Marcos urges Filipinos to choose empathy over indifference for the New Year

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called upon Filipinos to remain committed to the country’s progress, saying that choosing empathy over indifference was integral to moving forward.

With the coming of the New Year, Marcos said it was a moment for reflection and renewal.  

“It gives us the opportunity to look back on the year that has passed-its lessons, challenges, and achievements and to look ahead with hope and purpose to the possibilities that await us,” Marcos said. 

The year 2025 had been the most tumultuous yet for the Marcos administration, from the arrest and turnover of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court, to the massive corruption scheme at the Department of Public Works and Highways. 

Marcos enters the New Year with decreasing popularity, as seen in recent surveys from the Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia—a decline that the Palace has attributed to Marcos making difficult decisions to combat corruption. 

The president did not address the past year’s controversies, instead focusing on the year ahead. 

“As we step into 2026, I therefore call on every Filipino to embrace the year with discipline, confidence, and a shared commitment to our nation's progress,” Marcos said. 

“Beyond personal resolutions, the new year calls on us to examine how we live with one another, how we lift one another, and how our choices shape our nation. A society thrives when its people choose empathy over indifference, service over self-interest, and hope over despair,” he added.