Marcos Jr.’s ‘Hands-On Governance’: A Mirage of Reform

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — June 17, 2025

JUNE 3, 2025. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sweeps into Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for a 42-minute “inspection.” Cameras flash, officials scurry, yet he barely glances at the snaking immigration lines, spending more time waving to a curated crowd than probing the chaos. This, he claims, is “verifying reports firsthand” — a bold strike against corruption. But beneath the spectacle lies a troubling question: Is this governance or a masterclass in political theater? Marcos Jr.’s proclaimed hands-on leadership, riddled with contradictions and haunted by historical baggage, demands a razor-sharp reckoning.

1. The Illusion of Accountability

Marcos Jr.’s mantra of “seeing for myself” promises to root out bureaucratic deceit. He admits officials have “binola ako ng mga lokong ito (fooled me with these crooks),” citing personal inspections as his antidote [1]. Yet the NAIA tour exposes cracks in this narrative: a fleeting 42-minute stroll, described as a “point-and-see” exercise, where he sidestepped critical metrics like passenger processing times [2]. Is this accountability or a smokescreen for centralized control? His military-style rhetoric—“If you can’t do it, I’ll replace you”—clashes with reality. Allies like campaign manager Toby Tiangco, despite electoral losses, remain unscathed, while others face the axe [3]. This selective purge suggests loyalty trumps performance, undermining his anti-corruption crusade.

2. The Spectacle vs. Substance Divide

Marcos Jr.’s inspections teeter between reform and performance art. The San Juanico Bridge visit, revealing decades of neglected maintenance, proves their potential [4]. Yet the NAIA tour, lacking data on wait times or OFW facility usage, feels like a “mema (just for relevance)” show, as critics charge [2]. Why prioritize glitzy airports over rural clinics starved of funds? The P8.28-billion Airport-New Clark City Access Road (ANAR) project shines, while bridge maintenance languishes [5]. This selectivity betrays a governance model chasing headlines over human impact.

3. The Ghosts of Marcos Past

History casts a long shadow. The Marcos dictatorship’s “edifice complex”—symbolized by white elephants like the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, mired in bribery and waste—fuels skepticism today [6]. Are these inspections a rebranding ploy to distance Marcos Jr. from his family’s legacy of “paper projects”? The parallels are chilling: grandiose gestures masking systemic dysfunction. Public trust, battered by decades of Marcos-era excess, demands more than staged tours to heal old wounds.

4. The Missing Systemic Fixes

Marcos Jr. laments being duped by “crooks,” yet where’s the anti-corruption architecture? No whistleblower protections, no procurement overhauls—just reliance on his personal oversight [1]. This personalistic approach sidesteps institutional rot, leaving governance vulnerable to the same deceit he decries. Without systemic reforms, his inspections are a fleeting fix, not a foundation for lasting change.

5. Demands for Real Reform

To break this cycle, Marcos Jr. must embrace rigor over theatrics:

Standardized KPIs: Mandate measurable benchmarks—passenger wait times, OFW facility usage rates—to ground inspections in reality.
Independent Audits: Deploy multi-sectoral teams with civil society oversight to replace “point-and-see” photo-ops.
Incognito Challenge: Ride the MRT without sirens or PR teams to experience the ordinary Filipino’s grind firsthand.

If Marcos Jr. truly seeks to shatter “business as usual,” why does his governance still feel like a curated family photo album, polished for posterity but disconnected from the people it claims to serve?