If Bongbong were a song

“Try to see it my way

Do I have to keep on talking ‘til I can’t go on?

While you see it your way

Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone

We can work it out

We can work it out…”

In these days of upended beliefs and torn hopes, the world finds its anchor in people who tirelessly proclaim the simplest truths. One of them, in present-day Philippines with its lions’ share of challenges, is the man we call BBM.

Malacañang’s top honcho, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., embodies the ideal of a head of state: Whip-smart, worldly and wise. But behind the polish, a more personal image emerges: A guy of culture and curiosity, a loving father and husband and to those closest to him, just “Bongets.”

Marcos Jr., the nation’s 17th president, came into the political picture when he was just 23. Coming home to take on the governorship in his hometown, Ilocos Norte, he began what one might say has been a phenomenal return to the Palace that his family once called home.

Because of his blood ties, Marcos Jr. has had to contend with the extremes in perception for most of his life. When he stepped into power, first in the local realm, onto to the Senate and eventually the presidency, BBM seemed to sail through it all. Calm seems to be his middle name, a man unhurried even by a firestorm of controversies.

Yet, perhaps, as this man born to wealth and influence celebrates his 68th year on earth today, the passage of time has molded and solidified the purpose he has been given to lead our nation.

Most recently, a show of emotion took place in the midst of his State of the Nation Address, when he reprimanded the lawmakers and leaders of the land: “Mahiya naman kayo!”

It was memorable in its departure from the usual, and gave Filipinos a closer look at the spirit of the man whose political metier is never far from his personal journey.

A childhood written into history

Bongbong, the only son and namesake of President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. and First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, was born in Batac, Ilocos Norte, on 13 September 1957. He was raised at the center of the country’s political scene alongside his three sisters, Imee, Irene and Aimee.

He played himself in the 1965 biographical film Iginuhit ng Tadhana, which chronicled his father’s ascent to political prominence, when he was just eight years old. His youthful voice spoke in almost prophetic terms: the young man who aspired to be a politician eventually became the nation’s highest ranking official.

His name even made its way into science by 1975, when the nation’s first locally produced missiles were tested and given the moniker “Bongbong rockets” — an odd fact that shows how ingrained the Marcoses name was in the fabric of the country.

Passions of a gentleman

His universe was opened by education, even though his early years were rich with history.

Marcos Jr. gained more than just credentials from universities like La Salle Greenhills, Worth School in England, Oxford University and later the Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania. He also developed a cosmopolitan outlook that would eventually influence his political outlook.

Bongbong is a man with refined tastes outside of the policy sphere.

He inherited his father’s love of reading and his mother’s passion of the kitchen. In fact, his culinary repertoire ranges from the comforts of sinigang and pinakbet to the elegance of pan-seared steak.

Movies also occupy a unique place in his free time, when he indulges like any other film buff—downloading, collecting and rewatching masterpieces. However, music is what truly moves him.

While studying in England, he once performed in pubs with a band, a brief but defining chapter that ignited a lifelong devotion. Today, he remains a proud Beatles aficionado, with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as his favorite album and a photograph at John Lennon’s childhood home as one of his prized memorabilia.

A family man

Bongbong married Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, a lawyer and educator who has served as his silent rock of support since 1993.

They raised three sons, Sandro, Simon and Vinny, emphasizing virtues like independence, discipline and heritage.

Despite his busy work, those close to Marcos Jr. describe him as a hands-on father who is present not only for milestones but also for ordinary events such as family dinners, chats and laughs.

‘We Can Work It Out’

As President of Bagong Pilipinas, Marcos Jr. has repeatedly emphasized unity, echoing the Beatles’ ageless song: “We Can Work It Out.” His leadership style prioritizes collaboration over conflict, conversation over division and hope over hesitation.

“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,” he said after his proclamation as the 17th President of the Republic.

Perhaps Marcos Jr.’s genuine attraction stems not from his name or political background, but from how he balances tradition with modernity, responsibility and passion, public duty and private pleasures.

“Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong,” goes the Beatles song.

Unfazed by critics but well aware of realities, BBM inspires hope in a nation cracked with controversy. Who, but a man who has lived through it, can help us survive the same throes of difficulty?

On the world stage, he is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. For society, he represents both continuity and transformation. But to those who know him best, he remains—endearingly and affectionately—a man who builds better, based on experience.