Marcos calls for culture shift to help fight corruption

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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday said that the Philippines needs to undergo a cultural shift amid the series of high-profile flood control corruption cases that rocked the nation.

In a "24 Oras" report from Jonathan Andal, Marcos said that to address these issues of corruption, the changes needed to go beyond the bureaucratic.

“When you are a second-class citizen for 300-plus years, you find ways to get around the law. Because you cannot succeed if you just follow the law. Now we have to change that…However, again, a cultural shift is much, much harder than what you say a bureaucratic shift or a systems change…It's not an easy job. But it is something we absolutely have to do,” Marcos said during the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Singapore.

Corruption needed to become unacceptable, said the President.

The multi-billion flood control scam was allegedly a systemic kickback scheme between lawmakers and contractors, wherein public funds were funneled into substandard or ghost infrastructure projects. The scam contributed to the Philippines’ economic slump.

Pax Silica

During the conference, Marcos was also asked about the controversial Pax Silica project. The president said that he was excited for the initiative, encouraging business leaders in the audience to invest in the Philippines.

“That is one of the big areas that we're terribly excited about. Pax Silica came along and we saw that it was a grand opportunity for the Philippines to inhabit more of the value chain that we already had begun,” Marcos said.

The President said that by November, the Digital Economy Framework Agreement will be finalized, which will act as the country’s guide to the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Addressing the business leaders at the forum, Marcos touted the country’s young workforce and the country’s relaxed rules for foreign investors.

For example, foreigners are now allowed full ownership of corporations in select industries, including technology.

Marcos is in Singapore for a working visit until September 11. —Jean Mangaluz/LDF, GMA News