Policy meets personality in busy sked

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s week was filled with activities that struck a balance between ensuring a stable energy supply, particularly during peak summer demand, and advising Filipino couples on building a stable relationship on Valentine’s Day.

With recurring concerns over grid reliability, rising demand, and the looming pressures of the dry season, the President sought to temper public anxiety, explaining that energy security, after all, is not merely a technical matter of megawatts and reserves but a gauge of administrative competence.

The week also reflected the familiar rhythm of statecraft: meetings, inspections, and policy pronouncements designed to signal steady stewardship.

Yet it was on Valentine’s Day that the President momentarily stepped outside the austere register of governance and into the softer terrain of personal counsel.

In remarks that blended lightness with a moral undertone, he offered couples advice on cultivating stable relationships — emphasizing patience, communication, and mutual respect.

Leadership, in this sense, extends beyond policy into the symbolic shaping of social values.

Such moments humanize the presidency, softening its institutional edges. In a political environment often dominated by contestation and critique, gestures toward everyday concerns — romance, family, partnerships — can recalibrate the public’s perception of distance.

They allow a leader to inhabit the same calendar as the citizenry, acknowledging shared rituals and sentiments. Even brief holiday messages can function as subtle instruments of rapport-building, reinforcing relatability without sacrificing authority.

From safeguarding Luzon’s energy stability to dispensing relationship advice on Valentine’s Day, President Marcos navigated both structural and sentimental spheres.

09 February

Better reliability for RE option

On Monday, the President led the ceremonial handover of the 797-megawatt Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plant complex in Laguna after it was acquired by Aboitiz Renewables Inc., the renewable energy arm of Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower), providing a reliable energy supply in the Luzon grid and building on the strength of both the public and private partnership.

Thunder Consortium, composed of Aboitiz Renewables and Japanese firms Sumitomo Corp. and Electric Power Development Co. Ltd., won the auction conducted by the state-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) for the CBK HEPP’s privatization in July 2025, with the acquisition of CBK HEPP’s hydroelectric and pumped storage assets being approved by the Philippine Competition Commission in November of the same year.

10 February

21 measures secure urgent seal

Marcos approved 21 priority measures during the Third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) full meeting of the 20th Congress in Malacañang. The priority proposals targeted for passage in June are designed to improve the quality of life for Filipinos, enhance social protections, and promote transparency and accountability in government.

These priority proposals include the Travel Tax Abolition; the Expanded Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2026; the Anti-Fake News and Digital Disinformation; and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Elections.

The other priority legislative measures include the Anti-Political Dynasty Law; the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act; the Independent People’s Commission Act; and the Party-List System Reform Act.

11 February

4-K new classrooms eyed

The Chief Executive led the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Department of Education and local government units to fast-track the construction of classrooms nationwide.

Marcos said the government aims to build 4,000 new classrooms under the first tranche of the agreement. As of December 2025, the country faced a classroom shortage of 145,000 units, a gap that must be urgently addressed.

12 February

Mahayag dam undergoes rehab

The President flew to Zamboanga del Sur to spearhead the inauguration of the rehabilitated Mahayag Dam and the turnover of solar-powered pump irrigation projects across the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Marcos said the upgraded dam will provide efficient water diversion, improve irrigation reliability and agricultural productivity in the region, and enhance flood control and safety for homes and livelihoods in the province.

The dam was reconstructed after it sustained severe damage a few years ago due to flooding, affecting residents in the municipalities of Mahayag, Molave, Ramon Magsaysay, and Sominot.

13 February

Subway makes headway

President Marcos inspected the construction of the Shaw Boulevard Station, a key component of the Metro Manila Subway Project, noting the steady progress in the development of the country’s first-ever underground mass transit system.

Following the inspection, the President attended the groundbreaking for the MMSP Kalayaan Avenue and Bonifacio Global Citystations at the Uptown Parade Parking Lot in BGC, Taguig City.

Marcos highlighted the progress of the Shaw Boulevard Station. He expressed optimism about the project’s implementation, noting that the Kalayaan Avenue and BGC stations will connect the Shaw Boulevard Station in Pasig City to the Lawton Avenue Station in Taguig City.

14 February

Love means leadership

Capping the week, President Marcos on Saturday shared his personal reflections on love and marriage, telling couples that lasting relationships are built on mutual understanding and stressing that true friendship is the foundation of a strong partnership.

The President also answered questions from youth groups about love, marriage, and family life, drawing on more than his three decades of marriage to First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

Marcos emphasized that making time for each other despite busy schedules, nurturing your friendship, and doing small, thoughtful acts are key to sustaining a long and healthy relationship.