Next PHL leader must know economics

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said economic competency and nation-building are the defining qualities of future Philippine leadership, adding that productivity and private-sector collaboration will remain central to sustainable growth.

“Somebody who understands economics. That’s the first thing,” he said when asked what qualities he would seek in the next president of the republic during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum in Makati City on Tuesday.

Economic literacy is essential for job creation, inflation control, and ensuring food security, he noted.

Mr. Marcos reiterated that high-level leadership requires experience and public familiarity, noting the difficulty of elevating individuals without political backgrounds into presidential contenders within the Philippines’ competitive political landscape.

He declined to name a possible successor ahead of the 2028 polls following Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s announcement last week to run for the government’s top post, adding that identifying successors remains premature. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana