The Philippines charts a steady course

As Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr prepares to celebrate

his first year in office

, he has crossed a key political milestone, that of credibility. When he came to power in 2022, an influential international publication voiced the concerns of many Filipinos and their foreign friends over whether the victory would undo the democratic achievements of the Filipino people since their overthrow of his dictatorial father in 1986.

However, if anything, the son has not only not seized the reins of power firmly, but has also distanced himself from the autocratic actions of his immediate predecessor, which notably produced a controversial war on drugs. While the elder Marcos gave the Philippines a measure of stability and growth, his son seeks to achieve both ends without recourse to the egregious human rights excesses that are associated with the martial law years of his father’s regime. Too many miles have been walked since the People Power revolution drove the elder Marcos into exile for anyone to conceivably reverse the course of recent Filipino history.