President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. opened up about the profound lessons he learned from his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., stressing that growing up in the presidential household gave him an early understanding of the demands and pressures of leadership.
“May malaking advantage ako dahil ‘yung father ko naging presidente. So, for 20 years, napapanood ko siya. Sabi ko, alam ko, ang hirap na trabaho ito (I have a huge advantage because my father was president. So for 20 years, I watched him. I said to myself, I know how difficult this job is),” Marcos said in an episode of the BBM podcast.
He shared that witnessing his father handle national challenges taught him the importance of managing stress, pacing oneself, and thinking clearly—a practice he now deliberately applies as President.
Marcos emphasized that despite his heavy workload, he has learned to take strategic pauses to maintain clarity.
“So, you have to learn to manage it. Una akong umupo, ayaw kong mag-break kasi ang daming trabaho. Pero you have to teach yourself hindi kailangan mong mag-break. Kasi you're not as clear in your thinking when you start to get tired. O ‘di ba? Or you're not as fast (At first, I wouldn’t take breaks because there was so much work. But you have to teach yourself that you don’t always need to take a break. Because when you start getting tired, your thinking isn’t as clear. Right? Or you’re not as fast),” he explained.
Asked about what drives him to serve, Marcos Jr. responded firmly: “I'm here to serve. I'm not here for myself… Keep working, keep working. Kulang pa. Hindi natatapos ’yung trabaho (It’s not enough. Work won’t end).”
Despite admitting the tremendous sacrifices of his role, especially the loss of restful sleep, Marcos maintained that public service demands relentless effort.
When asked if he would ever wish to have been born into a different family, the President responded with an emphatic no.
“Oh my gosh! Would I want to have been born into another family? Absolutely not,” he said.
“I still consider – parang ang tingin ko sa sarili ko, ako na ang pinakasuwerteng tao na kilala ko. Wala na akong kilala na tao na masuwerte pa sa akin dahil ganyan ang naging ama ko, ganyan ang naging mother ko, ganyan ang naging experience ko (I still consider myself — I mean, I see myself as the luckiest person I know. I don’t know anyone luckier than me because of the kind of father I had, the kind of mother I had, and the kind of life experiences I’ve had),” he added.
He shared that although he initially resisted a political career, because he pursued business studies and desired a quiet life, the circumstances ultimately drew him into public service. A path he now said he does not regret.
Marcos also reflected on how he parents his own children, saying he follows the same approach his father modeled.
“You teach by example… Walang formal lessons. Basta nakikita ko lang ’yung mga ginagawa niya.”
When asked whether he would have made different decisions from his father, the President emphasized that the needs of the times have changed.
“You shouldn't be doing the same things as you were doing in 1975 or 1980. This is a different world,” he said, explaining that his administration focuses heavily on innovation and “thinking out of the box” to carry out structural changes that will endure beyond his term.
Marcos acknowledged that he now operates in a “different world,” requiring him to adopt unconventional approaches to advance the country’s progress.
Core lesson from his father: ‘Don’t stop’
Perhaps the most powerful moment came when Marcos Jr. shared the most enduring principle he learned from Marcos Sr.:
“I think the basic thing that I learned from my father is: don’t stop. If you believe in something you're doing for the country, for your people, do not stop. You will have to sacrifice,” he said.
“Don’t stop. You will fail. You have to stand up again,” he added, noting that even today, he sometimes catches himself responding to situations based on something he once observed his father do.
He said this proves how deeply those lessons were ingrained in him.
Marcos hopes that his successor will continue and institutionalize the structural reforms implemented during his administration.
“My hope and the reason the structural change is important is because kahit wala na ako rito, sana ‘yung mga pagbabagong nasimulan namin o na tumatakbo na, magtuluy-tuloy na (even if I'm no longer here, I hope the reforms we've started or are already underway will continue),” he said