Marcos government adopts new governance brand
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ordered agencies to adopt the new governance brand “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines), as part of a push for his so-called eight-point economic agenda.
The governance brand is characterized by a “principled, accountable and dependable government reinforced by unified institutions of society, whose common objective is to realize the goals and aspirations of every Filipino,” according to a July 3 memo signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin published on Sunday.
“This really feels like a political farce,” policy analyst Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “But the truth is, this is simply par for the course for a president who needs to be constantly in campaign mode. The platform to project an image is a safety net for the president.”
Presidential Communications Office chief Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.
Bagong Pilipinas is the “overarching theme of the administration’s brand of governance and leadership, which calls for deep and fundamental transformation in all sectors of society and government, and fosters the State’s commitment towards the attainment of comprehensive policy reforms and full economic recovery,” according to the memo.
Mr. Marcos Jr. ordered all agencies including government-owned and -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges to adopt the governance campaign in all their programs and activities.
They should use the campaign’s logo on their letterheads, websites, official social media accounts and other documents and instruments pertaining to flagship programs of the government.
The logo features symbols from the Philippine flag. It also has lines resembling public infrastructure, including the windmills in his home province of Ilocos Norte.
“Clearly, our politicians have absolutely no respect for us in the sense that they always think they can get away with ridiculous moves such as this one,” Mr. Yusingco said. “They are always confident that come election time, they won’t get punished by voters for exhibiting this extreme level of farce.”
Critics said the new campaign seeks to boost nostalgia for the “Bagong Lipunan” (New Society) campaign of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
The elder Marcos used the Bagong Lipunan campaign, among other reasons, to justify his declaration of Martial Law, which led to the arrests and deaths of government critics.
More than 70,000 people were jailed, about 34,000 were tortured, and more than 3,000 people died under martial rule, according to Amnesty International.
“What essentially is happening now is that the current administration is trying to deodorize the infamous Marcos dictatorship using the resources of the Filipino people, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in a statement.
“They are trying to write over what has already been written, reviving defunct projects of the old dictator like the Kadiwa stores, Masagana 99 and now, Bagong Pilipinas,” she added.
Mr. Yusingco noted that if the president was serious about ensuring good governance, all he needs to do is enforce existing anti-corruption laws
He should also pursue the rightsizing of the bloated bureaucracy, he said. “There is absolutely no need to create a new movement that has his branding at the forefront.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
