YouTube video by Kat Beatrice

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has admitted that he takes criticism on the job personally, emphasizing that being affected by public perception demonstrates the importance he places on his work. During an appearance on singer Gary Valenciano's podcast 'Unshaken with Gary V,' Marcos was asked whether he can separate criticism from his personal identity. He responded that he cannot, stating, 'In a sense, no, because I take my work personally. It's important to me—I get happy when I get it right, I'm sad if I don't, and if people do something wrong you get angry because I take it personally.' The President explained that acknowledging public feedback shows he values criticism and remains driven to improve his performance in office. 'Masusugatan ka talaga (You will really be hurt) but you have to be willing to do that, otherwise, you are not doing enough,' he said. Marcos also shared a 'three-minute rule' for managing emotions: 'If you get angry, okay, it matters to me, so let's find out how to fix it.' He emphasized that while emotions are part of the process, he does not let them drive his decisions. 'What I hope [my children] would inherit from me is the ability to be objective. I've always followed the advice, 'Don't make any decisions if you're too sad, too happy, too anything.' Just never trust your first instinct,' he added. Marcos also reflected on his family's return to the Philippines in 1991 after being exiled following the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. He recalled being warned against returning due to security threats but was surprised by the enthusiastic welcome from thousands of Filipinos upon his arrival. 'I arrived at the airport, and there were thousands of people cheering us on. And I thought, 'Okay, it's not true what they've been telling us.' That's why I wanted to come home, I'm with Filipinos again. I'm back home and it feels natural,' he said. The President noted that while he knew his life wouldn't be easy, returning to the Philippines felt more familiar than living in a foreign country. 'The reaction of the people was certainly not what I expected,' he added, expressing that he was 'really surprised' by the positive reception.

Alt: three south park characters standing next to each other with a sign that says go cows on it

YouTube video by GLITZ PH

track by Erik Blood and Gary V