What do you think of the Marcos Regime?
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
Quezon, Philippines
July 3, 2010 4:21am CST
I just can't take what's happening in our country nowadays. The more I compare with the administrations after Marcos, the more I get to think that our country is not really under a democratic and a republic rule but of an oligarchy mixed with everything in between.
If not for the killings, summary executions and human rights violations which happened in Ferdinand Marcos' regime, our country would definitely be the most powerful country in Southeast Asia nowadays. That's what I think of the Marcos regime. I think Marcos was the most intelligent president that ever served in the Philippines. He had plans that really served the Filipino people.
I have seen Singapore early this year and I was amazed by that city-states' development in regards of urbanizing their country. They have public transportation way more developed than ours. Their housing and residential facilities are organized. All in all, I think we are really left behind.
President Marcos, then, was a friend to Singapore's Prime Minister in that time. Maybe they have exchanged ideas and that prime minister adapted Mr. Marcos' ideas in their country.
Philippines is far more wealthier than Singapore in terms of natural resources. Actually, I think, Singapore don't have that much natural resources. Their tourism is based on modern infrastructures and not on natural resources.
I think if Marcos was not ousted in 1986, Philippines is far more greater than any country in East Asia combined. He had the intelligence and the capability of running a republic with his iron fist.
I have an office-mate that said that in Marcos' time, Marcos is the only rich guy in the country. Everyone else were equal. I think that rule is better than today. Today there are poor ones and the rich ones. And the poor ones are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. There's no fairness in that. At least then our money has more value and the basic needs are not expensive.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a Marcos loyalist. I am not that old to really see the Marcos Era. I was born in 1980. I was six years old when Edsa Revolution broke out. When I was growing up, I thought Marcos deserved all the things that happened to him. Now I think differently.
If not for the killings... maybe, just maybe, our country threaded a different path to greatness.
3 people like this
9 responses
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
3 Jul 10
Thank your lucky stars that you did not live through his reign of terror.
I grew up through the Marcos years, and I assure you it was no picnic. You're scary man, seems to me you'll give up your rights just to be rich. It was not just the killings that were scary (although it was, I assure you), it was the general lack of freedom. Political talks were frowned upon. You should never show your colors because someone might just pick you or your family up for saying the wrong things. Did you not hear about the broadcaster who just made fun of a slogan and was picked up and imprisoned for it? Rich families such as the Cojuangcos and the Ayalas kept mum not just out of fear that they will lose their possessions, but their lives or that of their loved ones too. I doubt if you can separate Marcos' character and just live with his brilliance. Plus, just because he was friends with someone brilliant, does not make him one ipso facto. Sure he was bar topnotcher but brilliance is more than intellectual greatness. It is how you use them that will distinguish you.
I disagree with your officemate that it was only Marcos who was rich that time and everyone else were equal underneath. His cronies were also rich. There were a lot of poor people back then, it just did not get reported lest Marcos gets mad. Imelda Marcos built a wall just to hide the squatters back then from the eyes of foreigners. There were a lot of squatters that time. Do you think they just mushroomed after Marcos? Are they equal to the rest of society? Statistically, the level of poverty has remained around 1/3 of our total population.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat them.
2 people like this
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
4 Jul 10
What's the point of economic growth if there is no freedom. look at North Korea now, a lot of Nations are "donating" to that regime even though north Korea tends to be a spoiled brat country. i'd rather live that hell now rather than the government being so pushy against the ordinary people like us
1 person likes this
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
6 Jul 10
I don't know about that era really. I was a kid when Marcos' power was declining.
Do you know the history of Singapore? What I know about Singapore was it was handled by one leader for quite a long time after it gained sovereignty from Malaysia. I don't know that leader's name or how long he served the country bu he made Singapore. Now, Singapore is one of the wealthiest and developed country in the world.
