putting it into action. His well-credentialed and respected economic team and other cabinet-appointees were practically on standby, taking on their roles without delay. Having said that, it strikes me that PBBM’s assumption of the role of Agriculture Secretary and his belated appointment of a Health Secretary were not for lack of a candidate but was part of his grand plan all along. Food sufficiency and security – more than military stability – have become such front-of-mind concerns for the people. The hand that feeds looms larger than the hand that polices. Likewise, emerging from COVID, it was important to keep continuity in the Health Department to assure a steady return to normalcy. Despite controversies in food prices and supplies, I think it was somewhat reassuring that PBBM was at the helm of the Department of Agriculture. Similarly, Acting Secretary Vergeire was able to calm stakeholders – and the people – thus setting the stage for the country’s restart. One year later and a second State of the Nation address in the offing, people are eager to hear what more there is to expect. “I see sunlight filtering through these dark clouds… The state of the nation is sound." Marcos said. Are we ready for what lies ahead? For comments: [vincosocco101@gmail.com](mailto:vincosocco101@gmail.com)