“The Golden Age during the Marcos Regime”

1. The first claim that I had been introduced to is that according to Imelda Marcos, “The only
things that we keep in life are those that we give away, which is love.”

According to Mydans (2006), during Imelda Marcos' press conference, she had ideals included
the above-mentioned comment that the only things we must maintain in life are those that we also
give away, which is love. As a result, during her news conference, the audience believed that her
patter was so realistic that it gave the illusion of understanding her beliefs, especially the one
indicated above.

The New York Times

Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/world/asia/imelda-marcos-in-her-own-

words.html

2. According to the video presented, Imelda Marcos symbolizes the picture of a mother, which
depicted that she truly cared for her fellow Filipino people.

According to a news item published by the Philippine Foreign Policy, Ferdinand and Imelda
Marcos were accused of stealing up to $10 billion from Philippine coffers to fund their extravagant
lifestyle. As a result, even after 20 years of decline, the majority of their riches remains unaccounted
for. According to Foreign Policy, massive corruption, repression, and human rights abuses were
widespread under the Marcoses' reign, and Imelda spent her fortune on shoes, artworks, homes,
jewelries, and other frivolous items rather than assisting those in need.

Foreign Policy news article Philippines

Retrieved from: https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/16/shoes-jewels-and-monets-the-immense-ill-

gotten-wealth-of-imelda-marcos/

3. In the provided video about Imelda Marcos, it was also stated that during their era, the
emergence of truth with economic order was achieved.
 According to Overholt (1986), when Ferdinand Marcos became President of the
Philippines, the country was regarded as one of the best models of Third World political and
economic success. As a result, the Philippines became the broadest-based rapid economic takeoff
in world history that other leaders had yet to witness. Furthermore, infrastructure in the
Philippines was enhanced, making it a significant engine of the country's economic growth.

JSTOR Research Journal

Retrieved from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2644313

4. During the Marcos regime, it was also mentioned in the video that the development of basic
human resources was emphasized for the benefit of the Filipino people.

Although basic human resources were established during the Marcos administration, former
President Carlos P. Garcia himself wrote that the Filipinos were suffering because the Marcoses did
every transaction for them to obtain benefits more than what the Filipino people receive. As a result,
President Garcia coined the phrase "Filipino cry," which refers to the nationalistic cry of Filipinos to
be first in line when it comes to allocating foreign cash, such as commodities and services.

Journal/Diary and speech by President Carlos P. Garcia.

Retrieved from: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1961/08/29/speech-of-president-garcia-during-

the-rites-commemorating-the-65th-anniversary-of-the-battle-of-pinaglabanan/

5. Moreover, equality and justice were achieved during the Marcos regime.

According to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, Corazon Aquino opened
the path for addressing the abuses of Marcos' corrupt, cruel, and unscrupulous administration.
Although the Marcos government offered the Filipino people with transitional justice and started out
strong, it later failed to overcome the basic institutional barriers to justice in our country. Aside from
that, most victims of human rights crimes committed during the Marcos government are still waiting
for justice. As a result, the statement above is not credible because there are those who suffered
greatly throughout his rule.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

Retrieved from: https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_08/articles/553

6. Moreover, another statement from the video stated that there was peace and endless love
during the Marcos era.

This statement is contradictory since, as we can see from the preceding answer, inequality and
injustice flourished during the Marcos era. As a result, economists Balisacan and Hall Hill have taken
into account that they were sparked by the family Marcos' blatant efforts to maintain control of the
political apparatus. As a result, this is because people throughout the Marcos era were chained to their
necks and rigidly commanded on what they should accomplish with their lives. So, how can we call
this peace and unending love if the Filipino people are being held captive, as the Spaniards did in the
past?

Philippine Star News Articles

Retrieved from: https://newslab.philstar.com/31-years-of-amnesia/golden-era

7. Another statement from the video is that the economic growth of the Philippines boomed
because of the efforts of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

This remark is agreeable since, thanks to the infrastructures stressed under the Marcos
administration, the Philippines' economic growth expanded swiftly from its lowest point to its highest
point. However, according to a catalogue entry from one of the books in the British Library, the
Philippines fell behind in payment by 2.3 billion during the 1970s. This simply indicates that the
country's economic growth is still modest in comparison to first-world countries, and the Philippines
is still lagging in terms of development, infrastructure, and economic growth.

