QUEZON City, Philippines (March 23) – As responsible voters, we should learn more about the candidates running for the 2016 elections because – should they win – they will be the one in charge of our country and their actions will surely impact our lives.
It is not only those who are running for president that we should scrutinize but their running mates as well. After all, the Vice-President of the Philippines has the duty to take over in case the President becomes incapacitated or dies during his or her term.
Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is a senator of 16th congress of the Philippines and one of the candidates for vice president in the 2016 election. He is the son of former president Ferdinand Marcos and former first Lady Imelda Marcos. He is married to Louise Cacho Araneta and they have 3 sons: Ferdinand Alexander III (born 1994), Joseph Simon (born 1995) and William Vincent (born 1997).
He was born on September 13, 1957. He began his education in took Institucion Teresiana were he took up kindergarten and La Salle Greenhills in Manila where he studied elementary. Marcos was sent to England and studied in Worth School- an all boy’s Benedictine institution in the year 1970.
Thereafter, he pursued his undergraduate degree. His resume alleges that he graduated with a Special Diploma in Social Studies from Oxford University in England although there is no record of his graduation in the said university.
Marcos enrolled in the Masters in Business Administration program at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, US. However, he was unable to complete the course because of his election as Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte in 1980.
At the age of 23, Bongbong Marcos became a Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte(1980-1983). In 1983, he spearheaded the group of young Filipino leaders on a 10-day diplomatic mission to China to emphasize the 10th anniversary of Philippine-Chinese relations.
He succeeded as Governor of Ilocos Norte (1983–1986) where he served until the People Power Revolution ousted his family from power. He then lived in political exile with his family in Hawaii, US.
Bongbong Marcos returned to the Philippines in 1991. He was elected as representative of the second district of Ilocos Norte (1992–1995). During his term, Marcos was the author of 29 House bills and co-author of 90 more, which includes those that paved the way for the creation of the Department of Energy and the National Youth Commission. He was also instrumental in advancing the cause of cooperatives by devoting most of his Countryside Development Fund (CDF) to organizing the cooperatives of teachers and farmers in his home province. In 1995, Marcos ran for a seat in the Philippine Senate but lost.
At the year of 1998, Marcos was again elected as Governor of Ilocos Norte. He served for three consecutive terms ending in 2007. During his tenure, Governor Marcos transformed Ilocos Norte into a first-class province of international acclaim, by showcasing its natural and cultural destinations. He also pioneered the wind power technology that serves as an alternative source of energy in Ilocos Norte and other parts of Luzon.
In 2007, Marcos ran unopposed for the congressional seat previously held by his older sister Imee. He is then appointed as Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. During this term, one of the important pieces of legislation he authored was the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law, or Republic Act No. 9522. He also promoted the Republic Act No. 9502 (Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act) which was enacted on 2009.
His platforms as a vice-presidential candidate are:
- promote meritocracy in government
- propose Freedom of Information Act
- ensure the affordability of prices of basic goods
- address lack of jobs within the country
- accelerate the process of rehabilitation
- focus on infrastructure as a top-priority program
- negotiate for the position of Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to create and improve programs for employment and livelihood
http://www.mb.com.ph/bongbong-marcos-wants-dole-if-elected-vp/
https://www.google.com.ph/#q=BONGBONG+MARCOS+PLAN+FOR+THE+UNEMPLOYMENT+PROBLEM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcos
(written by Jasmin Monte, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)
