If Marcos can afford to take a ‘little break’ this Christmas, what would he do?

Strongly criticized early in his administration for flying to Singapore to watch the F1 race, and again in January this year for taking a chopper to see Coldplay in Bulacan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has become observably more cautious when asked about how he spends his free time.

In an ambush interview after the Philippine Air Force change of command ceremony in Villamor Air Base on Thursday, December 19, reporters asked Marcos about his Christmas plans and where he would spend the holidays.

He said the “usual” family practice is to gather in Malacañang Palace for Christmas Eve, and then go to the North — Ilocos Norte and Baguio — on Christmas Day. But by noontime, he said be would be back in Manila.

Marcos said, however, that this schedule remains fluid, and would hinge on current developments.

“Depende. I’m very flexible pagdating sa schedule ko. Kasi hindi ko maano ‘yung sasabihin na hindi aalis, aalis ako, kasi hindi naman, baka may mangyari, baka kailangan ako. Whatever it is, I’m always available,” he said.

(It depends. I’m very flexible when it comes to my schedule. I can’t say I won’t go, I’ll go, because something might happen and I might be needed. Whatever it is, I’m always available.)

What if his schedule can accommodate some free time? “But siyempre, lahat tayo can use a little break. So I will use the time. Ang daming libro na hindi pa nababasa eh, so babasahin ko silang lahat pagka, habang nasa bakasyon,” he said.

(But of course, we can all use a little break. So I will use the time. There are so many books that I haven’t read yet, so I will read all of that if — while on vacation.)

Marcos also said that his sons have other plans, so “maybe the First Lady and I will spend a little quiet time together” on Christmas Day.

What books would he read? He didn’t give a list but in a 2019 vlog post, Marcos gave a glimpse of his reading preferences. He had said that if he were told to choose books to read if he were to live the rest of his life on a desert island, it would be the complete works of William Shakespeare. 

His other top five books mentioned in the 2019 vlog are: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway,  Isaac Asimov’s science works especially his Foundation series, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and President Aquino: Sainthood Postponed by Lewis E. Gleek Jr., which was recommended to him by his future chief presidential counsel, Juan Ponce Enrile.

Will he get a chance to reduce his book backlog? As a follow-up question to his holiday plans in the December 19 interview, Marcos was again asked if he would take time off on Christmas Day. He said that he, like any other government official, is not entitled to any day-off.

“I don’t have off days. Hindi ako kasama diyan. Hindi kami kasama sa bakasyon, sa holiday, sa weekend — hindi kami kasama diyan. We are always on call,” he said.

(I’m not entitled to it. We’re not entitled to vacations, holidays, weekends — we’re excluded. We are always on call.) – Rappler.com