FEBRUARY 1, 2026 — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has thrown a curveball to the public: he wants ordinary Filipinos to pitch policy ideas to solve the country’s “many problems.” In his latest vlog released on February 1, the President admitted what most of us already know — many of our policies are stuck in the past, and instead of helping, they’re making life harder.

“Ang mga polisiya ay kultura na isinusulat bilang batas,” Marcos said, stressing that laws should reflect the times, not trap us in outdated systems. 

(Policies are culture written into law.)

He even pointed out the absurdity of requiring an ID to apply for an ID, filling out endless forms with the same information, and forcing people to show up physically for transactions that could easily be digital.

Hold on. Isn’t this exactly what frustrates us daily? The endless queues, the redundant paperwork, the wasted hours. 

How many of us have had to take a whole day off from work just to renew our passport? In other countries, this would take just a few hours. How many of us have had to go back and forth from window to window at the city hall, only to be turned away because your requested document won’t be available until next week? And you’d be lucky if you go back on the day they indicated and your document is indeed ready. Most of the time, you’d be required to make another trip, armed with hope and perhaps some tears of frustration.

Marcos himself admitted: “Nakikita natin sa ating mga nakasanayang pamamaraan na pinaglumaan na ng panahon. Tila maliit na bagay pero laking perwisyo sa tao.”

(We see it in the methods we are accustomed to, which have become outdated over time. They may seem like small matters, but they cause great inconvenience to people)

Now, instead of just promising reforms, the President is asking us to suggest policies. 

“Ipaalam ninyo sa amin sa comment section kung may mga mungkahi kayong polisiya na makakatulong solusyonan ang marami nating problema. Aabangan namin ang mga suggestion ninyo,” he said.

 (Let us know in the comments section if you have policy proposals that could help address many of our problems. We look forward to your suggestions.)

Marcos cited examples abroad where discipline-focused policies shaped more orderly societies, and where innovative labor and health rules boosted productivity and reduced burnout. He’s right: other countries have shown that clear, enforceable, and practical policies can transform everyday life. 

But here in the Philippines, the challenge isn’t just drafting new rules — it’s enforcing them fairly, consistently, and without political baggage.

Imagine if we could cut down the bureaucracy that eats up our time. Imagine if government services were truly digital, accessible, and efficient. Imagine if policies actually made life easier instead of harder. Isn’t that what we’ve been demanding for decades?

The President’s call is both an opportunity and a test. Will Filipinos rise to the challenge and flood the government with practical, people-centered ideas? 

At the end of the day, policies are only as good as the will to implement them. And if Marcos is serious about listening, then maybe — just maybe — we can finally start rewriting the rules that have long been written against us.

Policies should not be relics of the past — they must be tools that make life better for every Filipino today. 

So now the ball is in your court. If you had the power to rewrite one outdated policy that makes life miserable for ordinary Filipinos, what would it be?

(Image: Bongbong Marcos | Facebook)