The economic policies of Ferdinand Marcos' government, which emphasized debt-fueled

prosperity, were terrible for the Philippines. Despite its “New Society” rhetoric, it was not
interested in inclusive growth, long-term state-building, or true social reform in the country.
Instead, Marcos was primarily concerned with maintaining his own power by favoring families
and associates in the socialite group. This was allegedly one of his key motivations for imposing
martial law. Those who ventured to question the regime's power monopoly were intimidated,
imprisoned, kidnapped, tortured, or executed without trial.
Marcos could have been the most brilliant president our country has ever had, in my opinion.
However, we must use the term "brilliance" in its correct context, as it is intended to characterize
light, integrity and selfless. Marcos had lost such traits in his selfishness and thirst for power.
The Phillipines would have been in better shape if he had stepped down from power and handed
it over peacefully and democratically. Sure, he accomplished a lot for the country's economy, but
it ended up with the government defaulting on its debts and causing a financial crisis. The
Philippines economically collapsed, and only recovered 20 years later. After Marcos' reign, the
Philippines was dubbed the "Sick Man of Asia" for a reason. The Marcos dictatorship should be
remembered as one of the darkest periods of Philippine history.
Filipinos have a variety of perspectives on things, whether culturally, economically, or
politically. Even under martial law, the Filipinos are economically and politically divided. The
fundamental reason, I believe, is that Filipinos lack national unity and political reform. This is
also why, as a country, we, the Filipinos, will not achieve overall development. The fact that the
country is divided into three distinct island groups, each with its own culture and beliefs,
demonstrates that the country has long been divided.