Economist debunks myths saying Marcos era was 'golden age'

An economist on Thursday reminded the public that the Philippines was not the richest country under the leadership of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

On Sandra Aguinaldo's "24 Oras" report, JC Punongbayan, a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE), debunked fake information indicating that there was no hunger crisis during the 21-year Marcos regime.

During a 1Sambayan online forum, Punongbayan cited the Negros Island famine in the 1980s, which affected one million dependents. This included Joel Abong, who was  skin-and-bones  in a photo.

Further, Punongbayan also dispelled fake reports that the nutribun was a Marcos program, saying that it was USAID's program.

In a previous report of GMA News Online, nutribun was developed in the early 1970s. It was also revealed that former first lady Imelda Marcos, wife of the late dictator, put her stamp on the nutribuns even though the items were donations.

In the same online forum, economist and political analyst Andrew Masigan said the next president of the Philippines will face the debt that the Duterte administration will leave as well as budget deficits.

Meanwhile, Solita Monsod, Professor Emeritus of UPSE, said the successor of President Rodrigo Duterte will inherit the different issues such as education crisis, health crisis and economic crisis.

"The next president inheriting the country which has lost its moral compass and is undergoing according to the NEDA-- which I agree with-- an education crisis, a health crisis, on top of economic crisis," she said, adding that it is the poor who is bearing the brunt of all these crisis.

GMA News sought comment from former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. 's camp regarding the statements of Punongbayan. GMA News also asked for reaction from Malacañang on the statements of Monsod and Masigan.

Bongbong Marcos is seeking the presidency in the May 2022 elections.—LDF, GMA News