MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. says he does not expect to leave behind a perfect record when his term ends in 2028. Instead, he wants his administration’s lasting legacy to be something more difficult to measure: a culture of development, stronger public confidence in government and a continuing commitment to nation-building.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session at the Presidential Luncheon organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) in Manila on Friday, August 14, Marcos said he hopes to leave behind a government that works closely with citizens and different sectors of society.
The President said his vision includes a Philippines that creates more jobs, expands livelihood opportunities, attracts development and becomes more deeply integrated into the global economy.
“That’s what we are trying to do,” Marcos said, describing the legacy he hopes to leave when his administration steps down in 2028. He said he wants that legacy to be a “culture of development” and “nation building.”
Marcos: The goal is progress that continues beyond one administration
Marcos acknowledged that no government can accomplish everything it sets out to do.
He said that if his administration manages to achieve even some success in establishing a sustained culture of development, he would consider that a reasonably good performance.
The statement puts the focus less on individual projects and more on whether government policies and institutions can create momentum that survives a change in leadership.
That distinction could become increasingly important as the Philippines approaches the 2028 presidential election, when Marcos will be constitutionally barred from seeking another presidential term.
His remarks therefore come at a politically significant moment: the administration is entering the final stretch of its six-year mandate while debates over its economic record, governance and possible succession are already intensifying.
Public trust becomes part of the legacy question
The President’s comments also connect development with confidence in government.
ABS-CBN reported that Marcos framed his desired legacy around restoring people’s faith in government, while the PIA account emphasized stronger public trust and confidence in government as part of the administration’s broader goal.
That is significant because economic growth alone does not necessarily translate into stronger public confidence.
For ordinary Filipinos, the ultimate test is whether economic expansion translates into better-paying jobs, more stable livelihoods, affordable necessities, reliable public services and opportunities outside major urban centers.
The administration’s own development framework has similarly placed job creation, investment, infrastructure, digital transformation and human-capital development among its priorities. The Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 was designed to guide the country’s medium-term development agenda through the end of Marcos’ term.
Local governments could play a bigger role
Marcos also pointed to local governments as an important part of sustaining development.
Drawing from his own experience in local government, he argued that local officials are often better positioned to understand the problems facing their communities than officials working from the national government.
His point was straightforward: empowering local governments can bring decision-making closer to the people and make government programs more responsive to conditions on the ground.
That approach could matter particularly in a country where development remains uneven between Metro Manila, other urban centers and geographically isolated communities.
A national policy may set the direction, but implementation often depends on provincial, city and municipal governments that understand their communities’ specific needs.
The economic challenge remains the real measure
The administration’s development ambitions also face a more practical test: whether Filipinos actually feel the gains.
In his 2024 State of the Nation Address, Marcos highlighted poverty reduction, investment-led growth, education, infrastructure, tourism, digital transformation and job creation as key areas of national development.
But the government’s own economic agenda has also acknowledged persistent challenges, including food security, transportation costs, energy prices, learning losses and the need to create quality employment.
This makes the remaining period of the Marcos presidency particularly consequential.
The administration now has less time to demonstrate that its development programs can translate into durable improvements in household income and living standards—and not simply produce favorable macroeconomic statistics.
2028 is already shaping the political conversation
Marcos’ comments also arrive as attention increasingly turns toward the presidential race that will follow his administration.
The President has separately indicated that he intends to endorse a 2028 presidential candidate, with recent reporting saying that continuity on his administration’s anti-corruption efforts will be an important consideration.
That does not mean Marcos has identified a successor.
Rather, it highlights the larger political question surrounding his final years in office: Will the next administration continue the policies and institutional changes that Marcos wants to establish, or will it take the country in a different direction?
That question may ultimately determine whether the President’s desired “culture of development” becomes a lasting national policy—or remains primarily the legacy of one administration.
The final verdict will come after 2028
For now, Marcos is defining the legacy he wants Filipinos to remember.
It is not simply about roads, bridges, investments or economic figures.
It is about creating a government that can work with citizens, empowering local governments, generating jobs and livelihood opportunities, strengthening public confidence and keeping the country’s development agenda moving even after political leadership changes.
The President himself acknowledged that perfection is unrealistic.
The more difficult question is whether the progress he hopes to institutionalize will be strong enough to survive the transition in 2028.
And that may be the real test of the Marcos legacy: not what his administration builds before it leaves, but what continues after it is gone.
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