On 8 February 2021, Bongbong Marcos took the stage at the Philippine Arena. Speaking with inflection and cadence which are unmistakably that of his late father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., BBM pledged to continue with the development projects, foreign policy, and other programs of the incumbent President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

In retrospect, BBM was never on the radar screen of presidential aspirants. He was frequently in Davao City, accompanied by big sister Sen. Imee Marcos, a friend of then Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte. Like most Duterte watchers, the Davao political pilgrimage was not just for coffee talks but for a grand political plot for a Duterte-Marcos tandem.

How else? The popularity of Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte the country's "iron lady" reverberates nationwide. The unprecedented approval and popularity of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, is indubitably a big plus she is no doubt the heir to the presidential seat.

Perceived to be the most winnable presidential bet, it was not only BBM who presented himself to be her running mate. Several others joined the queue but the lady was evasive and evaded speculations she is after the highest position of the land.

The public enthusiasm died down when she later filed her certificate of candidacy for Mayor with her younger brother Baste as her running mate. Then the unexpected happened. She withdrew from the mayoral race and opted to run for vice president.

Even that did not assuage the frustration of her supporters They wanted her for President. She was not in a hurry nor was she hankering for power. She wanted to know more about what lies ahead.

Thus, BBM was it. Under the Unity Team ticket, Bongbong and Inday Sara won by unprecedented super majority votes. The fragmented and moribund opposition did nothing but burned the ashes of the late President Marcos and in the process ended in ignoble defeat.

Six months had elapsed in the Marcos presidency. The first 100 days were nothing but euphoria and disasters. The sugar importation anomaly revealed a travesty of corruption right at the doorsteps of Malacañang Palace. The first memo circular effectively proved "continuity" was just political rhetoric.

BBM took the agriculture portfolio. It was a signal that, finally, the farmers will be emancipated from poverty, and agricultural productivity to increase. I thought he will adopt the template of his late father, but he was and still is simply oblivious. I thought, too that Domingo Panganiban will be a big help but the man either lost the vim or Alzheimer's had set in. Nothing that Apo Marcos did to increase productivity had been applied. What a waste of time and opportunity.

PBBM had several state visits and tucked home billions of pesos in investment prospects. So far it's all prospects. The surprise US trip yielded some prospects too except that these were with strings attached: five more EDCA bases… all veritable beacons for a nuclear attack.

The legislative department fared well. It shows its independence by turning down presidential appointees. I surveyed several FB friends as to who among the senators are doing well. Senators Imee Marcos and Bong Go are way above the rest.

Among the Davao Congressmen, Deputy Speaker Sid Ungab of the 3rd District of Davao City and Rep. Alan Dujali of the 2nd District of Davao del Norte scored high.

VP Inday Sara Duterte still enjoys a large following from among my FB friends who gave her 85 percent against PBBM's 55 percent. She "a silent worker", and "focused on her job" but some negative comments on "intelligence funds" were raised.

PBBM's "weakness", as citizen Rodrigo Duterte described him, is showing this early. He downgrades the uncompromising policy of then-PRRD on drug issues. Unexpectedly too, PBBM is not watching the kitchen door in the Palace where appointments to various positions are cooked. Some of his ardent supporters have distanced themselves from him as he has started to be hobnobbing and sleeping with his enemies.

Perceived to be the most corrupt and inept agency is the Department of Public Works and Highways. The Bureau of Customs, despite unabated smuggling of onions, sugar, and shabu, had been dislodged from among the most corrupt mainly on account of high revenue collections. That goes with the BIR too.

Many of my FB friends, however, think that it's too early to judge. Well, maybe we have gotten used to "noynoying". We thought it is all right to wait for tomorrow what we can do today.

And that is where our problems start. Just the same, here's wishing everyone better and more productive years ahead of us.