Photo credit: PCO

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is hoping that the structural reforms launched under his administration will continue long after he leaves office — and that future leaders will strengthen, not abandon, them.

In the latest episode of the PBBM Podcast released Thursday, the President told a group of college students that the reforms being introduced today should be built to last.

“My hope… kahit wala na ako rito, sana ’yung mga pagbabagong nasimulan namin, magtuloy-tuloy at hindi matanggal,” he said, stressing that structural changes must be designed to survive beyond any single presidency.

He urged Filipinos to choose leaders who will carry the momentum forward: “Do it in such a way that it will continue, it will even get better, especially if we choose our presidents well.”

Speaking with students from UE, PUP, and WVSU, Marcos said today’s world is very different from the 1970s and 1980s, making old ways of governing ineffective. This, he said, is why he spends hours daily with his advisers brainstorming new approaches.

“Think out of the box. Stop thinking the same old way. It doesn’t work anymore,” he said.

When asked about the lessons he learned from his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., he said one teaching has stayed with him: never stop.

“If you believe in something you are doing for the country, do not stop,” he said. “You will have to sacrifice. You will fail. You have to stand up again. Don’t stop.”

Unlike earlier episodes that featured journalists, this podcast installment highlighted student voices, giving the discussion a more relaxed, youth-centered tone — and offering a glimpse of how the President hopes the next generation will lead.