Singapore is just the size of Metro Manila, or something like that. One leader can really lead that small country to greatness. Philippines is much much larger. In addition, Philippines is an archipelago. Seven thousand and more islands to be exact. How can one man with a vision lead it to greatness without compensating the area of the Philippines.
What I want to show you is that a sacrifice must be made so that greatness can achieved.
Maybe that's the only way Marcos thought so that he can lead this nation to development. We were there, dudes.
We should not take history books dictate reality. History are made only for the winners. Sometimes, history is not the truth. Is is sometimes the words of those who won in that era.
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
8 Oct 11
And one more thing... What, really, is freedom?
Is there freedom now more than then?
Would you equate freedom with our development?
There are still broadcasters who gets killed every now and then but is Marcos around to command that act?
Families now are massacred at the middle of the night without even talking about politics, more so Marcos.
Would you care for the Cojuangco's and the Ayala's now? They can buy an island or more. They benefited more from the EDSA Revolution.
@IntrovertShy (2780)
• Marikina, Philippines
8 Feb 11
I just remember my mom and dad. My mom likes Corazon Aquino so much and she's against with Ferdinand Marcos while my dad likes Ferdinand Marcos so much and he's against with Corazon Aquino... ha ha ha 
They were always debating and arguing to each other... ha ha ha In my point of view, though Ferdinand Marcos did something really bad, he did a lot of things in the Philippines compare to our present days. Let us say, he really did something bad, but I guess everything has its own reason why he did those things and now, look! Haaaay.... I still hoping that someday our country would be better and be one of the first world country like Japan and another was high salary for musicians. I was also taking music course from the past, and the teacher told me that during Ferdinand Marcos, there were high salary for musicians but this present days, I guess, musicians has this low salary compare from the past. The reason is that Imelda Marcos loves music. She's a music lover.
They were always debating and arguing to each other... ha ha ha In my point of view, though Ferdinand Marcos did something really bad, he did a lot of things in the Philippines compare to our present days. Let us say, he really did something bad, but I guess everything has its own reason why he did those things and now, look! Haaaay.... I still hoping that someday our country would be better and be one of the first world country like Japan and another was high salary for musicians. I was also taking music course from the past, and the teacher told me that during Ferdinand Marcos, there were high salary for musicians but this present days, I guess, musicians has this low salary compare from the past. The reason is that Imelda Marcos loves music. She's a music lover. 
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
8 Oct 11
All of the salaries now are low.
That is why professionals are going abroad instead of putting up here in the Philippines.
@IntrovertShy (2780)
• Marikina, Philippines
8 Feb 11
Honestly speaking, deep inside, I was hoping someday that there would be a president that has the personality and character of Ferdiand Marcos that would make our country better than from the past.
1 person likes this
@xtedaxcvg (3189)
• Philippines
4 Jul 10
You won't have the EDSA revolution if Marcos' reign is sufficient for a better Philippines. Yes, Marcos did a lot when it comes to infrastructure and the economy. But the price was the people's freedom. I wouldn't want to live in that era even if I was a Marcos supporter.
1 person likes this
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
6 Jul 10
Or it may be the other way around.
Maybe we were getting to greatness and all those who want greatness for themselves stopped it and planned a different path for the Philippines.
Maybe there was not really freedom grabbing, just an iron fist to discipline.
Singapore is a disciplined state. When I was there early this year I have a feeling of uneasiness because everything is orderly and my elder brother told me to do this and that and don't do this and that. For me, its like there's no freedom but is it really or we're just paranoid of Martial Law. Or we just don't want others to tell us to do the right way.
@knicnax (2233)
• Philippines
5 Jul 10
I was thinking along the same lines when I was in highschool but what my teacher told me when I told her something similar to what you said changed me.
I wasn't born during Marcos's time. I was born in 1988. I just studied him in A.P. (araling panlipunan) and I really think that he did well. Also I'm in favor of strict discipline. Really he's tag line is correct: "Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan" or something like that.
