Marcos admin reveals 'Bagong Pilipinas' brand of governance

The Marcos administration on Saturday unveiled a new brand of governance and leadership campaign, “Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines),” in a bid to implement an “all-inclusive plan for economic and social transformation.”

Based on a memorandum circular signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on July 3, “Bagong Pilipinas” 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.”

“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,” the circular read.

With this, the President ordered all national government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and state universities and colleges (SUCs), to adopt the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign in planning all their programs and activities; and use its logo in their letterheads, websites, official social media accounts, and other documents and instruments pertaining to flagship programs of the government.

The round logo is similar to the Philippine flag where a yellow sun is seen partly wrapped by blue and red ribbons. There are also three stars on top of it.

‘Nakakatulong ba ito’

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, meanwhile, criticized the administration’s rebranding, saying that while previous presidents did the same, it never addressed the country’s issues.

“Ang bottom line, nakakatulong ba ito sa kahirapan, inflation, kakulangan sa sweldo, unemployment, underemployment? Kailangan ba ito ng mamamayang Pilipino? Dini-describe ang magiging objective ng gobyerno, pero nagawa ba ang substantial na kaalwanan sa mga mamamayang Pilipino…Dapat hindi na ito pinagkakaabalahan ng administrasyon,” Castro told dzBB’s Super Radyo.

(The bottom line is: does it help address inflation, low wages, unemployment, and underemployment? Do we need this? It describes the administration's objectives, but does it evoke substantial actions? The administration should not waste its time on these kinds of projects.)

The legislator also chided the government’s campaign seemingly being a revamp of “Bagong Lipunan” — the slogan of late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father, and namesake of Marcos Jr.

For his part, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General Renato Reyes echoed Castro’s sentiments and said addressing the country’s “corrupt and moribund political system” would take more than a new slogan and logo.

“The slogans changed but the structures that promoted bureaucrat capitalism persisted. We merely moved from one plunder case to another, one cover-up after another,” said Reyes.

“The Marcos regime is obsessed with rebranding and image-building, and not so much with problem-solving. SONA should be about coming to terms with the crisis facing the nation, and not concealing the same through creative communications,” he said. —Sundy Locus/KG/DVM, GMA Integrated News