Marcos centenary: Recalling the visionary
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THE province of Ilocos Norte observes the 100th birth anniversary of its most famous son, former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, with a series of events ranging from a literature and art festival to debates and lecture forums on nationalism and foreign policy leading up to September 11.
Gov. Imee Marcos says the activities border more on the cerebral rather than ceremonial in keeping with her late father’s personality. Except for a quiet and private wreath-laying at his tomb in Libingan ng mga Bayani, no parties, parades, programs, or shows have been put on schedule. “Salamat, Apo” is the central theme of the commemoration.
The birth centenary calls to mind the former president’s vision for the country. During his first SONA, he bared his plans for the country’s economic development and good governance. Anticipating a population boom, he laid out a vast infrastructure program encompassing a nationwide network of roads, bridges and public works, dams and power plants, hospitals and other institutions, etc. – all of which still stand today, benefitting millions of Filipinos through the years, comprising a strong legacy that no other president has matched.
Maharlika Highway connecting Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao, NLEX, SLEX, Circumferential Roads 1-10 are products of his vision. So are the pioneering hospitals Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and Lung Center of the Philippines; state colleges and universities such as Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Bicol University, and Cagayan State University; San Juanico Bridge, Mactan-Mandaue Bridge, Patapat Viaduct, Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant, Pantabangan Hydro Electric Power Plant, the BLISS housing projects, to name a few.
Few credit President Marcos for promoting Filipino culture and nationalism. Sites showcasing the rich Filipino heritage such as Philippine International Convention Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Film Center of the Philippines, National Arts Center in Makiling, Nayong Pilipino, and People’s Park in the Sky in Tagaytay were constructed. The 70s saw the birth of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) and experimental movies thrived during the era. The National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), renamed TESDA.