Anyway, he was smart. He made use of our agriculture to boost GDP and GNP, he was smart in a lot of things, but he's really the root cause of our poverty. When he took over the Philippines, we weren't poor. We were a rising nation. He made our economy stronger and our nation stable, but slowly he was using our money for his benefit. He loaned huge amounts of money, saying that it's for stuff in out country but all he was doing was keeping it. That's why we have such a large debt. It's because of him.
Also the rich became richer because of him. He privatized a lot of our public such as electricity, water, etc. His friends were given a great deal of control over government sectors and public utilities and various lands that made the poor poorer and them, richer
1 person likes this
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
6 Jul 10
Privatization of government owned corporations were done in Ramos' administration.
@greenpeas (998)
• Philippines
12 Jul 10
Oh boy, when where you born like in 1981?
Ok here's the fact:
The economy during the start of the 1970's were robust. By the start of the 80's the country was bankrupt.
Marcos and his cronies engaged in the systematical plunder of the country's treasury from the beginning of his term up to the end.
Marcos politicized the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He made the entire armed forces the private army of his dictatorship.
Marcos ordered the imprisonment, torture, and summary executions of thousands of Filipinos, many of them disappeared. One of these was my friend.
Your unfounded allegations and revision of history is truly insulting to those who fought the dictatorship so you will have the freedom to post your twisted thoughts today.
1 person likes this
@zel2zel (134)
• Philippines
4 Jul 10
I agree with you, but honestly speaking, I don't know much of how Marcos handled everything before. What I just know is that he is the greatest of all the Presidents who served the country and I idolize him for that. But he proclaimed Martial Law, and he became somewhat 'bad' because of that. Errr... Bongbong Marcos is now on the Senate, right? I think he will run for Presidency... soon... maybe?
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
8 Oct 11
Maybe he didn't get really bad.
Maybe the idea of Martial Law was taken differently. It was new then.
As I have said, maybe that was the only way he could think of how he can control all the islands of the Philippines. Maybe he had plans that didn't pushed through because of all that had already happened.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
4 Jul 10
Hello there,
I believe marcos was too much when he became power hungry. he should have left his first time, other wise, it could have been a great exit for him leading to others into the new era, but he didn't and that's when things went bad. from what i remember in this videos that i watch, the treatment to the Filipino back then is like how Kim Jong Il is treating the North Korean people now.
It was our fault, or our old timers, who was set free like dog in the caged by marcos in all of those years, because they went wild and corrupt where it should have been a great day for change. it wasn't Marcos who made the country great, it was still the PEOPLE, if only he could have just let it go, maybe we could have been like Japan, Singapore or South Korea by now
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
6 Jul 10
Do you know what really happened then? What are those rallies for? Aren't rallies a sign of a democratic freedom?
I don't know either what really happened then but we should think outside the history books and take reality in its whole context.
Maybe Marcos did all those things he actually did for the greater good and lesser evil to come.
Guys, I'm not a loyalist to Marcos. Lets just be fair in giving out accusations that we really don't know.
@Boyetski (986)
• Philippines
3 Jul 10
I agree with you that Marcos Government is a good government. Dollar exchange is almost 1 to 1. That was before currency is based on gold not in GNP. Debth to US is just starting to construct the nuclear power plant in Bataan. And it never worked and never gained any profit. The killings and those warrant less arrest to those who oppose him is just too much.
Our debth after Marcos grew higher and higher because currency that then based of GOLD is now based on GNP (or Gross National Product) In which when we compare to US's GNP the difference is a lot. Individual production of each working Filipino is almost 100:1 ratio to US production because of population difference. So that makes our debth larger and larger and guess what larger... Hehehe
So Marcos leave us with same amount of problem and good legacy. That I think nullify his government as the greatest in Philippine history.
1 person likes this
@ethanonthemoon (1494)
• Quezon, Philippines
8 Oct 11
But can you really blame Marcos for that debt? I mean if the government that served after him did something better maybe that debt became lesser. Don't you think so?