Catalogue record from the British Library

Retrieved from: https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/123033/bk-
debt-poverty-philippines-part1-010191-
en.pdf;jsessionid=85812A7F7B4B63FED09040BD6028C6B2?sequence=11

8. The Marcos regime brought hope to the Filipino people and it increased the employment
rates in the country.

According to a research report published by the IBON Foundation (2016), the unemployment rate
during the Marcos administration was over 11 percent in 1985, with a high of more than 47 percent in
1984. As a result, it was agreeable to blame all of this on Marcos' government because corruption and
cronyism were visible during this period, especially when they were behaving so villainously.

IBON Foundation – maintained and updated by credible researchers

Retrieved from: https://www.ibon.org/under-marcos-employment-fell-prices-soared-poverty-

persisted/#:~:text=The%20unemployment%20rate%20was%20falling,doubling%20to
%2017.4%25%20in%201980.

9. Another insight that I have gathered from the video presented is that Imelda Marcos never
portrayed any type or kind of corruption during their administration.

Since Imelda Marcos was convicted to decades in prison for corruption, most researchers and
government officials have refuted this claim. Despite the lack of reliable evidence, more than 1.3
billion dollars from the Philippine government's wealth mysteriously vanished during the Marcos
administration. As a result, it is extremely likely that it is in the hands of the Marcoses, who had also
displayed the Filipino people their opulent lifestyle, which can be speculated to be the result of the
amassed riches they obtained from the Philippine government.

The New York Times

Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/imelda-r-marcos

10. Lastly, the video provided ended the presentation with a belief that during the Marcos
administration, the Golden Age were provided to the people and all of the Filipinos
benefitted from this event.

According to Talamayan Fernan, a research specialist, the Golden Age was obvious under the
Marcos administration because other countries were astounded by how a third-world country like the
Philippines were able to leverage its full capacity in order to reach its goals and ideals. As a result of
Ferdinand Marcos' expatriates program, infrastructures were created, economic growth was rapidly
accelerated, a trading system was established, and employment rates increased. However, we cannot
consider this administration to be a Golden Age because there were instances of corruption, abuse,
and autocratic rule.

Philippine Research Journal

 Retrieved from: https://snuac.snu.ac.kr/2015_snuac/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/09-%EC%9E
%90%EC%9C%A0%EC%A3%BC%EC%A0%9C273-304-5%EA%B5%903%EC%99%84%EC
%99%84-20211231.pdf

References:

Chikiamco. C. (2020, August 14). The oligarchy during the Marcos regime and its economic impact.
Retrieved at https://www.bworldonline.com/the-oligarchy-during-the-marcos-regime-and-its-economic-
impact/
Diola, C. (2020). DEBT, DEPRIVATION AND THE SPOILS OF DICTATORSHIP. Retrieved at
https://newslab.philstar.com/31-years-of-amnesia/golden-era

Mydans, S. (2006, March 7). Imelda Marcos, in her own words. Retrieved at
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/world/asia/imelda-marcos-in-her-own-words.html

Overholt, W. H. (1986). The Rise and Fall of Ferdinand Marcos. Asian Survey, 26(11), 1137–1163.
https://doi.org/10.2307/2644313

Talamayan, F. (2013). The Politics of Nostalgia and the Marcos Golden Age in the Philippines. Retrieved
athttps://snuac.snu.ac.kr/2015_snuac/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/09 %EC%9E%90%EC%9C%A0%EC
%A3%BC%EC%A0%9C273-304 5%EA%B5%903%EC%99%84%EC%99%84-20211231.pdf

Taylor, F. (1975, December). The Philippines: Martial Law, Marcos-Style. Retrieved at

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30171506

The New York Times Archives. (1981, September 27). MARCOS AIMS A NEW AID PROGRAM AT
THE POOR. Retrieved at https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/27/world/marcos-aims-a-new-aid-program-
at-the-poor.html

Traywick, C. (2014, January 16). Shoes, Jewels, and Monets: The Immense Ill-Gotten Wealth of Imelda
Marcos. Retrieved at https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/16/shoes-jewels-and-monets-the-immense-ill-
gotten-wealth-of-imelda-marcos/
Whaley, F. (2016, February 23). 30 Years After Revolution, Some Filipinos Yearn for ‘Golden Age’ of
Marcos. Retrieved at https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/world/asia/30-years-after-revolution-some-
filipinos-yearn-for-golden-age-of-marcos.html