Highlights: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Inaugural Address

July 1, 2022

On June 30, 2022, President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fulfilled his ceremonial duties as he bid farewell to outgoing President Rodrigo Roa Duterte from Malacanang Palace. Soon after, he went straight to the National Museum for his official inauguration as the new president of the Republic of the Philippines.

Below are the highlights of his inaugural address:

• Marcos started off his address echoing his campaign message of unity and how this has resonated with the Filipino people who elected him to power. He called on everyone to band together and push forward as one.
  • He reassured everyone that he understands the gravity of his responsibility and called on the people for their continued support in bringing further success to the country.
• Marcos then paid tribute to his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. and his achievements during his time in power. While doing so, he reminded the public that he will not linger on the past, but rather on the country’s future.
• Marcos also reflected on the impact of the pandemic, the work that went into the country’s recovery, and thanked President Duterte for his courage in making the hard decisions.
• Marcos then mused on the different potentials that the country could unlock with a reliable government. He spoke of proper support, empowerment, a government that reflects every sense of being Filipino, and the possibility of becoming a better nation with a united government and people.
  • He also echoed the value of Filipinos focusing on their own lives while the government gets the work done without requiring more from them. 
  • He claimed that there would be no excuses from his government, but rather continued delivery of service.
• Marcos reflected on his presidential campaign and how he did not speak against his opponents. Rather, he searched for promising approaches and listened to the people rather than lecture them on who had the biggest stake in the country’s success.
• With this “fresh” chapter of history, Marcos called on everyone to work together to rebuild and address challenges to provide Filipinos what it deserves. 
  • He is here to repair a house divided, to make it whole and to stand strong again in the bayanihan way through dialogs that respect contrary views and are open to suggestions.
  • Marcos reminded everyone to never forget that we are Filipinos, one nation, one republic indivisible. He drew back on how the country stood under his father’s watch, while seeing critics concede. 
  • He called on everyone to be part of the solution, united in fulfilling a chosen goal. 
• Marcos acknowledged the troubling times that Filipinos face and encouraged them to not give up, but to be united just like in the campaign season.
• Marcos then shared what he learned from the campaign, that what everyone wants is peace in the country, for families and children to have a better life in a safer and prosperous country.
  • He claimed that the Filipinos’ dream is his dream and that their hopes are his as well.
• Marcos shared that his team is drawing up a comprehensive all-inclusive plan for economic transformation that will see the country’s recovery, and become even better. 
• Marcos also acknowledged the need to improve on the agricultural sector. 
  • He said that while food self-sufficiency was the key promise of every administration, only one had delivered on its stake. 
  • He shared that food is not just a trade commodity. Without it, people weaken and die, societies come apart. He described it as “more than a livelihood, it is an existential imperative, and a moral one.”
• Marcos echoed the same sentiments towards energy supply. He explained that sufficient fossil fuel-free technology for whole economies has yet to be invented and it is not seriously tried by rich countries. 
• Alluding to the country’s education sector, Marcos said that what is being taught in schools as well as the materials being used, must be retaught. Veering away from history, his focus is on basic education such as the sciences, sharpening theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational skills such as in the German example. Alongside, the national language, with equal emphasis and facility in a global language, which we had and lost.
  • He claimed that the country once had an education system that prepared coming generations for more and better jobs and he is hopeful that this will be restored by Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio who will also be serving as the Secretary of Education.
• Marcos circled back on the pandemic saying the Filipino people will not be caught unprepared, underequipped, and understaffed to fight the next pandemic. He reflected on the current state of the health sector and how its quality had diminished over the years.
  • He also spoke highly of Filipino nurses who have been recognized around the world, but have also suffered from the pandemic, as the country is not able to answer their needs at home. Marcos expressed his confidence on how this would get better for them with Susan Ople as the Secretary for the Department of Migrant Workers.
  • He also expressed how his government will fix the shortcomings of the pandemic response, drawing from his personal COVID experience.
• Marcos drew parallels between his father’s administration and President Duterte’s and how both produced greater economic results for the country with the help of investors. 
  • He expressed to finish the ongoing projects on time and to build on the success of his predecessors. He claimed, “No part of our country will be neglected. Progress will be made wherever there are Filipinos so, no investment is wasted.”
• Marcos then spoke about the recovery of Philippine tourism and placed emphasis on nature’s beauty. He dwelled on the value of having large scale practical solutions to address pollution. For example, the windmills in Ilocos Norte that continue to power the province, which he claimed to have built.
• Marcos then moved on to discuss climate change as he looked to the country’s partners to help in addressing the risk it faces along with its citizens. However, he also acknowledged how the Philippines is the third biggest plastics polluter in the world and he takes accountability in cleaning this up.
• As he closes his speech, Marcos reiterated his commitment to the Filipino people, saying he “will not spare myself from shedding the last bead of sweat or giving the last ounce of courage and sacrifice.”
  • Explaining his confidence, he said it is because he has the Filipino people to start with and his faith in them.
  • He encouraged everyone to believe, have hope, and that “the sun also rises like it did today and as it will tomorrow. And as surely as that, we will achieve the country, all Filipinos deserve.”