‘Bagong Pilipinas’ campaign

As expected, the Marcos administration’s launch of its Bagong Pilipinas campaign at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila last Sunday was well-attended, with a huge crowd of over 400,000 from Metro Manila and outlying provinces.

According to its organizers, the Bagong Pilipinas campaign is the overarching theme of the administration’s brand of governance and leadership, characterized by a principled, accountable, and dependable government reinforced by unified institutions of society.

It encourages every Filipino to see beyond differences and work harmoniously to build a nation that shapes a more promising future for its citizens.

Underscoring the important role of the government to attain national development, President Marcos Jr. vowed to make the government more responsive to people’s needs, and urged government officials and personnel to help his administration carry out the much- needed reforms in the bureaucracy.

“For this I pledge, government will neither ask the people for sacrifices it will not exact first upon itself, nor impose a burden that is heavier than what people can carry,” he told the huge crowd.

The President also vowed to fight corruption and extravagant spending in government.

Under the reform campaign, he explained, abuses and government excesses will not be tolerated as government workers and officials are servants of the people, not their masters.

The government will prioritize the welfare of the Filipino youth under Bagong Pilipinas, the President declared, thus giving due recognition to the role of young people as future nation-builders.

“We will meet our greatest obligation to our youth, to mold them into critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and brave visionaries for their country,” he added.

Aside from addressing the needs of young people, Marcos also promised to assist the country’s farmers and fisherfolk.

Amid the looming El Niño phenomenon, the government will extend agricultural programs and support to Filipino farmers to protect their livelihood.

At the same time, the President promised to boost the defense of the people and communities against calamities through the provision of additional resources.

Other key government officials spoke at the rally.

Among them were Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., who told the crowd that the Bagong Pilipinas campaign seeks to bring public services closer to the Filipino people.

The agency, he said, is working closely with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Anti-Red Tape Authority for the digitalization of their services.

More public gatherings such as this are needed to give the national leadership a platform to directly talk to the people and explain to them what the government wants to achieve in the years ahead.

The success of government programs hinges, after all, on broad public support and the active participation of the people in implementing them.

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