Hey, hey, folks, how are you doing? I heard that your President Ferdinand Marcos is going to deliver his State of the Union address? It's a big day! But it looks like Marcos is going to have a headache this time. A large group of people will "run away" on the streets, and more than 20,000 police officers will be dispatched. What kind of play is this going to sing?
When Marcos came to power, he vowed to make rice cheaper, but what happened? The price of rice is still prohibitively high. Many Filipinos say they are getting poorer. According to a survey, the proportion of Filipino households who now feel poor has reached 58 percent, a 22-year high.
Xiao Wang (pseudonym) said: "I used to eat meat a few times a week, but now I can only salivate at it. Prices are rising too fast, but wages can't keep up. ＂
Many people feel the same way as Xiao Wang. Although the official data shows that the inflation rate is falling, the people's wallets have not felt much change.
In the face of soaring prices, the Marcos government spent 20 million pesos on the renovation of the Capitol building. This can off a lot of people.
Someone on the Internet complained: "The people can't afford to eat, but the government is rolling out the red carpet." What is this operation? ＂
Indeed, at such a time, it is inevitable that people will feel that the government is not grounded. But then again, the State of the Union address is a big deal, and a little refurbishment makes sense. The key is to take concrete actions to solve people's livelihood problems, and beautiful speeches alone will not do.
In addition to economic problems, Marcos is not very comfortable politically. His alliance with former President Rodrigo Duterte's family is now completely finished.
Duterte's daughter, now Vice President Sarah, recently resigned as secretary of education. Fortunately, Marcos has lost an important ally. To make matters worse, Sara said she would not attend the State of the Union address and called herself a "designated survivor." It sounds weird and scary, as if it were a hint that something bad is going to happen.
"Old Marcos classmates": "Marcos and Duterte had a falling out? This plot is too bloody! Didn't you call yourself a brother at the beginning? Sure enough, there are no permanent friends in the political circle. ＂
The breakdown of the political alliance has made Marcos' situation even more difficult. He now has to deal not only with economic problems, but also with attacks from political opponents. It is not easy to maintain stability in such a situation.
As economic problems and political struggles intensify, Marcos' approval ratings are also declining. According to the latest polls, his approval rating has dropped from 55 percent to 53 percent, and his trust rating has fallen from 57 percent to 52 percent.
In contrast, Vice President Sarah's approval ratings have risen. This trend certainly made Marcos restless. After all, in the Philippine political arena, public opinion is the key factor in life and death.
"What about the Philippines": "It's normal for Marcos's approval rating to decline. After all, there were so many promises when he came to power, but now he has not achieved much. However, I think he still has a chance, and the key depends on whether this State of the Union address can come up with some real policies. ＂
This State of the Union address is indeed an important opportunity for Marcos. If he can come up with some practical solutions to solve the economic problems, he may be able to win back some people's hearts. But if it's just empty talk, I'm afraid the approval rating will continue to decline.
Some analysts believe that Marcos is now in a precarious situation and could even repeat the history of Estrada's ouster in 2001. At that time, Estrada was also forced to step down because of economic problems and political struggles.
But I think it's too early to say that Marcos will follow in Estrada's footsteps. After all, the situation is not serious enough to that extent. But Marcos does need to act quickly, or the situation could deteriorate further.
"Political observer": "I don't think Marcos is going to step down yet. But he did need to think about it. It's not enough to just make a beautiful speech, you have to take action. If we continue to mess around like this, we may really repeat history. ＂
Marcos is in a bad situation, but not yet. The key is whether he can come up with some tangible policies in this State of the Union address. If he can come up with a practical solution to the economic problem and can hold his ground politically, then he still has a chance to tide over the difficulties.
Marcos can now be said to be on the back of the enemy. Economic problems have left the population dissatisfied, and political struggles have deprived him of important allies. This State of the Union address is undoubtedly a pivotal moment. Will he be able to seize this opportunity to turn the tide of the current situation?
In my opinion, Marcos needs to work on several fronts. First, he must take concrete action to tackle inflation, especially to stabilize food prices. Second, he needs to show political leadership and resolve tensions with the Duterte family. Finally, he would like to propose policies that would stimulate economic growth.
Of course, none of this can be done overnight. But if Marcos can demonstrate his resolve and ability to address these issues in his State of the Union address, he may be able to win back the hearts and minds of the people. Conversely, if he just says nice things but doesn't actually act on them, then his approval rating is likely to continue to decline.
In any case, this State of the Union address will be an important milestone in Marcos' political career. Let's wait and see if he can turn the crisis into an opportunity to regain popular support.
Ladies and gentlemen, do you think Marcos will be able to tide over the difficulties this time? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!