Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
TODAY'S commemoration of the proclamation of Philippine independence in 1898 takes on added significance. The 124th anniversary of the event will be the last for President Rodrigo Duterte, who leaves office with unusually high popularity and approval ratings. This day is also a milestone in the countdown to a transition. In just over two weeks, President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will assume office with a majority mandate, something not seen by an incoming head of the state since the 1960s. But the country's mood seems weighed down by the challenges facing the next government, and contrasts with political developments in the United States, from which this country inherited its democratic system.
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